Houston Astros Humiliate Top Rival In All-Star Game Voting
After a terrible start to the season, things are finally turning around for the Houston Astros. Since opening the year 12-24, they've been one of the best teams in baseball, going 32-18 and surging from last place in the AL West to second place. Entering play on Thursday, they're only two games behind the Seattle Mariners.
The Astros also received some good news regarding the All-Star Game. Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez were voted All-Star starters, marking the ninth All-Star nod for Altuve and the third straight selection for Alvarez. If he hadn't gotten injured, Kyle Tucker might have joined them.
Surprisingly, nobody from the Texas Rangers was voted to start in the All-Star Game, which is shocking for two reasons. Not only did the Rangers just win the World Series last fall, but they're also hosting the Midsummer Classic at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Those two facts typically provide an All-Star voting bump, but not for Texas.
It is kind of hilarious that the Astros have two starters voted into the All-Star game (Altuve and Alvarez) at Globe Life Field and the Rangers have zero, nada, none, zilch.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) July 4, 2024
The Rangers have been massive disappointments all season, dealing with a severe case of World Series hangover. They're eight games below .500 and are just 33-45 since starting the year 6-2, allowing Houston to pass them in the standings.
That's because many of Texas' position players have fallen off from last year, including Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia. Fans are clearly not happy with their performance and did not show them enough support in the polls.
The Astros have dominated the Rangers for much of the past decade, and that trend is continuing in 2024. Texas' seven-game triumph over Houston in last year's ALCS already looks like a blip, especially if the Rangers don't turn things around in the second half.
In the meantime, don't be surprised if Arlington is overrun with Astros fans in a few weeks.
TYLER MAHER
Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.