Jurickson Profar Is Leaving No Doubt He Should Start the MLB All-Star Game

Profar continues to prove he deserves his first All-Star selection.

Jun 24, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar (10) celebrates after hitting a walk-off single against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Jurickson Profar's remarkable season had its best moment so far Tuesday night. It only served to prove he should be starting for the National League in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

On Tuesday night, Profar provided the winning hit as his San Diego Padres erased a three-run 10th-inning deficit and walked off the Washington Nationals 7-6. With two outs in the bottom of the 10th and holding a 6–5 lead, Washington opted to walk Luis Arraez to face Profar. That decision did not pay off. Profar let them know about it during his postgame celebration.

The @Padres score 4 runs in the bottom of the 10th to win it! #Walkoff pic.twitter.com/IzjmaCoLUR

— MLB (@MLB) June 25, 2024

That didn't sit well with the Nationals, and on Wednesday night as Profar stepped into the box in the first inning, catcher Keibert Ruiz got in his face causing benches to clear. Everything calmed down, then on the next pitch, Washington starter MacKenzie Gore hit Profar in the leg with a 98 mph fastball. Tensions were incredibly high.

Luckily for the Padres, Manny Machado sent the next pitch into the left field stands, allowing Profar to celebrate yet again.

San Diego. IT'S LOUD. pic.twitter.com/NF9WzN2WsK

— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2024

In the bottom of the sixth, the Padres held a 5–4 lead when Profar stepped into the box with the bases loaded. He got ahead in the count 2-0, then unloaded on a 94-mph cutter from Derek Law and hit a 107.3 mph laser into the right field bleachers. Not surprisingly, Profar put a little extra mustard on the celebration.

The Padres would go on to win 9-7.

Jurickson Profar sends San Diego into a frenzy with a grand slam! 😎 pic.twitter.com/SfSNykyTZW

— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2024

It was a perfect moment and that 24 hours encapsulated Profar's remarkable 2024 season.

The 31-year-old outfielder struggled to find a job in the offseason after a dismal 2023 campaign. Finally in late February, the Padres signed him to a one-year, $1 million deal with incentives that could bump it up another $1.5 million. All he's done to reward them is become a legitimate MVP contender. He's the best bargain in baseball.

Profar currently leads the National League in on-base percentage (.410), is second in batting average (.317), tied for ninth in slugging (.488), is fifth in OPS (.898), fifth in RBIs (54), sixth in hits (89), seventh in walks (41), fourth in wRC+ (162) and has 11 home runs. Profar also currently leads all NL outfielders in fWAR (2.8).

That is a heck of a resume for a guy who posted a -1.7 fWAR and a 76 wRC+ in 2023 during time split between the Padres and Colorado Rockies. It has been a remarkable reversal on a career that looked to be headed down the tubes.

Back in 2012, Profar was routinely listed as one of the top 10 prospects in baseball. His name ranked up there with peers like Machado, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole. In 2013, he was the consensus top prospect in the game. Unlike all of those other guys, he never put it all together at the big league level. And unlike the other names on the list, he has never made it to an All-Star game. That will change in 2024.

A former Little League World Series star for Curacao in 2004 and '05, Profar was famous before he even made his major league debut. But injuries sidetracked the early portion of his career with the Texas Rangers and a trade to the Oakland A's didn't turn things around. He showed glimpses of a breakout with the Padres in 2020 and 2022, but it never fully materialized. As mentioned, his 2023 campaign was a disaster as he posted a -1.7 WAR in 111 games with the Rockies before joining the Padres late in the season.

At last count, Profar was the leading All-Star Game vote-getter among National League outfielders, edging Christian Yelich and Teoscar Hernandez. That's the way it should be, as his performance has outshone all of his peers. It appears his time has finally come, 12 years after he broke into the big leagues.

Profar's season is the kind of feel-good story we look for. He's a beloved clubhouse presence who plays the game with joy and excitement. The talent has always been there, and now he is finally showing just how good he can be. He has more than earned the chance to start the All-Star game for the National League.