MLB Analyst Says Washington Nationals Shortstop Overlooked in All-Star Voting
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The first update to all-star voting totals was released on Monday, and the results are not what fans of the Washington Nationals want to see.
Budding superstar James Wood is all the way down at ninth among National League outfielders with just 383,294 votes, despite the fact that he ranks first among all NL outfielders in wRC+ at 157.
Likewise, shortstop CJ Abrams did not even crack the top five, as he's all the way down at seventh place in what is, to be fair, a crowded group at shortstop.
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Writing for MLB.com, analyst Will Leitch broke down eight National League players who he felt deserved to be higher in the voting at their respective positions.
Abrams was the first player he listed, and for good reason.
"Look, shortstop in the National League is packed: I have a difficult time blaming anyone for any decision they make at this particular position," Leitch wrote. "But Abrams actually made the All-Star team last year, which makes his low standing here of note, considering he’s having a much better season in 2025."
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It is true that Abrams has taken some significant leaps forward in pretty much all offensive categories.
His 2025 slash line features three major jumps, going from .246/.314/.433 to .272/.341/.470 and in far less than half of the plate appearances, he's hit 9 home runs compared to 20 a season ago.
Abrams missed some time with injury earlier in the year, which could prevent him from threatening for a 30/30 season, but with the nine homers and 13 stolen bases, he's looking like a solid bet to go 20/20 for the second year in a row.
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Among all NL shortstops, only New York's Francisco Lindor has been a clear step ahead of Abrams, who is more or less on the level of Cincinnati's Elly de la Cruz and Philadelphia's Trea Turner.
Whether Abrams winds up getting his due on the all-star ballots or not, Washington fans can rest assured that their shorstop of the present and future is continuing to establish himself as one of the very best in the sport.
Combine that with the meteoric rise of Wood and the Cy Young level that MacKenzie Gore has found this season, and the Juan Soto trade continues to defy the odds and look like a win for the Nats.
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Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.