**Josh Smith Shines in Season But Misses All-Star Nod, Could Still Play with Bochy’s Support**
ARLINGTON — As the Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith has demonstrated All-Star caliber play both at the plate and in the field throughout the first half of the season, missing out on an All-Star selection has been a notable disappointment for the young infielder.
The rejection came despite Smith’s standout statistics, which place him at the top among American League third basemen in several key categories. His 3.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) not only leads all AL third basemen but ranks him 20th across all MLB players. Furthermore, Smith boasts an impressive .383 on-base percentage and a batting average of .292, just a notch below Rafael Devers of the Red Sox who is hitting .293.
Yet, the selections for the 94th All-Star Game, to be held at Globe Life Field in Arlington on July 16, did not include Smith among the reserves announced this past Sunday. Instead, his teammates Kirby Yates and Marcus Semien made the list, along with other notable infielders.
Expressing his feelings on the decision, Smith said, “It’s upsetting not getting in, but I’m happy for Kirby and Marcus for getting in there. It’s a little upsetting but like I said, I’m just super happy for those guys. They work hard every day and they earned it.”
Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who will lead the AL All-Star team this year with his Rangers coaching staff, hinted that there is still hope for Smith. If any players are unable to participate due to injury, Bochy plans to advocate for Smith as a potential replacement.
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“He’s had a tremendous half,” Bochy said of Smith, acknowledging his excellent fill-in performance at third base for the injured Josh Jung, and his ability to adapt by also covering shortstop. “I’m certainly pulling for him. I’m sure he’s on a short list for being a replacement if we need one.”
Smith, showing resilience and focus, expressed less concern about missing the All-Star selection and more pride in his performance. “I’m not really worried about it,” he said.
“I’m just proud of the way I played this first half. So I’ll try to keep that going for the second half.”
While Smith’s path to the All-Star Game is less straightforward, given that two other third basemen, Rafael Deavers and Isaac Paredes, have been named as infield reserves, his season’s achievements have clearly marked him as a player of note. The coming days may yet determine if he will join his peers in this prestigious event.
