Hall of Fame pitcher and Baltimore Orioles legend Jim Palmer criticized MLB on social media Monday morning, arguing that Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel was unfairly left out of the All-Star selection.
Palmer, who serves as a color commentator for the Orioles on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), made a strong case for Kimbrel’s inclusion.
At 36, Kimbrel is second in the AL in saves (tied for third in MLB) with 23, boasting a 5-2 record, a 2.10 ERA, and a 0.90 WHIP. He’s allowed only eight earned runs on 17 hits, striking out 52 and walking 14 in 34 1/3 innings over 38 games.
Kimbrel, the 2011 NL Rookie of the Year, has had an illustrious career with nine All-Star selections, but his 2024 stats are his best in years. His ERA and WHIP are the lowest since 2017, and he’s on track to potentially match his career-high of 50 saves from 2013.
Four AL closers were selected over Kimbrel: Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, Kirby Yates of the Texas Rangers, Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics, and Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees. The first three were chosen by players, while Holmes was selected by the league.
MLB should be embarrassed not choosing Craig Kimbrel as an All Star.2nd in saves,2024, 4th all time, 440, 1 run last 21 appearances. MLB forgot their motto. “I live for it “and bowed to their NYC bias. Embarrassing.
— Jim Palmer (@Jim22Palmer) July 8, 2024
Holmes, an All-Star in 2022 and outstanding in 2023, started 2024 strong, not allowing an earned run through his first 20 games until May 20 and holding a 1.23 ERA on June 9. However, Holmes has struggled in his last seven outings, allowing runs in five games (two runs in four of those), pushing his ERA to 3.00. He hasn’t recorded a save since June 9, while Kimbrel has nine saves and only one blown save since then.
