Snake Pit Sim Season: All-Star Wrap-Up

In a very Goldy-esque manner, Carson Kelly started the voting as a distant runner up and then used an extended period of all-around excellence to slowly but surely claim the starting nod as the National League Catcher. In OOTP 21, relief pitchers also get recognized. As such, Will Smith, who started out with the Atlanta Braves and was fifth in the voting, brought his vote tally with him and represented the Diamondbacks on the leader board, though he fell short of making the roster. Robbie Ray also received votes as a starting pitcher. Ray was named to the all-star roster, but he did not appear in the game. This is not surprising, since he started Sunday afternoon’s game against the White Sox. A strong late push in voting for Ketel Marte raised some hopes that he would be selected to join the roster, but it seems that was not to be the case this season.

On a Diamondbacks-related note, the starting pitcher for the NL squad was none other than former Diamondbacks reliever, Merrill Kelly. At the time of his trade to the Marlins, Kelly was arguably one of the top five relievers in the game. After the trade, Miami slid him back into their rotation. Kelly is now holding down the spot once occupied by Braxton Garrett rather than the one that Jordan Yamamoto occupied when he was shipped off in the Kelly trade with Yairo Munoz. Kelly has been consistent since leaving Arizona, though his overall sample size is still rather small.

As far as prospects in the Futures Game go, the Diamondbacks sent two. Ryan Mountcastle made the roster, as did Alek Thomas. In a bit of “interesting” managing, Ryan Mountcastle was inserted into the game as the NL’s second baseman. He went 1-for-3 in the game, but also committed an error. Thomas did not make an appearance in the game.

As for the actul All-Star Game, Carson Kelly played a key role. With the NL down a run after the first inning, Christian Yelich led off the second with a single. He took third on a single by Justin Turner. Yelich was then able to jog home when Kelly lifted a fly ball to straight away center field, making Mike Trout retreat a few paces to go get it. Later, in the fourth inning, Kelly found success against Gerrit Cole when he smacked a single past a diving Jose Iglesias at 108.1 mph.

With the All-Star Game in the books, players are now returning home to get ready for the second half of the season. The Diamondbacks are firmly in second place in the NL West. They hold the first spot in the Wild Card standings, currently ahead of San Diego for the second slot. The trade deadline is a mere 17 days away. It stands to reason that there will be a flurry of moves made that could drastically shape the future of things. The Diamondbacks have been proactive in making trades, not waiting for the deadline. There are no plans for any further major moves, though that is always open to change should the right set of circumstances arise.