Is the MLB Rigged? Fans Outraged as Juan Soto Snubbed Despite Better Stats Than Most All-Stars

As the MLB All-Star Game looms closer, what is usually a celebration of baseball’s best has turned into a hotbed of controversy. The reason? The omission of Juan Soto — one of the league’s most consistent and electrifying players — from the 2025 All-Star roster. It has left fans, analysts, and even some fellow players scratching their heads.

With stats that outperform several named All-Stars, Soto’s exclusion has triggered a tidal wave of criticism across social media and sports media platforms. The situation has sparked a deeper debate: Is Major League Baseball rigged? Are fan votes and selection committees truly recognizing performance, or are they being swayed by politics, narratives, or market preferences?

Juan Soto’s Numbers Speak Louder Than Hype

There’s no need for spin when it comes to Juan Soto’s stats this season. At the halfway mark, Soto boasts a .316 batting average, 21 home runs, 62 RBIs, and an OPS north of 1.000 — numbers that place him firmly among the league’s elite. Statistically, he’s outclassed several outfielders who have been selected for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

Advanced metrics such as WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus) place Soto in the top five among all Major League outfielders. His plate discipline remains unmatched, with one of the league’s highest walk rates and on-base percentages. Yet, when the All-Star rosters were announced, his name was nowhere to be found.

Fans and analysts alike were quick to pull comparisons. Players with less impressive slash lines, lower home run counts, and minimal clutch moments were somehow elevated to All-Star status. Meanwhile, Soto — who’s been instrumental in keeping his team in playoff contention — was left on the sidelines.

The All-Star Voting System Under Fire

The MLB All-Star selection process is a hybrid of fan voting, player input, and league decisions. While fan involvement brings excitement and engagement, it also introduces a significant flaw: popularity can outweigh performance. This year’s results are a painful reminder of that imbalance.

Soto plays for a team that, while competitive, doesn’t dominate the media cycle or enjoy the coast-to-coast spotlight like franchises such as the Yankees or Dodgers. Despite his individual brilliance, his market visibility isn’t as high as some of his peers.

And that’s where the criticism intensifies: Has the MLB All-Star Game become a popularity contest instead of a merit-based showcase? Fans are wondering if being in a larger market, having a flashier social media presence, or fitting into a league marketing narrative carries more weight than actual on-field performance.

Social Media Backlash: A Fanbase Erupts

As soon as the All-Star rosters were posted, baseball Twitter erupted. Hashtags like #FreeSoto, #MLBRigged, and #JusticeForJuan trended for hours. The outrage wasn’t confined to just Soto’s team’s fans — baseball lovers from across the league expressed disbelief.

Commentators on ESPN, FOX Sports, and MLB Network questioned the decision on live broadcasts. “It doesn’t make sense,” said one analyst. “If you’re telling me the All-Star Game is about performance, then Soto should be on the team. If he’s not, then what are we doing here?”

Former players also chimed in. A Hall of Famer tweeted, “In my day, you earned your spot by playing the best. Soto has earned it. Full stop.” Even current All-Stars expressed confusion, some jokingly saying they’d trade their spot if it meant correcting the error.

A Pattern of Overlooked Excellence?

This isn’t the first time Juan Soto has been snubbed. Despite an impressive career trajectory that began in his teens, Soto has repeatedly found himself on the fringes of league recognition. Whether it’s MVP votes, Silver Slugger races, or now the All-Star Game, he seems to always be the bridesmaid, rarely the bride.

Some speculate that Soto’s personality — calm, focused, and relatively quiet — doesn’t align with the flashy branding the league prefers for marketable stars. Others believe it’s a symptom of a larger issue within baseball culture: a reluctance to celebrate players whose excellence doesn’t come with controversy or flair.

The question thus arises: Is Juan Soto the victim of systemic oversight, or is he merely caught in the crossfire of a flawed system?

MLB’s Marketing Dilemma

It’s no secret that Major League Baseball has struggled in recent years with player branding and fan engagement, especially among younger audiences. To counter this, the league has leaned heavily into promoting high-energy personalities and viral moments.

Soto, while charismatic in his own right, isn’t the type of player who seeks the spotlight. His excellence lies in his consistency, discipline, and game intelligence — traits that don’t necessarily translate to TikTok virality but are gold for purists of the sport.

If the All-Star Game is intended to represent baseball’s best — and not just its most visible — then leaving out a player like Soto sends the wrong message. It undermines the credibility of the game and alienates fans who care about integrity and meritocracy.

Is the Game Itself Losing Integrity?

For decades, the MLB All-Star Game was a revered tradition, even influencing home-field advantage in the World Series. Although its stakes have diminished, its symbolism hasn’t. Being named an All-Star is still one of the highest honors for a player. When those honors are distributed unevenly or unjustly, it doesn’t just affect the individual — it reflects poorly on the league as a whole.

Fans are now asking tough questions: Is the MLB curating a product instead of celebrating a sport? Is the game being manipulated to showcase only what sells, instead of what’s true? Is the MLB rigged — not in a conspiratorial sense, but in its quiet preference for marketable narratives over statistical reality?

These questions, once fringe, are now mainstream. And that’s dangerous for a sport already fighting to maintain relevance in a crowded entertainment landscape.

Soto Speaks Out — Calm, But Cutting

In the aftermath of the snub, Juan Soto handled the situation with characteristic poise. “I’m focused on helping my team win,” he said in a post-game interview. “Of course I’d love to be there, but there are things I can’t control.”

But behind the calm demeanor, fans sensed a subtle frustration. Soto didn’t need to go on a rant — his stats did the talking. His exclusion speaks volumes about what the league values, and what it seems willing to ignore.

What Happens Next?

While injury replacements or late roster changes could still see Soto make the team, the damage has already been done. The perception of injustice lingers, and unless the system changes, similar controversies are bound to repeat.

In the long term, this episode could fuel demands for All-Star voting reform. Perhaps a system that weights player performance more heavily, or introduces a statistical threshold for eligibility, would help restore balance.

What’s certain is that the league can’t afford many more missteps like this. Alienating its most talented players and disillusioning its most loyal fans is a recipe for long-term decline.

Conclusion: A Broken System, Or A Rigged Game?

The omission of Juan Soto from the All-Star Game may seem like a single mistake in a long season, but for many, it’s symbolic of deeper issues within the sport. A league that prides itself on history and fairness cannot continue to sideline excellence for the sake of marketing metrics.

So, is the MLB rigged? Not in the way conspiracy theorists might claim — but in a more subtle, insidious way, it might be. When decisions favor popularity over performance, when brilliance is ignored because it isn’t flashy, and when fans can predict snubs based on markets rather than merit, then the system is no longer neutral. It’s bent. It’s broken.

And until it’s fixed, the integrity of the MLB All-Star Game — and the league itself — will continue to be questioned.