AP Photo/Ross D. FranklinKenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers' closer, said that he felt "insulted” to miss the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.He said that although there was a lot of disappointment, he ended up laughing about it. To get this recognition, you must have a 0.00 ERA and zero blown saves. This is especially true for me because I have been doing it for a while."Jansen's ERA is 1.30 and Jansen has 21 starts in 34 appearances this year.The 33-year-old was not the only Dodgers player that could make a good case for being snubbed in All-Star voting. Will Smith, Justin Turner, and Walker Buehler all had impressive resumes.Jansen may have been a victim to his past success. According to Baseball Reference, he has a 3.13 FIP and averages 10.4 strikeouts every nine innings. These numbers were respectively 2.29 and 12.7 during his three consecutive All-Star nominations in 2016-18.FanGraphs still shows that the right-hander is the National League's seventh-highest WAR (0.8), according to FanGraphs. He is also 15th in WHIP (9.8) and third in opponents batting average (.116).Josh Hader and Craig Kimbrel have been among the most effective closers in MLB. Taking them off the NL team is a no-brainer. Jansen may have out-pitched Alex Reyes and Mark Melancon, however. Here are their numbers:Jansen: Jansen has played 34 games and 21 saves. He is 0.981 WHIP. He has 10.4 strikeouts every nine innings. He walks 5.5 times per nine innings.Melancon: 35 games. 25 saves. 2.27 ERA. 4.19 FIP. 1.206 WHIP. 7.6 strikeouts. 3.8 walks.Reyes: 37 games. 20 saves. 1.12 ERA. 3.48 FIP. 1.264 WHIP. 11.8 strikeouts. 9.9 walks.Jansen admitted that he is frustrated, but he said he will not dwell on it because he "didn’t work my (butts) off to become an All-Star". Instead, he pointed to his primary motivator as the pursuit of championships.The Dodgers are just 0.5 games behind San Francisco Giants in first place in National League West. They're also four games ahead of the race for two wild-card spots in the NL.Jansen has a good chance of pitching in October. This is something that will not be true for every player who makes the trip to Coors Field to the All-Star Game.
