Milwaukee Brewers: Domingo Santana vs. Michael Conforto

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto earned a spot as a reserve for the 2017 All-Star Game, but does he deserve it? Is Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Domingo Santana a better selection? Let’s take a look at the numbers and see who go to Miami.

Conforto went on the DL on July 1st with a bruised left hand. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready to play on July 11th. If not, he will need to be replaced. However, there’s a case to be made that he didn’t deserve to go in the first place.

Numbers At The Plate

Conforto has made headlines for his recent power surge. He has 14 home runs. That’s the exact same number as Santana. Conforto does own a .953 OPS, but his .405 on-base percentage and limited playing time has influenced his numbers. Domingo Santana’s OPS is 100 points lower at .853, but he does have Conforto beat when it comes to counting stats. Santana owns 48 runs scored and 44 RBIs in 80 games. Conforto has 47 runs scored and 41 RBIs. Santana has also racked up eight steals for the Milwaukee Brewers, while Conforto has only two in New York.

Conforto also struggled through June with a .206/.383/.317 slash line with exactly one homer. Santana struggled a bit in April, but his numbers are solid in every month. He even managed a .272/.356/.466 slash line in June.

Numbers In The Field

When it comes to the field, Santana and Conforto are essentially the same guy. Neither has made a positive impact in the outfield this year. Both have two errors and two assists with negative UZR ratings. They are perfectly serviceable in the field, but the majority of their impact is felt at the plate.

Domingo Santana is an everyday player on a team currently leading their division. Michael Conforto needed to play his way into an everyday role, and the Mets are 10 1/2 games back and unlikely to contend for a Wild Card.

Next: Eric Sogard vs. DJ Lemahieu

The Milwaukee Brewers need to represented by more than one player make the All-Star roster. Closer Corey Knebel was a no-brainer as he’s developed into one of the best relievers in baseball. Domingo Santana isn’t an obvious choice, but it can be argued that he should have been selected ahead of Conforto. He may still go given Conforto’s current injury, but Santana deserved to have his name called on Sunday.