The case for Jazz Chisholm for All-Star second baseman

With All-Star Game voting now open, it’s time for National League fans to rally to the cause of Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins.

Simply put, Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins is the most likely deserving candidate to be overlooked for the honor of a starting spot.

For the first third of the 2022 season, Chisholm Jr. is giving Miami Marlins fan plenty of reasons to get behind his candidacy.

His .839 OPS is best among National League second baseman. He has also brought excitement and flair to Miami, as evidenced by his 10 stolen bases and four triples.

He already has a dozen multi-hit games. He leads the Marlins in runs scored, runs batted in, steals and slugging average, and is second behind only Jorge Soler in home runs,

His 133 OPS+ is 12th in the entire National League, on a level with such recognized stars as Juan Soto and Nolan Arenado (both 138). That high a ranking is exceptional for a player in a middle-infield slot.

Given those numbers, why wouldn’t Chisholm be a front-runner at second base? In a word, attendance.

The biggest drawback to starting status for Chisholm is Miami’s legendary poor support at home. Remember that this is a fan vote. Through 29 home dates, the Marlins are drawing an average of just 11,127 fans per game, worst in the National League and third-worst in all of baseball.

There’s nothing new or surprising about that. The Marlins have been the game’s weakest draw annually since 2018, and have not ranked among the game’s top 20 draws since 2012 … they were 18th that year.

Chisholm has legitimate competition for the starting second base slot, and it comes from teams with far more reliable fan bases.

In St. Louis, Tommy Edman has a higher batting average than Chisholm, and his production stats, while not at the level of Jazz, are solid. He also has slightly better defensive numbers. The Cardinals also rank third in home attendance, with an average home audience more than three times the size of the one in Miami.

Mets fans are likely to rally behind the cause of Jeff McNeil, who has the highest batting average at the position and who can match Chisholm’s 133 OPS+, even if he lacks the Miami player’s flair and even if he is as more extraneous part of his team’s success than is Chisholm to the Marlins.

Gavin Lux will get enough support from Dodger fans to threaten Chisholm even though Lux’s OPS to date is .737, more than 100 points below Chisholm. The Dodgers rank first in home attendance this season.

Ozzie Albies is not having an All-Star-worthy season. But hey, he plays for the defending World Series champs and he’s popular, so he can’t be discounted either. Oh, and the Braves rank second  behind only the Dodgers as a draw.

In a straight-up popularity contest among players from the Marlins, Cardinals, Mets, Braves, and Dodgers, it’s pretty obvious which one is going to finish last. That’s why National League fans generally need to rally behind the Chisholm candidacy. He deserves to be in the National League’s starting lineup for the All-Star Game.