MLB fans slam mediocre AL lineup, deem it among worst ever at the 2023 All-Star Game

The American League and National League have both released their starting lineups ahead of the 2023 All-Star game on Tuesday.

While there can be no denying that both lineups will feature the top talent of their respectives leagues, it is impossible to make everyone happy.

After Paul Skenes featured as the first overall pick at the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday, baseball fans will be spoiled with the Home Run Derby before the MLB All-Star game kicks off at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Tuesday.

"The AL starting lineup" - Bob Nightengale

While the American League will certainly show some of the best players around at the moment, fans on Twitter were quick to slam the selections. Notably, 2022 home run champ and single-season home run record holder Aaron Judge will be absent from the game on account of an injury he sustained to his toe last month.

Four out of the nine starters for the American League at the 2023 All-Star Game play for the Texas Rangers. This has led some to accuse the league of skewing the numbers in favour of the AL's second-best club.

Canadians were also angered when they learned no Toronto Blue Jays players would be making starts. At the conclusion of the week prior to voting, three Jays players led at their respective positions. This has sparked some more jaded onlookers to accuse the league of interference.

For the second straight season, and third time overall, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker will manage the AL. Although the Astros are the defending World Series champs, the club has some serious second-half work to do if they want to return to the playoffs this year.

Perhaps nostalgia took over, but several fans compared past ASGs to the AL's 2023 All-Star lineup. The prevailing idea seemed to be that the general calibre of talent represented in the Midsummer Classic has been on nothing but a downwards trajectory.

2023 All-Star Game is democracy in action

While fans are happy to pile on the criticism of the 2023 All-Star selections, it was they themselves who are responsible for the names in action. If the league wants to "democratize" the All-Star selection process, then fans will get unprecedented say in an important baseball tradition, if not, then they do not have substantial grounds to lay their criticisms.