A very nice – and deserved – accolade for Travis Wood today, as he was named to the National All-Star squad. Barring a shocking turn, or an unthinkable rash of injuries and “I don’t want to play”s, Wood will be the Cubs’ sole All-Star representative this year.
Showing ridiculous control and command of his pitches, Wood looks to have turned a corner in his career, and cemented himself as a viable long-term number three starter (which is actually high praise). He’s got a 2.69 ERA (8th best in the NL), an 0.979 WHIP (4th best), and has already accumulated 2.1 WAR for the Cubs this year. So far, 16 of his 17 starts have been “quality starts.” When Wood has the ball, he gives the Cubs a great chance to win.
You could have made a case for Jeff Samardzija, as well, but Wood absolutely merited this recognition this year, and it’ll be fun to see if he actually gets to pitch in the game on July 16.
You can see the full AL and NL All-Star rosters here.
(For a look at how much things can change in a year, you are reminded of the Cubs’ two All-Stars in 2012.)