15 greatest Cardinals never to make an All-Star game

Over the years, the storied Cardinals franchise has seen tremendous talent. Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Stan Musial, and Yadier Molina headline a long list of Cardinals greats. However, en route to 11 World Series championships, it’s taken more than just big names to lift the Commissioner’s Trophy. This article will shed light on the best Cardinals in franchise history who never made an appearance in the mid-summer classic and the years that they were most deserving of the honors.

Rogers Hornsby (1916-26)

Bob Forsch (1975)

John Tudor (1985)

Jose Oquendo (1989)

Rogers Hornsby makes this list as an anomaly, despite being one of the greatest Cardinals of all time. Hornsby had All-Star caliber seasons for the Redbirds from 1916-1926 including an MVP season in 1925. Hornsby ranks 12th all-time in career WAR, compiling 127.1, 91.5 of which came with the Cardinals. Unfortunately for Hornsby, the All-Star game didn’t begin until 1933, during Hornsby’s age-37 season. He played four more years after that but was never selected for All-Star honors. In 1975, Bob Forsch produced 5.5 WAR, including seven complete games and four shutouts. Forsch also compiled 15 wins and 230 innings while sporting a 2.86 ERA, but somehow failed to get the nod as an All-Star. Ten years later in 1985, John Tudor posted a 21-8 record with 14 complete games and ten shutouts. Tudor also pitched 275 innings that year and still had an ERA below 2 at 1.93. Despite these phenomenal stats, Tudor failed to make the All-Star Game but ultimately finished second in Cy Young Award voting. While not as impressive as Tudor, in 1989 Jose Oquendo posted a 162-hit season, all while maintaining a .291 batting average. Although Oquendo certainly lacked in the power category, his 5.4 WAR season could’ve seen him make the 1989 All-Star game.

Bernard Gilkey (1993)

Fernando Tatis (1999)

Fernando Vina (2001)

Steve Kline (2001)

In 1993 Bernard Gilkey posted an incredible 170 hits in only 137 appearances. Gilkey also tallied 16 home runs, 70 runs batted in, and 15 stolen bases while batting .305. Not only did Gilkey miss an All-Star appearance as a member of the Cardinals, but he also failed to garner a selection in 1996, where he had the best season of his career as a member of the New York Mets. How Gilkey didn’t earn a nod in 1996 while posting 30 home runs, 117 runs batted in, 17 steals, and a .317 batting average is beyond me. Fernando Tatis only finished his career with 6.4 WAR to his name, but had a 3 WAR season in 1999. In that year, Tatis had 160 hits, 34 home runs, 107 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and an average of .298. These are certainly All-Star-caliber numbers.

Two years later in 2001, Fernando Vina also had a spectacular season. Vina racked up 191 hits, 56 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases while batting .303. Vina also flashed some leather, as he won a Gold Glove but was unable to earn an All-Star selection. In that same season, Steve Kline put together one of the most impressive seasons as a Cardinals reliever in franchise history. Kline pitched in a league-leading 89 games and finished with nine saves and a 1.80 ERA. Despite the low ERA and incredible durability, which even earned him MVP votes, Kline was never selected as an All-Star.

Jason Motte (2012)

Kyle Lohse (2012)

Jaime Garcia (2015)

Tommy Pham (2017)

Just like in 2001, the Cardinals also had a pair of teammates worth an invitation to the mid-summer classic in 2012. First is Jason Motte, who made 67 appearances and totaled 72 innings of relief. Motte had an ERA of 2.75 and led the National League with 42 saves, but alas did not receive the recognition. His teammate Kyle Lohse had the best season of his career in 2012, posting a 16-3 record over 33 starts. Lohse racked up over 210 innings while maintaining an ERA below 2.90. Lohse was never a strikeout pitcher, but his total of 143 in 2012 were the most in a season throughout his career.

Jaime Garcia had a great season in 2015, accumulating 4.0 WAR. In 20 starts, Garcia had a 10-6 record and a 2.43 ERA in 129 innings of work. Unfortunately for Garcia, he missed time at the beginning of the season due to a nagging shoulder injury and was added to the injured list in July due to a groin injury. Had injuries not plagued Garcia, he seemed to be in line for his first All-Star selection. Many fans remember how Tommy Pham broke out in 2017, but plenty have forgotten just how good his season was. Pham posted 6.3 WAR, 23 home runs, 73 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, a .306 batting average, and 136 hits in 128 games. Pham went on to finish 11th in NL MVP voting but did not make the All-Star team.

Kolten Wong (2019)

Jack Flaherty (2019)

Tommy Edman (2022)

In 2019 Kolten Wong gave the Cardinals tremendous value as a second baseman and also received MVP votes for the first time. In 148 games, Wong accumulated 5.4 WAR, 136 hits, 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and 24 stolen bases, all to the tune of a .285 batting average. While Wong is not remembered as an offensive juggernaut, fans will never forget his dazzling defensive plays, having won back-to-back Gold Gloves in both 2019 and 2020. 2019 was also the year of Jack Flaherty, as he burst onto the scene and ultimately finished fourth in NL Cy Young award voting. Flaherty totaled 5.7 WAR, 11 wins, 231 strikeouts, and a 2.75 ERA over 196 innings pitched. If that weren’t impressive enough, Flaherty led the National League in WHIP as well as hits per nine innings. Unfortunately for the Cardinals' coveted ace, he never made the All-Star team and never replicated his lone stellar season in St. Louis. Last on this list is one of the most beloved Cardinals in recent memory.

In 2022, Tommy Edman totaled a whopping 6.2 WAR while also accumulating 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. Edman also proved his value in versatility, playing at five different positions for the Cardinals in 2022, but most predominantly second base and shortstop.