Could Ike’s Injury Have Cost Him An All-Star Appearance?

It may seem like a distant memory at this point, but earlier this season, before the unfortunate collision with David Wright that has left him in a boot for the past month, Ike Davis was off to one hell of a season. If Wright had not barreled into Davis in Colorado, especially now after Albert Pujols out with a broken arm, could the young first baseman have gone to Arizona this July? I think so.

Davis was on fire to start the season. In his first 36 games, Davis was batting .302 with 7 home runs and 25 RBIs.Those figures were on pace for 32 homers and 113 RBIs if spanned over a full season; that looks like an All-Star to me.

Albert Pujols was placed on the 15-day disabled list for a slightly fractured left forearm. He suffered the injury when he attempted to catch a wild throw, colliding with the baserunner, Kansas City’s Wilson Betemit. With arguably the best player in all of baseball now out for the All-Star Game, the starting first base job is wide open for a number of candidates, that unfortunately will not include Ike Davis.

Chances are Davis would not have won the starting first base job for the National League, but a reserve role would definitely not seem unreasonable. He could have probably been around the 4th spot in the All-star balloting behind Pujols, Fielder and Votto. He without a doubt would have had more votes than Freddie Freeman or Ryan Howard.

One could only imagine what kind of offensive production there would have been with the resurgent Beltran AND Davis knocking in Jose Reyes. The Mets would be a .500 team right now, possibly even 2nd place in the NL East with Ike at first.

Davis seemed to be evolving from the rookie phenom we saw in 2010 into a core member of the Mets franchise before our eyes prior the injury. Now when he gets back, he will undoubtedly continue to transform into that player, but it will most likely be too late for a 2011 All-Star appearance. It would have been nice to see Davis there alongside baseball’s finest, because that is where he belongs, and that is where he will soon be.

It’s a shame, but it won’t be long until we see Davis representing the Mets at the All-Star Game for many years to come.

Kansas City in 2012? I think so.