Alongside Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker, this Cubs pitcher deserves to be an All-Star

The Chicago Cubs have been polling quite well in All-Star voting, with Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, and Carson Kelly earning spots as finalists in the National League fan vote.

You can expect both outfielders to make the cut, and Kelly's monstrous start to the season could push him over the edge considering the final roster will need more than one catcher.

However, what this round of voting does not include is pitchers. Pitchers and reserves (bench players) are decided by “Player Ballots”, as well as selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. In total, both rosters will have 32 players (20 position players and 12 pitchers, at least three of whom must be primary relievers).

That means that, beyond the aforementioned trio, the Cubs will have a few chances to get more of their guys to the Midsummer Classic at Truist Park in Atlanta. And if anyone on the team deserves recognition from their fellow players, it's stand-in ace Matthew Boyd.

Matthew Boyd deserves All-Star nods as Cubs' fill-in ace

No one around here needs to be told how good Boyd has been this season, but as a reminder, he's had to step into the No. 1 role in the starting rotation with Justin Steele out for the year and Shota Imanaga missing nearly two months of game action before returning against the St. Louis Cardinals.

All Boyd has done is respond with the best season of his career. In 91 2/3 innings, he's accrued a 2.65 ERA (3.55 FIP) alongside a 22.3% strikeout rate and scant 5.7% walk rate. Pitcher records don't count for much anymore, though his 7-3 record does paint the picture of a guy who is leading the rotation by example.

The issue with Boyd's candidacy isn't one of performance, but steep competition. Much like Rafael Devers' presence at designated hitter hurting Seiya Suzuki's All-Star prospects, the vast swath of elite hurlers in the senior circuit could push Boyd too far down the list to get recognition.

His 1.8 fWAR ranks tied for 14th among all NL starters, alongside Spencer Schwellenbach, Merrill Kelly, and Chad Patrick. A solid group of arms, to be sure, but no one's idea of a gang of worldbeaters.

Ahead of them on the fWAR list are household names like Logan Webb and Paul Skenes (3.4 fWAR), Zack Wheeler (3.0), and Chris Sale (2.5). Without a defining characteristic on his résumé — his best ranking is in expected ERA (3.42, ninth place) — Boyd's candidacy is more about his all-around game than a string of dominant performances.

However, for the best team in the NL Central, Boyd has been the best, and most reliable, pitcher by far. That might not earn him an All-Star nod, but it really should, given how important he's been to a decimated pitching staff.