You’re going to hear a lot about how Addison Russell didn’t deserve to make the All-Star team. People will point to his .242/.338/.416 slash line and complain about Cubs fans stuffing the ballot box. They’ll talk about Brandon Crawford’s elite glove and above-average bat or how Corey Seager is not only wrapping up a Rookie of the Year award in July, but putting his name into MVP consideration.



Crawford and Seager were perfectly worthy candidates to start the game. But Cubs fans voted with their hearts, over and over again, and Russell will join his three infield teammates in the starting lineup.



None of the criticism matters to Russell or his teammates anyway. He might not be the best shortstop in the National League in 2016, but he’s quickly working toward getting his name into that conversation.



At just 22 years old and a mere 220 games into his big-league career, Russell has already accomplished one of his...