The All-Star Game is tonight in Miami. There won’t be a Ranger. Yu Darvish was chosen to make the squad, due to each team having to have one representative, but the league asked him not to actually pitch in the game because whenever Darvish pitches, neither team scores, and for sake of their ratings, MLB and FOX want as many runs to score as possible.

So, the Rangers go into the game unrepresented.

Unfortunately, it’s a trend.

Since the glory years of ’10 and ’11, the Rangers have, year by year, sent fewer and fewer player to the All-Star team as their roster has, year by year, been slowly stripped of top-line talent.

Riding the big wave of those two amazing World Series runs, the Rangers sent eight players to the 2012 All-Star Game. That’s after sending six in 2010, and five in 2011.They were, suffice to say, very well represented. And very dominating.

Then the deforestation began.

The Rangers had just three All-Stars in 2013. Two in 2014. And only one in 2015. Last year, they had two.

And now, this year: one—who won’t be playing.

Maybe this explains why the Rangers are finding themselves unable to get past the first round of every playoff series they have been in since 2011. They simply don’t have the depth of talent.

But that’s okay. Right? At least the future looks bright. Right? Let’s not forget that vaunted farm system. Right?

Nope.

In Sunday’s Futures Game, the Rangers had only one player. Pitcher Jonathan Hernandez, a right-handed starter in their system, pitched one-third of an inning in relief, getting a fly out. He, like Darvish, was a quota pick. It certainly wasn’t merit. Thus far this season with two teams in High-A, Hernandez is 3-7, with a 5.17 ERA, and a 1.58 WHIP.

Yikes.

And he represented the best in the Rangers farm system?

The future is blight.

*****
ALL-STAR BREAK.