Over the past month, it’s hard not to marvel at what Yasiel Puig has done.

The 22-year-old right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers has taken the game by storm, hitting nearly .400 in his first 34 games in the major leagues to go along with eight home runs and 19 RBIs. His instant production at the plate to go along with highlight reel plays in the field has earned Puig instant notoriety and a place in the discussion with the best young players in the game.

Even more so, Puig has energized a lethargic, overpaid Dodgers team from a 23-32 record when he was called up to a 47-46 record going into Sunday’s game versus the Rockies.

This production in a month’s work, however, was not enough to earn the Cuban defector a spot in the MLB All-Star Game this Tuesday at Citi Field in New York. Many baseball fans and pundits were offended that Puig was even getting a chance at an all-star nod.

Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon told MLB Network Radio it’s “an absolute joke. It’s really kind of stupid if you ask me.”

Reds radio announcer Marty Brennaman said it would be a “travesty” if Puig made the team.

Should we really write off this idea so quickly? And can baseball afford to keep exciting new talent like Puig away from the limelight?

Puig was given a chance to sneak his way into the All-Star Game. He received over 800,000 write-in vote for the game and was one of five “Final Vote” candidates for the National League. He notched 15.5 million fan votes, but fell short of Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman’s 19.7 million tallies.

Even though he didn’t win the final vote, he deserves a spot in the All-Star Game. Yes, he’s been in only 37 games (the exact number of games that Papelbon appeared in and one more than All-Star pitcher Craig Kimbrel). And yes, he’s been slumping of late, hitting just .250 since July 3.

But this is a game about stars, and Puig is a star. His jersey is already the 10th-most sold in the league,according to ESPN, and he makes plays that other players wouldn’t even attempt. Flip on SportsCenter, and you’ll see Puig stretching a single to a double, crashing to a wall to make a catch or firing a laser from the outfield to try and throw a runner out.

It’s about entertainment, and baseball is losing it. Baseball ratings are down across the board, according the Sports Business Journal. FOX’s Saturday regular-season games pulled just a 1.7 rating in 2012, down from a 2.6 in 2001. Compare that to the NBA, which has the second-most TV viewers in the Finals ever this year, and the NFL, which has broken television ratings records each of the past three years.

Baseball is falling behind and with its steroid scandal not going away, the sport needs new faces to bring people to the stands and rejuvenate a slimming fan base. The league has a golden opportunity with young stars such as the Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Orioles third baseman Manny Machado.

Add Puig into this nucleus, and the sport has superstars in big markets for the next 10 years. But you have to market your superstars, and baseball is keeping out one of the league’s brightest budding stars.

But maybe Puig isn’t a star. Maybe his slump in the past week is more of the norm than an aberration. MLB needs to capitalize on his stardom now, in 2013, or it will continue to fall into being just a two-month placeholder between basketball and football seasons.

Stephen is a junior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @steve_bourbon.