The Boston Red Sox may be without a starting position player in the 2017 MLB All-Star Game, yet the team should be well represented on the AL roster.
The online ballot for the 2017 MLB All-Star Game closed once the clock struck midnight on the East Coast on June 29. The final tally has yet to be announced, yet the latest polls indicate that the Boston Red Sox will be without a starting position player based on the fan vote.
Last year’s Mid-Summer Classic featured four Red Sox position players in the starting lineup. David Ortiz won’t have the opportunity to repeat as the starting designated hitter now that his No. 34 hangs on the right field facade. That still leaves three young players who made their All-Star debuts a year ago looking to make the American League roster for the second consecutive season.
Despite returning to the postseason as the AL East division champions last season and entering the break in a tight race for the top spot this year, Red Sox players aren’t getting the same support from fans this year.
Not to worry. The often misguided fan vote only accounts for part of the roster. The archaic MLB rules stipulate that every franchise must be represented in the All-Star Game, so we can rest assured that the Red Sox will be sending someone to Miami. The safe bet is that there will be several.
Here are our choices for which Red Sox players deserve to be All-Stars.
* All stats as of June 29 when ballots closed for All-Star Game fan voting.