Red Sox players who should make 2017 MLB All-Star roster
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.
Mookie Betts
The latest ballot update showed Mookie Betts falling to sixth among AL outfielders, which is an atrocity to say the least.
The 24-year old hasn’t put up the monster numbers at the plate that made him the runner-up for the MVP award last year, but his production is nothing to scoff at. He’s leading the league in doubles and on pace for another 20 homer/20 steal season. Betts is third in the league among outfielders in hits and top-10 in slugging and OPS.
He’s also a virtual lock to repeat as the Gold Glove winner in right field. Betts leads the majors at all positions with 17 defensive runs saved and has the best range of any right fielder.
The 3.6 WAR Betts has accumulated this season is the second highest among AL outfielders and fourth most among position players. It feels like we haven’t seen an extended hot streak from Betts, yet he’s still in the MVP conversation!
There’s a chance that a late surge could push Betts into a starting spot. A more likely scenario is that he’ll be chosen as the replacement for the injured Mike Trout, who currently sits second on the ballot among outfielders. Regardless of whether or not he starts, we can bet on Mookie making the team.
Chris Sale
The best chance for the Red Sox to have a starter in the All-Star Game may be for Chris Sale to be named as the starting pitcher.
The new ace of Boston’s rotation has been every bit as great as advertised. Sale leads the league with a 0.91 WHIP, he’s tied for second with 10 wins and he’s third with a 2.77 ERA. The hard-throwing lefty leads the league by a mile in strikeouts, producing an outstanding 12.27 K/9, along with an AL-best 7.38 K/BB ratio.
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Sale’s 3.4 WAR is fourth in the AL among pitchers and puts him on pace for a career-high. FanGraphs calculates the all-encompassing stat a bit differently. By their standards, Sale’s 4.7 WAR leads all major league pitchers by a wide margin. As does his 2.05 FIP, which wipes away the defense and other factors outside of the pitcher’s control and credits them only for what they should be responsible for.
Sale was the AL starter in last year’s All-Star Game, representing the Chicago White Sox. Now he has an opportunity to claim that honor again, this time wearing a Red Sox uniform. Boston hasn’t had a pitcher start the All-Star Game since Derek Lowe in 2002. There’s a solid chance that Sale will be next, making him the first pitcher since Dave Stieb (1983-84) to start for the AL in consecutive years.
Xander Bogaerts
After being voted in as the starting shortstop last year, Xander Bogaerts currently sits in fourth on the ballot at his position. That’s certainly no knock against Bogaerts, but rather a reflection on how stacked the position has become.
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His home run power has mysteriously disappeared following a 21-homer campaign, although it’s not as if Bogaerts is now only a singles hitter. He’s on pace to set a career-high in doubles and already has the most triples of his career with four. The .823 OPS Bogaerts carries would also be a personal best and he’s back to being in the batting title race, ranking seventh in the league with a .312 average.
Houston’s Carlos Correa is running away with the fan vote and deservedly so. The 22-year old has burst out with an MVP caliber season, posting a 3.9 WAR that ranks second among AL position players.
He won’t start, but Bogaerts has as much right as any other shortstop to earn a reserve spot. He leads the position in batting average and he’s second in OPS. He’s fourth with a 1.9 WAR, following behind Correa and a pair of defensive-minded shortstops having solid seasons at the plate.
Francisco Lindor is a distant second on the fan ballot. His production has fallen off dramatically in each month since a hot start in April, yet he’s nearly a lock to make the team with Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona selecting the reserves. If Tito can find room for a third shortstop, it should be Bogaerts.
Craig Kimbrel
One of the best closers in baseball history is in the midst of his best season.
The numbers for Craig Kimbrel are as filthy as his scorching fastball that lives in the upper-90’s. His 22 saves are the most in the league and he’s only blown one all season. Kimbrel leads the league among pitchers who have logged at least 20 innings with a 1.04 ERA and 0.49 WHIP. He allowed only two base runners over 12 2/3 innings in the entire month of May!
Kimbrel has always been known for his ability to blow away opposing hitters but his strikeout rate has been off the charts this year. His 16.36 K/9 is second in the league and his best rate since 2012 when he finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting.
Walks have long been an Achilles heel for Kimbrel, but not this year. He’s issued only five free passes for a 1.3 BB/9 that is nearly a third of his career rate. It’s a big reason why he’s also second in the league with a 12.60 K/BB ratio.
If you thought his sparkling ERA was impressive, consider that it conceivably should be even lower. His ridiculous 0.40 FIP is easily the best in the majors (minimum 20 innings).
If the American League holds a lead in the ninth inning, there’s no better option to close the door than Kimbrel. Don’t count on Francona sending him in during the eighth for a four-out save, just to tick off his old friend John Farrell. Tito built a reputation in last year’s postseason of being unconventional with his relievers, so he may not feel the need to wait until the ninth to call on Kimbrel.
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No matter when they need him, expect Kimbrel to be waiting in the bullpen at the All-Star Game. If they get the chance to release the Kimbrel, consider it game over, with home-field advantage locked up in the World Series for the American League.