Red Sox: Player awards for first half of 2017 season

BOSTON - OCTOBER 16: The final scoreboard is seen after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays after game five of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 16, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox defeated the Rays 8-7 to set the series at 3-2 Rays. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
BOSTON - OCTOBER 16: The final scoreboard is seen after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays after game five of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 16, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox defeated the Rays 8-7 to set the series at 3-2 Rays. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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The Boston Red Sox first half is in the books and there are players who have surprised and disappointed.  Here are my choices for the best.

BOSTON – OCTOBER 16: The final scoreboard is seen after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays after game five of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 16, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox defeated the Rays 8-7 to set the series at 3-2 Rays. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
BOSTON – OCTOBER 16: The final scoreboard is seen after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays after game five of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 16, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox defeated the Rays 8-7 to set the series at 3-2 Rays. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The first half of the season has now concluded and Red Sox Nation can rest a bit easier during the All-Star break. The Boys of Summer have managed to climb into first place in the American League East after a tumultuous few months where it appeared the team was sliding into a baseball abyss and becoming irrelevant for the year. What a difference a few weeks can make.

The abyss may have been just an illusion since the Red Sox were amazingly consistent.  Every month was a winning month. Even the road record finished at 25-25 and that means 50 road games have been played and only 31 remain for the 2017 season.

There were high and low points for the season and that is not unusual, but what I will concentrate upon is value – as in the most valuable players for the team.  This is not an exercise that will max out my neural connectors and it is fairly simple, but I have one player that has stood out from my perspective.

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