Carl Yastrzemski – 1970
MLB began handing out MVP awards for the All-Star Game in 1962. While there were more impressive All-Star performances by a Red Sox hitter that came before him, Carl Yastrzemski was the first in club history to be recognized with an MVP.
That being said, Yaz’ performance in 1970 was pretty impressive. He went 4-for-6 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Both sides exchanged zeros through the first five innings with starters Tom Seaver and Jim Palmer each tossing three scoreless. Yaz came through with a sixth-inning single to drive in Ray Fosse for the game’s first run.
His four hits are tied for the most in a single All-Star Game. That’s going to be tough for anyone to top. It took Yaz six plate appearances to log those four hits. When do All-Star managers ever leave a player in for six plate appearances these days?
Only one of those hits went for extra bases but his three singles also tie a record shared with nine other players.
The AL would ultimately fall short 5-4, preventing Yaz from ranking any higher on this list. However, his performance remains memorable from a historical perspective. It would have to be in order to earn MVP honors in a game in which his team didn’t win.