Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts screwed over in All-Star voting again

The All-Star voting process once again screws over Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, arguably the best in MLB at his position.

I am here today to discuss a special someone and that special someone is Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. I am also here to complain. To complain about the All-Star voting process. I’ll try to make this seem like I’m whining as little as possible, so bare with me here. The All-Star voting is an absolute joke.

There are 30 shortstops in Major League Baseball. There are two that far and away deserve to make it to Cleveland for the All-Star festivities over every other shortstop. Those two guys are Jorge Polanco and Bogaerts. I’m not here to talk about Polanco because he is getting all the attention in the world, and rightfully so. The man who isn’t? Bogaerts.

This is a man who leads all Major League shortstops with a 3.5 WAR, per FanGraphs. Bogaerts also leads AL shortstops in runs (58), doubles (24), Extra-base hits (38), RBI (49), walks (45), and on-base percentage (.392). Since May 10, he is batting .348 with a 1.047 OPS. You’re here to tell me that this man is SIXTH in the All-Star voting? SIXTH? That is a travesty, and one that needs to be resolved.

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I understand the All-Star game is a popularity contest and the people want to see their favorite players. I’m not knocking on all of the voting, as there are plenty of guys who were voted in that 100% deserved it. But when you have a guy that has been arguably the BEST shortstop in not only the American League, but in all of MLB in SIXTH place, there is something incredibly wrong.

Xander has been the MVP of this Red Sox team up until this point. He is having an amazing year, and one that has been even better than his previous career year in 2018. He has a very reliable glove in the field, hits like a monster, and is incredibly handsome. What more do you want out of a guy?

Bogie is incredibly pissed about this, as he even weighed in on the situation himself, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford.

"“These past few years every time I’ve come up just short even though my numbers have been up there or better than most of the guys, It’s just so weird. I just miss out when in my opinion I should have been there. I just feel like it’s a routine, every year the same thing. It’s kind of getting annoying. But I don’t know what to do.”“Some people like some guys more than other guys,” added Bogaerts. “I just think (the statistics) speak for themselves. I don’t know how that goes a bit unnoticed or a bit unrecognized. Sometimes it’s sad, but that’s the way it is. It’s been like that the last couple of years. I’ve kind of gotten used to it. It sucks to say that and I don’t want to be that way, but it’s weird.”"

I couldn’t agree more with you, Xander. It is weird and ridiculously sad.

The fact that Carlos Correa, who has played 20 less games than Bogaerts, and Gleyber Torres, who has only hit well against the poverty Baltimore Orioles, are both ahead in the voting of the most productive shortstop in baseball should be a crime. I just cannot wrap my head around that.

MLB needs to find some way to fix this. If not, people are going to continuously get screwed over. Xander Bogaerts deserves better. Get this man to the freaking All-Star game.