Major League Baseball named their first-ever ‘All-MLB’ team today and Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts got the nod thanks to a great 2019 campaign.
For the first time in MLB history, we have ourselves an ‘All-MLB’ team, which would take into account the entire season from every player around the league. We all know how much of a joke the All-Star game can be with fan voting, so this is a way to honor the work of the players while keeping some control over the outcome. Though the Red Sox didn’t have the kind of season they wanted to, they still had players on the roster that shined brightly from March to October.
The process consists of a fan vote as well as a panel of experts having their say in who should make the team. With an even 50/50 split in voting rights, there’s a bit more logic into who makes the roster and who doesn’t. One of the guys that had a hell of a season but seemingly got very little attention outside of Boston was Xander Bogaerts, that changed today.
Xander Bogaerts on being named the starting shortstop on the inaugural all-MLB team: "We have a lot of great shortstops in this game. Obviously (Marcus) Semien is one of them. There are so many young shortstops. Obviously it's an honor to be No. 1. I'm very blessed for that."
— John Tomase (@jtomase) December 10, 2019
Bogey has been a mainstay with the Red Sox and thanks to a new 6-year, $120 million extension, we’ll likely see him spend the rest of his playing days in Boston. For the entire season, Xander was one of the best shortstops in the entire league and very well may have been the best. His efforts in what would otherwise be a wash of a season couldn’t go unnoticed.
When the MVP results came out it was a bit disappointing to see Xander not even in the discussion. He finished his 2019 campaign with a .309/.384/.555/.939 stat line while also tallying 52 doubles, 33 homers, and 117 RBI. All in all, it was one hell of a performance from start to finish by any player that suited up this season.
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When the Red Sox handed out contracts this past winter to Steve Pearce, Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, and Xander, only one of them didn’t receive criticism. Not only do the Fenway Faithful understand what he means to this team, but I believe the baseball world as a whole does as well. Not only is he playing at the highest level possible on the field but he’s also becoming a clubhouse leader as well.
Over the last few seasons and especially in 2019 we saw Bogey take Rafael Devers under his wing and mentor him. After each half-inning, each at-bat, during every break in play, the pair could be seen conversing. Like a big brother trying to show his younger sibling the right way to go about things.
Mookie Betts may be the face of the organization through the media and talking head shows but it truly feels like Bogaerts has become the leader of the Red Sox. He’s a two-time World Series champion and wasn’t just on the roster for those titles, he played big roles in winning both trophies.
Being named to the inaugural First Team All-MLB squad is an honor in that not only do the fans but also those who are viewed as experts feel that you deserve to be there. Though he may not be able to add another World Series ring to his collection, his efforts this season haven’t gone unnoticed. Xander Bogaerts is one of the premier players in the MLB today and having his name on this team has not only been earned but is well deserved.