Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is unbelievably underrated

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts deserves more recognition

He’s a two-time World Series champion, three-time Silver Slugger and a serious candidate for the American League MVP this year. Despite these accolades, Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts remains criminally underrated.

Bogaerts was the starting shortstop for the AL in last night’s All-Star Game, the third time in his career that he’s been selected for the event. He went 2-for-3 with an RBI to help lead his team to a 5-2 victory.

While Bogaerts was voted in as a starter, it was the shortstop in the National League’s starting lineup who MLB hyped as a main attraction for the Midsummer Classic. Bogaerts has the more accomplished resume but Fernando Tatis Jr. is the one being pushed as one of the faces of baseball.

When the elite shortstops in the game are being discussed, it’s often Tatis Jr. followed by Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa before Bogaerts is mentioned. It’s not that those other players aren’t worthy of being included among the best at their position, it’s that Bogaerts deserves to share more of the spotlight.

One of the league’s other star shortstops agrees. Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies spoke highly of Bogaerts during the All-Star festivities at Coors Field this week, according to MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

"“The AL/NL kind of keeps us apart, but man, he’s so underrated it’s unbelievable,” said Story. “He’s such a good player on both sides of the ball. I appreciate just the way he goes out there every day and posts every day. It feels like he’s getting an extra-base hit every day. He’s just a really productive player. And he’s good for the game.”"

Story remains as baffled as Red Sox fans as to why Bogaerts doesn’t get more nationwide attention but he assures us that Boston’s star shortstop has the respect of his peers.

Bogaerts leads major league shortstops with a .321 batting average and 27 doubles. He’s tied for first with Correa with a .385 OBP and trails only Tatis Jr. with 42 extra-base hits. Bogaerts leads AL shortstops with a .545 slugging percentage and .930 OPS, ranking third and second in the majors receptively in those categories at the position. FanGraphs rates Bogaerts with 3.9 WAR, tied for second among shortstops (Tatis Jr. has 4.0 fWAR) and fifth among all major league position players.

So, yes, he’s pretty good. Right up there with Tatis Jr. and ahead of anyone else at the position. You wouldn’t know it based on the attention he gets though.