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.
Why Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts isn’t in the spotlight
Part of why Bogaerts remains underrated is a bit self-inflicted. He’s not flashy like Tatis Jr. or outgoing like Lindor. Those guys have the type of personality that craves the spotlight while Bogaerts tends to shy away from it. Bogaerts has emerged as a leader in the Red Sox clubhouse but he prefers to lead by example without being particularly outspoken.
An example was in the first inning of the All-Star Game when Bogaerts was mic’d up for his at-bat against Max Scherzer. The broadcast booth attempted to engage in a conversation about how he would approach the three-time Cy Young winner but Bogaerts was too locked in to pay attention. He mumbled a response about expecting a fastball but offered little else. It was not a fastball – Bogaerts struck out on a slider to end the inning. Joe Buck attempted to playfully jab at Bogaerts for guessing wrong and the Red Sox shortstop brushed him off.
Bogaerts would later comment that his concentration level wasn’t where it needed to be while he was mic’d up. It sounds like he wasn’t pleased to have Buck in his ear (who would be?). It’s probably no coincidence that Bogaerts delivered hits in the two plate appearances where he wasn’t wearing the microphone.
It’s understandable why a hitter would find this process distracting during an at-bat but it gives fans a rare opportunity to get insight from the players in the heat of the action and reveals a bit about their personalities. Several other players appeared to have fun with the chance to converse with the booth. The cold response from Bogaerts might explain why he doesn’t get more of these opportunities to stand out.
The Red Sox have their shortstop signed to a bargain deal
Another aspect that gets fans and the media buzzing about certain players pertains to their contract. Tatis Jr. made headlines for his massive $340 million extension. Lindor topped that with a $341 million extension shortly after being traded to the New York Mets, making him the highest paid shortstop in the game. Correa, Story and World Series MVP Corey Seager are part of a loaded free-agent class hitting the market after this season.
Bogaerts signed a team-friendly six-year, $120 million extension in 2019. He has the ability to opt-out after next season and will almost certainly sign a more lucrative deal but he’s also made it clear that he wants to stay in Boston.
He’ll get a fair raise from the Red Sox but the unlikelihood that he’ll land with another team on a massive contract that tops the other elites at his position means he isn’t drawing the attention that those hitting the open market will warrant.
Fair or not, being underpaid could be a factor in why Bogaerts remains underrated. Perhaps that will change if he opts out and considers leaving next year but with several other factors working against him, it might not be enough to launch Bogaerts into the top-tier in terms of nationwide attention even if his production warrants that recognition.
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It shouldn’t matter to the Red Sox whether or not Bogaerts is underrated. They know how much he means to this team and he’s well on his way to becoming the best shortstop in franchise history. As far as the club is concerned, Bogaerts can continue flying under the radar as long as he continues leading this team toward another World Series championship.