Alex Bregman is the only Boston Red Sox player to reach the second round of fan voting to start in the 2025 All-Star Game. He may not even be healthy in time to play in it.
Some other Red Sox deserved more recognition than they got in the fan vote, and surging rookie catcher Carlos Narváez leads that list. His .275/.352/.446 slash line and elite defense should have been enough to secure him at least the third-place vote, but he landed in ninth place among American League catchers.
Another elite defender in Boston was snubbed from the rankings, and we're here to give him his flowers. Ceddanne Rafaela deserves more credit for his work so far this year, and in the last month, he's been an undeniable All-Star.
It should be said that the outfield talent in the AL is stacked, and Rafaela had little chance to place near the top of the fan vote alongside elite hitters like Aaron Judge and Mike Trout or other high placements like Riley Greene and Javier Báez. But Rafaela didn't even rank in the top 20, and Jarren Duran came in ahead of him, which, after his regression from last season, just feels wrong.
Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela is one of the best in the league and deserves some All-Star recognition
ARE YOU KIDDING, CEDDANNE?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Y88rV8tujh
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 29, 2025
Rafaela is slashing .254/.301/.420 over 81 games this year, which doesn't jump off the page. But the center fielder got off to a slow start this season, and really hit his stride in June. Rafaela is batting .306/.342/.565 with 33 hits, seven homers and 14 RBI in his last 30 games.
His bat has finally begun matching his defense, which has been elite since last season (when he also deserved more attention in the Rookie of the Year race, but that time has passed). Rafaela makes the most improbable plays look routine with his superior speed and athleticism, and he leads all center fielders with 13 outs above average and 13 defensive runs saved. He could upstage any other outfielder in the AL defensively, which would be amazing to see on the summer's biggest stage in Atlanta.
All-Star ballots only show players' offensive stats, so Rafaela's chances of catching voters' eye based on that alone are slim to none. Trout has had a rough season so far, but he has the name recognition to earn a spot based on that alone, but of course, other worthy players don't have the same luxury. It would take something close to a miracle for Rafaela to go from not ranking in the fan vote to making it to the All-Star game, but his body of work this season shows he deserves recognition.