A quick look up and down the Boston Red Sox's roster will tell you that there are very few players outside of the pitching group who could gather enough votes for a place in the upcoming All-Star Game. Willson Contreras could, but he faces an uphill battle.
Contreras is having a career year during his first season in Boston, with a .289/.384/.542 slash line, 11 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs over 70 games. He's been especially hot in the last 30 days, with a .336/.402/.655 slash line, eight home runs and 21 RBI in that span.
The longtime catcher has also played great defense at first base with an out above average and 72nd percentile range. He's by far the best defender the Sox have fielded at the corner in years following a cycle of inexperienced or unreliable options while Triston Casas healed multiple injuries.
But Contreras' career season is being overlooked because of the high quality competition around the American League first base race. The New York Yankees' Ben Rice, Athletics' Nick Kurtz and Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami are getting all the attention in All-Star fan voting so far (as well as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but only because it's a fan-voted award and the Toronto Blue Jays are overrepresented every year).
Ben Rice, Munetaka Murakami and Nick Kurtz might force Red Sox's Willson Contreras out of first base All-Star race
Rice, a Cohasset native, is having a breakout season in New York. The lefty has made excellent use of the short porch in the Bronx and he's knocked 20 home runs in 68 games. When Aaron Judge was healthy and slugging as he usually does, he and Rice had a bit of a rivalry going to see who could hit more homers. Depending how long Judge is on the sidelines, Rice could win that battle. He trails only Guerrero in the voting.
Murakami follows in third place, and although he's been on the injured list since May 30, and it isn't hard to see why. The Japanese phenom has also hit 20 homers this season, but in nine fewer games than Rice. The White Sox are also one of the most surprising teams in the AL this season and Murakami has been one of their most electric players.
Kurtz's breakout season came last year when he slashed .290/.383/.619 with 26 doubles and 36 homers in 117 games as a rookie. He's continued that dominance into this season, hitting both for average and for power with a .291/.438/.552 and 18 home runs in 74 games. He follows Murakami and ranks ahead of Pete Alonso in the first All-Star voting update.
Since the pool of first base talent is so loaded this year, Contreras is being glossed over in favor of younger players on better teams. Regardless of the outcome of the All-Star voting, Contreras will be worthy of a spot in Boston's eyes. Unfortunately, the Sox might end up having just one representative in the Midsummer Classic, as Aroldis Chapman seems like the only lock.
Add us as a preferred source on Google