By Louis Addeo-Weiss
Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is in the midst of arguably the best season of his six-year career.
The 26-year old leads the American League in doubles with 27, and his 16 home runs are a career high in the first half, tied with his total prior to the 2018 All-Star break.
Bogaerts 16 home runs are the most among all AL shortstops, as are his 57 RBI.
According to Fangraphs, Bogaerts primary WAR of 3.7 is most among American League shortstops, with the Athletics’ Marcus Semien (3.2) and the Twins Jorge Polanco (3.0), trailing behind Bogaerts, but according to baseball-reference, Bogaerts is third among AL shortstops at 2.7, with Semien (3.6), and Polanco (4.0), leading him.
By OPS+, Bogaerts’ 140 mark to this point in the season would be the highest of his career should he maintain that pace all season.
By comparison, Polanco, who was named the starter at shortstop in the American League, slightly trails behind at 138, and the Indians Francisco Lindor, who was named as the reserve, has posted a 119 OPS+ despite playing 17 less games.
While one shouldn’t argue Lindor’s case to be at the midsummer classic, Bogaerts has presented a far more compelling case, so one would argue that Lindor’s selection fits the bill of the next topic of discussion here.
An argument that has been made since the All-Star game’s inception some eighty-six years ago is that the exhibition should feature the game’s best players, but if this is true, then by the way he has played thus far, Bogaerts is an example of one of those who belong.
If we’re still looking over statistics in lew of the snub of Bogaerts, he owns a higher OPS (.932) to Lindor’s (.848) and Polanco’s (.899).
Early on in the season, the Red Sox awarded their shortstop with a 6-year/$120M extension, keeping him in Boston through at least 2025, or his age 32-season, so to award a player this kind of deal and see him play at a high level only further makes his exclusion from the all-star festivities a shame for baseball.
And with recent changes instituted by Major League Baseball that has ousted the process of final vote candidates, it appears Bogaerts terrific start to what could be his best season has been all for nothing, as, not only is he not going to be in Cleveland on July 9th, the day of the event, but his strong play has done little for the Red Sox playoff hopes, as the team sits 44-40 entering Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays.
Though their team OPS+ is a respectable 107, and their 121 home runs rank 6th in the AL, the Red Sox have been among the worst pitching teams in the sport.
According to ESPN, Boston has a 4.65 ERA from their starting rotation, 18th in all of baseball, and a bullpen ERA of 4.35, which ranks 15th.
In a competitive AL East where it looks as if the Yankees and Rays will be around all season, Boston needs to depend on the likes of Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Chris Sale, David Price, and improvements from their pitching staff if they look to challenge for a playoff spot.
