Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran is enjoying the best season of his career and could be playing in the All-Star Game in two weeks. Charles Krupa/Associated Press
The MLB All-Star game in Texas is two weeks away and soon we will learn which players will participate.
Starters for both squads are determined via a fan vote that wraps up Wednesday.
There isn’t a single Red Sox player on the list of finalists, which speaks volumes about the team.
The Red Sox front office was criticized for not significantly adding to the roster in the offseason. Many fans turned away, even as the team surprisingly played its way into the wild-card mix.
On Monday, Boston traveled to Miami to start a six-game trip. The young and aggressive Red Sox entered Monday just 1 1/2 games out of the playoffs. The team is a lot of fun to watch, yet many fans are still tuning out.
There should be at least three, and possibly four, Red Sox players worthy of All-Star consideration. That’s a far cry from last season, when closer Kenley Jansen was the team’s only All-Star.
Jarren Duran has started every game this season, and should be starting in Texas in two weeks. That won’t happen after a late surge of support for his candidacy fell short, but he will undoubtedly get in via the player vote (16 players are added) or from the list submitted by the commissioner’s office (six more players.).
Duran has become one of the most electric players in the game. Using Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement formula, Duran is the fourth-best position player in the game. His 4.6 WAR puts him just behind Shohei Ohtani, and ahead of the likes of Juan Soto, Mookie Betts and Bryce Harper.
Tanner Houck shouldn’t just pitch in the All-Star game, he should be in the mix to start. Even after the Padres hit three home runs off him Saturday in his worst start of the season, Houck is still in the AL’s top 10 in ERA. He’s also thrown 107 2/3 innings, more than any full season in his career. That’s a concern for the Sox, but it shouldn’t impact his All-Star credentials.
Rafael Devers has 18 home runs this season and has become a leader on a young Red Sox team that has exceeded expectations. Charles Krupa/Associated Press
Third baseman Rafael Devers is putting together another All-Star season. He has homered in four of his last five games, and gave the Sox a much-needed jolt with a two-run, two-out shot in the first inning Sunday that propelled Boston to a 4-1 victory over San Diego that snapped a three-game losing streak.
Devers hits fourth in the lineup, sandwiched around young players. He leads the club with 18 home runs despite often being pitched around.
“This kid is doing great,” said Manager Alex Cora, a subtle reminder that Devers is still just 27 years old.
Devers missed the All-Star game last season but should be headed back for his third appearance in four years. Jansen and catcher Connor Wong should also merit consideration.
When it’s all said and done, the Sox should have a handful of players headed to Arlington, another reminder that this team is performing above expectations.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.
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