It’s already been said ad nauseam, but it’s worth repeating: It’s a crime that Rafael Devers isn’t on the American League All-Star team.
The Red Sox third baseman went 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs Tuesday night in Boston’s 10-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Devers now has a .329 batting average to go along with 14 homers, 56 RBIs and a .926 OPS.
If the Red Sox were playing better as a team, Devers would be in the thick of the AL MVP conversation, though likely still trailing New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu. Still, if the season ended today, Devers probably would finish top-five in voting.
Those numbers alone should put Devers in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. However, when you compare the 22-year-old to his peers, Devers’ All-Star snub looks even more egregious.
Check out these tweets from Boston Sports Info:
Devers since 6/25
23 AB
14 H
6 2B
2 HR15 balls with an exit velocity ≥ 95.0
10 balls with an exit velocity of ≥ 100.0
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) July 3, 2019
Rafael Devers thru his first 996 AB's compared to others thru ≈ 1,000 AB's in their ≤ 22 YO season
Williams
Aaron
Mantle
Robinson
Griffey, Jr
Trout
HarperYou will have a hard time finding Raffy because he fits right in at this age
details pic.twitter.com/ocT0aHC8Dz
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) July 3, 2019
That’s a guy playing like one of the best players in the game — and certainly the best on his own team.
Perhaps Devers eventually makes the roster as an injury fill-in. Even if that happens, the fact that he wasn’t voted on by players or fans in the first place will remain baffling.
