Talking All-Star snubs
The Red Sox All-Star selections shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise. Aroldis Chapman. Garrett Crochet. Alex Bregman.
Other than some questions regarding whether Bregman's quad-induced absence would keep him off the American League team, these were forgone conclusions. From Game 1 they were that good.
Those sorts of names aren't really what the day after All-Star Selection Sunday is all about. It is more about those who may have just missed out.
When it comes to additional Red Sox players who had a case for All-Star candidacy, a few players entered into the conversation. Carlos Narvaez had a case, but Alejandro Kirk's numbers (and vote total) were always going to be a roadblock. Wilyer Abreu certainly had a strong case, possessing the sixth-best OPS of any American League outfielder, to go along with the sixth-most homers (17).
But, as we have routinely discovered, All-Star roster construction can oftentimes be complicated, political, and head-scratching. Case in point: Julio Rodriguez was voted in by the players despite possessing a .695 OPS. Conversely, players like Minnesota starter Joe Ryan and Mets outfielder Juan Soto are left making plans for the beach instead of taking their rightful spot on an All-Star roster in Atlanta.
Then there was Ceddanne Rafaela.
A month ago it would have been unthinkable Rafaela and the All-Star Game would have any sort of relationship. And maybe it is still a reach to suggest a player who sits with a .763 OPS and .264 batting average should be lumped in with the other All-Star snubs.
But what Rafaela has become of late has offered the Red Sox the opportunity to dare to dream, if not for 2025 then at some point during the seven years of team control on the outfielder's contract.
He has the second-best WAR on the Red Sox (2.8), only behind Crochet. Defensively, the analytics show that there is only one outfielder potentially better than Rafaela, Chicago's Pete Crow-Armstrong, and that conversation is a coin flip.
Yet, what has truly allowed Rafaela to join the All-Star debate is his bat. In the last month, the righty hitter has a .300 batting average and .922 OPS, hitting the second-most homers (5) on the Red Sox during that stretch.
Rafaela's resurgence has allowed the Red Sox to claim the most total bases and home runs of any team out of the No. 9 spot. (It's a luxury that isn't lost on clubs trying to prove themselves as games get more important.)
Who knows what the future holds for Rafaela? The narrative surrounding the 25-year-old has seemingly changed course on a dime, with the Perfect Storm of his recent nine-game stretch (12-for-34, 3 homers) and the All-Star announcement bubbling up this sort of narrative.
It is, however, an interesting debate, one which some thought would never present itself.