This isn't about Mookie Betts. It's about Alex Verdugo.
That's how far Verdugo has come.
The Red Sox' outfielder who has spent the majority of his career in Boston fending off comparisons to the iconic player he was dealt for has officially made a name for himself.
The latest reminder of Verdugo's newfound lot in life came Tuesday night in Atlanta. He was the one hitting the game-changing three-run home run. He was the center of attention. He was the star.
Verdugo has had his moments, like the one in the Red Sox' 10-8 win. He is hitting .291 (3rd among all American League outfielders) with an .819 OPS (7th) and nine home runs, swinging and missing just 14.2 percent of the time. He has fielded well at all three outfield positions, while serving as one of the Red Sox' better baserunners.
The 25-year-old has become one of the better players at his position in the American League. There is just one more piece of the puzzle left that will truly let him separate from the Betts conversation.
Verdugo wants to be an All-Star.
"For me it’s for sure been a goal," he told WEEI.com. "I think that’s every player in general. It’s one of those things where it’s hard because you think about it. It’s in the back of your mind. But at the end you have a job to come out and play and play hard. You try not to worry about results,. The fact that I’m in the talks of going to the All-Star Game is great. If I did get there and I’m lucky enough to go, it’s just that positive affirmation. You kind of get that recognition that every player kind of wants. We all come out here to play hard and have fun and everything like that, but at the same time you want to have that recognition."
He is in the mix.
Verdugo currently owns the seventh-most votes of any American League outfielder, a status that would allow him to move on to the next round of voting. (The Top 9 get to move on in the process, which could begin June 28.)
It's not as if the kid from Tucson obsessed over each and every All-Star Game, admitting to having never voted for his favorite player as a kid. ("I didn't know how," he said.) And, like many young baseball fans these days, the Home Run Derby was really the priority for Verdugo.
But now, the game takes on another meaning.
For one, it would be a nice punctuation for his comeback from a fairly serious back injury upon his initial introduction into the major leagues.
"Obviously, hurting my back and coming back from that was a hard one," Verdugo reflected. "And 2020 was a weird one as well because of the COVID. It changed a lot of the training and what was available. It has worked. This year it’s been more about managing it. There have been some days because of a little tightness, but it’s just nipping those in the bud and coming back and feeling good again instead of running yourself down."
But, most important, this is about being defined as one of the best.
No more Betts comparisons. No more good-but-not-greats. Just one conversation, that of how Verdugo entered into stardom.
"That’s one of those things where the All-Star Game would be crazy," Verdugo added. "The experience. To have my family out there. It would be super special. It’s kind of crazy because you can dwell on it. It can have multiple effects from it. You can start overthinking and start pressing and try to make your stats where they should be. Or you can just go out there, go out and play the game like you do and let it all unwind. For me, that’s really been it this year. I play the game hard. I play emotionally. I wear my emotions on my sleeve and I really care about winning. It’s that simple. I care and I love to compete. I think for me it would be cool to get it because I’m not one of those big home run guys. I do a lot of little things well. I put the ball in play. I hit lefties, righties. I can play some defense. I can run a little bit, steal some bases. It would be cool because every day you go in with a mindset to compete, and that’s not easy because I know some guys who don’t compete as hard. ... It would be awesome."
