Triston McKenzie explains the good and bad of this version of baseball
At times like this, it's easy to form narratives. Such as the one suggesting that Mookie Betts - he of the .252 batting average and .837 OPS - won't be missed all that much.
The Red Sox, after all, have Alex Verdugo. THE Alex Verdugo.
He's the guy who just notched his third walk-off RBI of the young season, this one coming in the form of a ninth-inning homer to hand the Red Sox a 6-5 win over the Blue Jays.
But expecting that Verdugo will land in a place that eclipses the all-around awesomeness of Betts still seems like somewhat of a reach. No matter. What the Red Sox' leadoff hitter is supplying will do just fine.
Verdugo, who still won't be eligible for free agency until after next season, is hitting .311 with an .881 OPS and five homers. And, most importantly when it comes to altering the narrative in debates involving the Betts' trade, the 26-year-old is positioning himself to join the best in the game at this season's All-Star Game in Seattle.
“I live for it,” he told reporters of his latest round of heroics. “I live for that moment. I'm blessed with that opportunity to do it. You don't go up there thinking about failure. You go up there and think, ‘I have a chance to help the team win a ballgame.’ And I thrive for that moment."
Assuming Mike Trout (A.L.-best 1.006 OPS) and Aaron Judge are locks to start the All-Star Game, that leaves Verdugo vying for one of the remaining spots with a collection of players who are turning in comparable seasons as the Sox' right fielder.
Seattle's Jarred Kelenic (.992 OPS), Tampa Bay's Josh Lowe (.979) and Randy Arozarena (.953), Texas' Adolis Garcia (.912), Baltimore's Austin Hays (.900) and even Verdugo's teammate Masa Yoshida (.876) are all in the conversation.
But a slightly deeper dive into all that Verdugo is offering this season should bolster his case. You're talking about the league-leader in runs (tied with Garcia at 23) and hits (37), while also playing an above-average right field.
For now, Verdugo is living among the elite. It's a place he could also very well find himself come July 11 in the Great Northwest.