How are Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras not All-Stars? They are likely just more casualties of the 2026 Red Sox confusion.
Sure, Aroldis Chapman and Ranger Suarez were named to the American League squad, an honor both deserved. But how could MLB justify sending four players from a last-place team to Philadelphia? Perhaps that was reasoning. Whatever the case, Saturday night's 8-1 win over the Angels offered a reminder that a mark may have been missed.
With all due respect to Chapman and Suarez, the pair of Red Sox who didn't make it - Gray and Contreras - have been this team's best players, with both proving that point in Anaheim.
Start with Gray.
As one scout recently told WEEI.com, "This is the best I have seen Sonny in the last 10 years." The pitcher's latest outing did nothing to alter that perception, allowing just one run over six innings while striking out seven. In 16 starts, he has a 2.61 ERA, with the Red Sox going 12-4 in his appearances.
It's close, but across the board Gray has better numbers than Suarez, with the righty pitching one more inning in the same number of starts. Gray is also now tied with Nick Martinez for the second-best ERA in the American League.
"I was disappointed, for sure," Gray told reporters after the win. "[I’m just] being honest. ... Happy for Ranger and happy for Chappie, for sure. Very well deserving, both of those guys. But a little selfishly, I was disappointed." He added, "I used a lot of stuff for fuel tonight. Maybe that was a little part of something."
Meanwhile, Contreras also was going to make sure his case was driven home.
As he has been for the majority of the season, the first baseman proved to be the Red Sox's best tone-setter, this time paving the way for the visitors with a first-inning, three-run homer.
Most knew that Contreras was going to have an uncomfortable existence when it came to cracking the American League roster, with Nick Kurtz and Ben Rice having even better statistical seasons as the Red Sox' slugger, while Vlad Guerrero Jr. was running away with the fan vote. The saving grace for Contreras, however, is Guerrero Jr.'s proclamation that he would be bowing out of the All-Star Game, potentially opening up a spot.
In reality, among the Red Sox's All-Star candidates, Contreras is the most deserving.
This is a player who not only has far-and-away the best numbers (19 homers, .914 OPS) of any Red Sox hitter, but has done more to keep this club afloat than every single member of the roster. He has a .966 OPS with runners in scoring position, and a .932 in such situations with two outs. He is also the best hitter in the American League with two outs, totaling a 1.123 OPS.
All-Stars or not, Contreras and Gray have been the Red Sox's best and most important players.
"I think they're both just good, and they're good regardless, but it was a good night to be good again," Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said of Contreras and Gray. "Two deserving candidates, for sure."
