Three Red Sox players named to All Star team in first season in Boston; were two others snubbed?

The Red Sox have three players heading to the All-Star Game in Atlanta next week. It was announced on Sunday that left-handed ace Garrett Crochet, Aroldis Chapman, and Alex Bregman were chosen to represent Boston in the Mid-Summer Classic.

Crochet is set to make his second straight appearance as an American League All-Star. He represented the White Sox as their only selection last summer. The lefty said last season he wasn’t able to fully appreciate the honor of being selected, largely due in part to being on a historically bad White Sox team. 

“Last year, not that I didn’t feel like I deserved it, but the rules are a little bit different now, where every team has got to have a rep,” Crochet said. “To be one of three from our team representing the Red Sox, it’s a special feeling.”

Crochet was acquired from the White Sox in December in a five-player blockbuster trade and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. He helped the Red Sox sweep the Nationals on Sunday, tossing five innings where he allowed two runs off nine hits while walking two and striking out seven. In his first season with the Red Sox, Crochet has been outstanding on the mound, leading the pitching staff. He leads all of baseball with 151 strikeouts and a 2.39 ERA through 19 starts.

“Since I’ve been a Red Sox, I’ve done nothing but improve,” Crochet said. “It’s special. It’s an honor just to represent this organization in an event of that caliber. Whether it’s the first year or not. It just adds a cherry on top, I suppose.”

Boston extended Crochet earlier this season, signing a six-year, $170 million deal that will begin in 2026. He is quickly rewarding the organization that made a massive financial investment in the left-hander.

“It’s just making a good impression,” Crochet said. “Obviously, the trade and extension and everything. To be in the first, I don’t know, 5% of the total (Red Sox tenure), it’s starting to prove the worth of it already. Just really excited to represent the team.”

He will pitch at home this coming Friday against the Rays, making one more start before the All-Star break. If the AL squad wants to use Crochet for at least an inning in the game, he will have had four days rest.

“I imagine it’ll depend on rest going into the game and things of that sort,” Crochet said, who pitched one inning in the 2024 All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, last season. “As far as, ‘Would I like to?’ Yeah. Definitely.’”

SURPRISE ALL-STAR NOD?

Bregman has been on the injured list for the last six weeks, dealing with a right quad strain he suffered on May 23. His nomination to the American League All-Star team is somewhat of a surprise, considering he’s missed a chunk of the season.

Bregman had a stellar start before landing on the IL, hitting .299 with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, 35 RBI, and a .938 OPS in his first 51 games. You’d think that missing 40 games of the regular season would serve as a disqualifier from making the All-Star team, but the players around the league disagreed.

“It’s the reputation, right?” said Alex Cora. “What they saw the first month and a half here. Playing defense, running the bases, hitting, and the leadership. He has a reputation and people know how good he is. That’s the reason they voted for him.”

During his tenure with the Astros, Bregman made two All-Star teams, earning selections in 2018 and 2019. Poor starts to the regular season in previous years have cost him potential All-Star nominations. The Sox’ third baseman has been everything the club has asked for even despite getting hurt back in May. Bregman has served as a leader in the clubhouse, mentoring young players like Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristin Campbell.

“To say that it was the reputation might kind of take away from what he did on the field, despite the fact that it was in a limited number of games,“ Craig Breslow said to reporters. “You see how great of a fit he is for (Fenway Park) and what he was able to do at Fenway.”

It’s becoming increasingly likely that Bregman’s return to the lineup is imminent. Bregman did not travel with the Red Sox while the team was in Washington, D.C. for their weekend series with the Nationals. The Red Sox haven’t officially announced whether or not Bregman will play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Cora. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself. First thing’s first. We need him here, for us.”

Bregman is expected to meet with the team on Monday and determine what’s next for him in his recovery. Breslow said that “there’s a chance” that Bregman could return to the Red Sox lineup this week while at home.

“I think if it were up to him, it would have been about a month ago,“ Breslow said. ”But he’s making a ton of progress. He sends videos of him running every time he’s out on the field. He’ll be a big boost to our lineup. His presence on the field is something that we’re really excited about. We also have to be responsible, and we’ll figure that out by having conversations with him and the medical staff.”

CHAPMAN VOTED IN BY PEERS

Chapman was named to his eighth All-Star team, earning 245 votes, the most of all relievers. The hard-throwing left-hander has been an excellent pickup by Breslow. In his first season with the Red Sox, Chapman has 15 saves with a 1.25 ERA and 53 strikeouts.

“For your peers to select you, that means a lot,” Cora said. “Chappy, Garrett, and Alex—Alex, in a short period of time—they have impacted this organization on the field and off the field. They’re really good at what they do. You’ve got to give credit to Bres."

Chapman signed a one-year, $10.75 million deal back in December and won the closer’s job out of camp.

“I think you hope when you make acquisitions in the offseason that guys play up to their potential or beyond their potential,” said Breslow. “These are three guys, all of whom were All-Stars in the past. They’re new to the organization this year, but I think it’s a really exciting moment for everybody here.”

Chapman and his teammates found out they were headed to Truist Park in Atlanta before Sunday’s series finale with the Nationals.

“I think the guys at the clubhouse take a lot of pride in being represented so well,” Breslow said. “It’s awesome. And those three guys deserve a ton of credit for it.

CARLOS NARVAEZ & CEDDANNE RAFAELA SNUBBED?

There was a case that could have been made for Carlos Narváez earning an All-Star nomination in his first full season. Entering play on Sunday, the 26-year-old catcher ranked second among MLB rookies in fWAR (2.6) and third among AL catchers in the same category, behind Cal Raleigh and Alejandro Kirk.

He is one of three rookie backstops who had a legitimate gripe about not earning an All-Star nomination. The Braves’ Drake Baldwin and the Marlins’ Agustín Ramírez have both enjoyed breakout rookie campaigns.

Narváez has earned the starting catcher job over Connor Wong, who has been scuffling all season. The rookie is hitting .272 with seven homers, 17 doubles, 28 RBI, one stolen base, and a .784 OPS. He has also been a consistent mainstay in the middle of Cora’s lineup, batting fourth following the injury to Bregman.

Boston acquired Narváez from the Yankees back in December for right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Boston also sent $250,000 of international bonus pool space money in the swap.

Narváez wasn’t a top prospect before the trade with the Yankees but has proved to be a key addition, arguably Breslow’s best offseason pickup outside of Crochet.

Ceddanne Rafaela made a strong case to be in consideration for a spot on the AL roster. The athletic outfielder has turned his season around offensively, batting .264 with a .307 on-base percentage, a .456 slugging percentage, a .763 OPS, and a career-high 3.3 WAR. Rafaela is red-hot right now, hitting .400 with two home runs, five doubles, and five RBI in the month of July. Even despite that, it’s hard to argue against the AL outfielder selections.

Just a month ago, it would have been absurd to argue for Rafaela's inclusion in the All-Star Game. But Rafaela has been working hard offensively this season; he owns the second-best WAR on the team (2.8), trailing Crochet. His resurgence at the plate, particularly out of the No. 9 hole, has been impressive. Rafaela has amassed the highest total bases and home runs from that spot in the order.

Over the last nine games, he’s 12-for-34 (.353) with three homers, and he’s seen his wRC+ skyrocket since the start of the season. During the month of July, he’s recorded a ridiculous 271 wRC+, up from 137 in June, 89 in May, and 64 in April.

Rafaela is finally making good on the extension the Red Sox signed him to last spring. He inked an eight-year, $50 million extension, not a massive financial commitment from the Red Sox, but he was a key target the club wanted to lock up. He’s played all over the baseball diamond for Cora, seeing time in center field, which is his best position, and in the infield at second base, shortstop, and third base.

Someday, Rafaela will be an All-Star; he’s been a human highlight reel in the outfield. He’s in the 100th percentile in Outs Above Average, 89th in Arm Value, and 96th in Arm Strength. It’s starting to come together for Rafaela as he continues to emerge as a complete player.

Both players could still make the team as an injury replacement should the American League need to update its roster.