Tag: all-mlb

Red Sox’ Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers named finalists for 2022 All-MLB Team

Red Sox infielders Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers have been named finalists for the 2022 All-MLB Team, Major League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Bogaerts was one of 10 shortstops selected to the ballot while Devers was one of nine third basemen. The two teammates are already up for Silver Slugger Awards at their respective positions in the American League.

While Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards recognize the top offensive and defensive player at each position in each league, the purpose of the All-MLB Team is to commemorate the best players at each position across baseball for what they did during the regular season.

Since its inception in 2019, three different Red Sox players have earned All-MLB honors. Bogaerts was a first-team selection at shortstop three years ago while Devers and outfielder Mookie Betts were second-team selections in 2021 and 2019, respectively.

Betts is yet again up for All-MLB recognition after another All-Star season with the Dodgers. The same can be said for two more familiar faces in the Brewers’ Hunter Renfroe and the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber.

Fans have until 5 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday, November 22, to vote for who they think should make the fourth-annual All-MLB team. Fan voting accounts for 50 percent of the vote. The other 50 percent will be made up by a baseball media panel.

Of the 116 players who were selected as finalists on Thursday, only 32 will be named to the first- or second-team. Those winners will be revealed during the Winter Meetings from San Diego on Monday, December 5.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

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Red Sox’ Rafael Devers named to All-MLB Second Team

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers was named to the 2021 All-MLB Second Team on Tuesday night, as revealed on MLB Network.

Devers was originally one of six Red Sox players selected as a finalist for the third annual All-MLB team earlier this month, joining teammates Xander Bogaerts, Kyle Schwarber, Enrique Hernandez, J.D. Martinez, and Garrett Whitlock.

While the other five were unable to land on one of the two All-MLB squads, Devers was recognized as the second team’s starting third baseman after Braves third baseman Austin Riley received first-team honors.

For Devers, this marks the first time in which he has been selected to an All-MLB team since the concept was introduced in 2019 to “give a more comprehensive honor that covered the full breadth of a big league season, complementing the All-Star Game selections that are awarded just past the season’s halfway point.” Voting was conducted by both fans and a panel of experts.

Being named to the 2021 All-MLB Second Team is not all Devers has accomplished this off-season, as he also took home his first career Silver Slugger Award and finished 11th in American League Most Valuable Player voting.

A first-time All-Star in 2021, the 25-year-old slashed .279/.352/.538 to go along with 37 doubles, one triple, a career-high 38 home runs, 113 RBIs, 101 runs scored, five stolen bases, 62 walks, and 143 strikeouts over 156 games spanning 664 plate appearances.

Among qualified big-league third basemen this year, the left-handed hitting Devers ranked first in home runs, first in RBIs, second in runs scored, second in isolated power (.259), second in batting average, seventh in on-base percentage, first in slugging percentage, second in wOBA (.373), third in wRC+ (134), and second in fWAR (4.7), per FanGraphs.

Heading into the winter, Devers is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $11.1 million in 2022, which is a significant raise from the $4.575 he made this season.

With Devers under club control for the next two years, it is worth mentioning that his fellow infield partner in Bogaerts can opt out of the final three years of his contract at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.

Taking those two situations into consideration, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was asked on Monday about where things stand in regards to extension talks with Bogaerts and Devers.

“As always with any type of contract talks with players in-house, we wouldn’t comment unless and until there’s something to announce,” Bloom said. “But you know where we stand on both guys. They are critical, critical parts of our organization. Huge parts of past success here and hopefully parts of future success for a long time.”

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

6 Red Sox players, including Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, selected as finalists for 2021 All-MLB team

Six different Red Sox players were selected as nominees to make Major League Baseball’s 2021 All-MLB team on Wednesday night.

Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Enrique Hernandez, J.D. Martinez, Kyle Schwarber, and Garrett Whitlock represent six of the 103 players with the opportunity to make the league’s third annual All-MLB team.

Of those on the Sox who made the cut, Bogaerts is one of 10 shortstops, Devers is one of seven third baseman, Hernandez and Schwarber are two of 18 outfielders, Martinez is one of five designated hitters, and Whitlock is one of 16 relievers.

With six nominees, the Red Sox have the fourth-highest total in the American League behind only the White Sox (nine finalists), Astros (seven finalists), and Blue Jays (seven finalists).

First introduced in 2019, the purpose of the All-MLB team is to recognize the best players at each position across both the American and National League while also splitting them into a First and Second Team.

Since its inception two years ago, only two Red Sox players have received All-MLB honors, as both Bogaerts and former Boston outfielder Mookie Betts were named to the inaugural first and second teams at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.

After not having a single player make it last year, the Sox will be well represented this time around. Bogaerts has a strong chance to make his second All-MLB team, while his five teammates (including Schwarber) will be going for their first All-MLB nods, respectively.

Voting for the All-MLB team runs through 5 p.m. eastern time on November 19. Fan voting, which can be done by following this link, accounts for 50% of the vote. The other 50% comes from a panel of experts.

The field of players who were announced as finalists on Wednesday will be whittled down to 32 — or two teams consisting of 16 players each — by the time voting ends next Friday.

Winners will then be announced on MLB Network on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 23. This was previously done during the Winter Meetings, which typically take place in December, but the impending work stoppage must have forced a change of plans.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts Receive ‘All-MLB’ Honors

While it looks like the hot stove is about to heat up, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts and outfielder Mookie Betts were named to the first ever ‘All-MLB’ teams earlier Monday, with Bogaerts received first-team honors and Betts second-team.

Representing shortstops across baseball, Bogaerts was there in-person to accept the award in San Diego.

“The award is nice because it’s for the whole season,” said Bogaerts Tuesday. ““It’s not for just half the season before the All-Star break. I think being rewarded for the good job you have done throughout the year is much more satisfying.”

The 27-year-old put together another impressive campaign in 2019, slashing .309/.384/.555 to go along with a career-best 33 home runs and 117 RBI over 155 games played en route to a top-five finish in American League MVP voting.

“First-team or second-team, it’s pretty much the same because all the players are at the same level,” Bogaerts said. “Happy to be a part of it. I know it’s the first one and hopefully the first of many.

Betts, meanwhile, took home second-team honors behind the likes of Cody Bellinger, Mike Trout, and Christian Yelich making up the outfield for the first-team.

Following up his MVP campaign last year, the 27-year-old slashed .295/.391/.524 with 29 homers and 80 RBI over 150 games while finishing eighth in AL MVP voting in 2019. He also led the American League in runs scored with 135 on the season.

According to Major League Baseball, “The ‘All-MLB’ teams were selected by a combination of fan voting and input from a panel of media members, broadcasters, former players and other officials.”