Poll: Who should have been Sox lone All-Star this year?
The MLB Midsummer Classic is tonight in Seattle, WA, and your Boston Red Sox are barely represented.
Kenley Jansen is in the Emerald City as the team's lone All Star this season. Normally, a team like the Sox has a small contingent at the All Star festivities, but it's not the case this year. Nor should it be. Afterall, they're a last place team and last place teams don't send many stars to the showcase.
Jansen has had a fine first half in his debut season in Boston. But I don't think you can describe it as anything more than just "fine." His 19 saves are 6th-most in the AL and he's been a big key to Boston's late game success, with the Sox tied for the fewest collective blown saves in baseball with only eight.
Even so, his numbers still don't blow anyone out of the water. A 3.23 era and 36 strikeouts in 30.2 innings pitched don't exactly scream All Star caliber, but at this point in the likely future Hall of Famer's career, he's there on name value and reputation.
But if we were simply basing the selection on who most deserves to be an All Star from this year's team, I'd be curious to see how many go with Kenley.
There's certainly a couple other Red Sox who had a case to end up in Seattle this week. Which would you have sent out west?