Three Red Sox players were selected to the MLB All-Star Game: outfielder Jarren Duran and starting pitcher Tanner Hoke were selected for the first time in their careers, while third baseman Rafael Devers was selected for the third time.
Hoke’s selection was not surprising, given that the 28-year-old was one of the American League’s most effective pitchers all season. The right-hander currently has a 2.68 ERA and has struck out 106 batters in 111 innings over his first 18 starts. He ranks in the AL’s top 10 in most major pitching categories and has one of the most dominant outings of any pitcher in baseball this season, thanks to his masterful completion on April 17. Devers was expected to receive further recognition: The 27-year-old third baseman led all qualifying AL third basemen in OPS (.943) and ranked second only to starter Jose Ramirez in most other categories, including home runs (19), RBIs (53) and total bases (163).
The big question heading into Sunday was whether Duran would break out. The outfielder was a low favorite in the last fan vote, but still earned his first All-Star selection thanks to the support of his teammates.
Duran finished fifth among AL outfielders in player voting, behind starting pitchers Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Steven Kwan and fellow outfielder Kyle Tucker. Durant’s rise was due in large part to his fourth-highest bWAR (4.7) among AL players, first in triples (10), second in doubles (24), third in hits (103) and fourth in extra base hits (44).
He is fifth in stolen bases (21) and sixth in runs scored (59).
He has played in every game this season and ranks second among AL outfielders in runs allowed with 12, according to Fangraphs. In the player voting, Fuhrer finished third among AL starting pitchers behind Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, while Devers finished second among third basemen behind Ramirez.
In addition to the three Boston players, three former Red Sox players were named to the All-Star team. Chris Sale, traded to Atlanta last offseason for infielder Vaughn Grissom, is in the midst of a career resurgence after five straight injury-plagued seasons and earned his eighth career All-Star selection and first since 2018.
Mookie Betts, now in his fifth season with the Dodgers, also earned his eighth All-Star nod, although he will not play in the game due to a broken hand.
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