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2013 MLB All-Star Game: Five Red Sox "snubs"

The Red Sox have three All-Stars, but there's a few guys in the clubhouse who might argue they should have more.

By Ben Buchanan
Jim Rogash

Three Red Sox have been named to the American League All-Star team, bu there are quite a few more who can argue they should have made the team.

Just as a disclaimer: by "snubs" we're not necessarily talking about guys who clearly should have made the team over the competition. This is not Derek Jeter winning Golden Glove awards over just about any breathing shortstop, just those who have legitimate arguments they should have made it.

Let's start in the outfield, where Jacoby Ellsbury has dramatically improved over the last month or so. A .360/.414/.480 performance in June has left him as with one of the top ten outfield bats in the American League. Add in the fact that he's playing in center, and leads Major League Baseball with 34 stolen bases, and you've got a pretty reasonable package. All told, he's been worth 3.1 fWAR, leaving him third amongst American League outfielders. While Daniel Nava is less impressive in terms of WAR, having fizzled out slightly as Ellsbury rose, he's still got the fourth best wOBA amongst American League outfielders.

In the infield, Jose Iglesias brings up the same questions that Yasel Puig raises in the National League: how much time should a player have to dominate the competition to be worthy of an All-Star spot? Puig's bat has certainly been bigger, but Iglesias' .430 wOBA is still a ridiculous 76 points above that of reserve Jhonny Peralta. If he had played in 20 more games, chances are Iglesias makes the team.

Three Red Sox named All-Stars

 And on the other hand, those not snubbed


Finally, on the mound, there's Koji Uehara and, yes, John Lackey. Uehara actually has the benefit of being in the final vote, so he could still make it, but frankly his case is a bit weak. He's been a tremendous help to Boston's bullpen this year, but the competition is very, very strong at the top-end, with Koji coming in eleventh in ERA amongst American League relievers.

John Lackey, meanwhile, has a slightly better case with the eighth-best ERA amongst American League starters. His case is made better when you consider the two Justins on the American League roster: Masterson and Verlander. Masterson makes sense only in that the Indians needed somebody, by rule*, but Verlander's numbers just don't exactly support his inclusion, be it because of him or because of the defense that plays behind him.

*Whoops, Jason Kipnis is there. So now there's even less excuse.

Wait...John Lackey over Justin Verlander is even an argument? Stock up on canned goods, folks. The end is nigh.

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