Betts On Track To Start All-Star Game; Bogaerts, Benintendi In Hunt
BOSTON (CBS) -- Mookie Betts is enjoying another All-Star-caliber season for the Red Sox, and it appears that the right fielder could once again be rewarded for his efforts in the Midsummer Classic.
MLB.com updated its annual All-Star Game voting on Wednesday, revealing three Red Sox players in the hunt to start in the game when it takes place on July 11 at Marlins Park in Miami. Betts leads all Red Sox players with 337,473 votes, which places him third among all American League outfielders.
Betts trails only the Angels' Mike Trout (776,937 votes) and the Yankees' Aaron Judge (730,438 votes) in outfield voting so far. Trout just went on the disabled list with a thumb injury and is expected to be out beyond the All-Star Break, which only improves Betts' chances of starting in the game.
Betts is batting .276 with nine homers and 32 RBIs on the season. He leads all AL outfielders with 16 doubles on the season. He's sixth at the position with an .849 OPS and ranks eighth among all AL players with a 1.9 WAR.
Stuck in a distant third place among outfielders, Betts is in a tight battle for All-Star Game votes with a group that includes his teammate, Andrew Benintendi. The rookie outfielder is batting .272 with five home runs and 27 RBIs and continues to play strong defense in both left and center field.
Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, meanwhile, sits at third place in voting at the shortstop position with 252,379 votes. Bogaerts is barely behind the Astros' Carlos Correa (253,518 votes) for second place, but the two have fewer combined votes than the runaway leader, the Indians' Francisco Lindor (602,238 votes). Bogaerts has hit only two home runs on the season, but is third in the AL with a .339 batting average and leads all shortstops with 62 hits on the season.
Voting closes on June 29 at 11:59 p.m. EST, so Benintendi could have a shot at starting in the Midsummer Classic if he has a big June and fans give him enough of a push. You can fill out up to 35 ballots for the 88th MLB All-Star Game at MLB.com.
