Good morning! A few days ago we showed you a poll in which Willson Contreras finished in fourth in an early look at the AL MLVP race. But he wasn’t the only Red Sox player who received votes in that poll. Ceddanne Rafaela, who’s not all that far from Bobby Witt, Jr. in the AL bWAR race, was also named on the ballot. Wilyer Abreu wasn’t, but he’s fifth in the AL in bWAR, just behind Ceddy and ahead of Willson and could get a vote or two when the real voting concludes.
It wouldn’t be the first time
that three Red Sox players received MVP votes in one season, if they all end up on the list. But it is very rare that the Sox land three position players on the list. Last year’s AL MVP race saw Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman receive votes. In 2021, Rafael Devers finished 11th, Xander Bogearts 12th, and Nate Eovaldi 15th. You have to go back to the dominant 2018 team to find three position players who received votes, with Mookie winning the hardware, of course and Chris Sale rounding out the vote-getters. In light of the fact that the roster sure looked weighted towards pitchers from day one — not to mention the fact that the Sox spent much of the season as one of the lowest-scoring teams in baseball — it would be quite the achievement for three hitters to match that 2018 team.
Talk about awards voting and whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.
