Xander Bogaerts Talks Rafael Devers' 'MVP' Season and How Red Sox Can Get 2018 Mojo Back in 2nd Half

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is in the final throes of an absolute whirlwind right now.

Though he was initially snubbed for the All-Star Game despite posting 17 bombs, 65 RBI (third in the AL), a .294 average and .384 OBP in what feels like a continuation of his breakout, you wouldn't have faulted the 26-year-old stud if he simply chose to take this one off. Of course, his past two weeks have consisted of a trip across the pond to London, then back to Toronto and Detroit before heading to Cleveland for the festivities. But, once named as a replacement, he accepted the honor with aplomb.

"Traveling all those miles was tough, but you don't know how many All-Star Games you're going to get to, and this one, with all my coaching staff, was special," Bogaerts told 12up on Wednesday.

After a day of pomp, circumstance, and red carpet hijinks (Bogaerts named Javy Baez the day's best dressed, by the way), it's now off to a new destination, and a refocusing on getting the 2019 Red Sox firmly in sync as the second half approaches.

At 49-41, well within range of a playoff spot, most teams would be thrilled with their standing. But, these are the 108-win World Champions, and Bogaerts made it clear that, as someone who's accepted and embraced the role of leader, especially following his offseason contract extension, there's work to be done to make sure the team's offensive output is being maximized.

"Pitching," Bogaerts responded, when asked what Boston needs to work on to get their 2018 mojo back. Of course, the names are there; it's simply felt like a matter of everything being out of sync thus far during the campaign. Chris Sale has pitched near an All-Star level, but the team is 6-12 in his starts. Everything's fallen into place, just a bit off-kilter. And Bogaerts feels responsible for pulling it all together.

"With all the young guys, being the guy they can depend on, rely on, helping them out," Bogaerts says, regarding his own leadership output. "Because I was one of the young guys here."

Of course, in 2019, one emergent young guy has risen above the rest: 22-year-old Rafael Devers.

"If you ask me, he's been our MVP," Bogaerts says of Devers, a prime example of just how special these All-Star opportunities really are (for whatever reason, the kid was snubbed). "Throughout the minor leagues, he was always this guy. He's adjusting this year, and he's done an incredible job. I hope he keeps it up."

The deck has seemed stacked against Boston's repeat bid just a bit, though the players are doing everything they can to overcome the circumstances. The season began on the West Coast, for whatever reason. The Yankees haven't been on the schedule much. And the team spent several off days in London, dealing with unprecedented travel requirements.

"I was up at 4 a.m. every day," Bogaerts said. "I was like, damn."

When he next gets some time to relax (he didn't do much in London, where he mostly ate pasta), he'll be doing so at home, in Aruba, where he likely would have been if the All-Stars hadn't come calling. "See my friends, go to the beach. The first couple weeks I'm back, I don't want to do anything. Just see my friends and family."

That relaxation is always a bit more palatable with the fresh afterglow of another trophy to bask in. We know Boston has the personnel and the drive. Now, it's about everything falling into place at the appropriate time. Devers in the two-hole, Bogaerts racking up the WAR, and the pitching serving as the beneficiary of an incredibly young offense that keeps remaking itself on the fly.

Now, the trip is over. They're all home. And there's more than enough in Boston's arsenal to make this another second half to remember. No more 4 a.m. wake ups for Xander Bogaerts, that is.

Unless he's clicking, and simply too excited to sleep.