Bogaerts at loss over latest ASG oversight: 'I don't know what to do'

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts isn't a fan of All-Star voting.

Despite putting together an excellent start to his season, Bogaerts sits in sixth among American League shortstops as of this week's update. It's not the first time he's received a lack of recognition, either. He missed the cut in 2018 after a solid first half.

"These past few years, every time I've come up just short even though my numbers have been up there or better than most of the guys," Bogaerts told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. "It's just so weird. I just miss out when in my opinion I should have been there. I just feel like it's a routine, every year the same thing. It's kind of getting annoying. But I don't know what to do."

Bogaerts is having an even better start to his campaign in 2019 than he did in 2018 or his lone All-Star season in 2016, and yet he's on the outside looking in of the Midsummer Classic.

He currently ranks in the top two among qualified American League shortstops in a number of statistical categories.

Only Gleyber Torres of the New York Yankees has more home runs (15) at the position, while Jorge Polanco of the Minnesota Twins is the only shortstop to have recorded a better OPS (.930) than Bogaerts.

"I just think (the statistics) speak for themselves," Bogaerts added. "I don’t know how that goes a bit unnoticed or a bit unrecognized. Sometimes it’s sad, but that’s the way it is. It’s been like that the last couple of years. I’ve kind of gotten used to it. It sucks to say that and I don’t want to be that way, but it’s weird."

Even though he's put together the numbers, Bogaerts has a significant hill to climb in All-Star voting.

Bogaerts can still surge into contention for a starting gig, but time is running out. The top three vote-getters at each position advance to the next round of voting that'll ultimately decide the All-Star Game starters. That round will commence June 26.