Boston Red Sox

Willson Contreras

The veteran anchor who carried the Boston lineup

Acquired over the winter and moved off catching to protect his health, Willson Contreras spent the first half as the offensive anchor of the Red Sox — the fiery, clutch presence a searching lineup leaned on night after night.

The 34-year-old led Boston with 20 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a team-high .921 OPS, hitting .285 with a .379 on-base percentage. Freed from the physical toll of catching and focused entirely on his swing, he became one of the most productive bats in the American League.

It earned him an All-Star selection and a Home Run Derby invitation on All-Star Monday, where he topped the first round — taking the No. 1 seed on a 490-foot longest-homer tiebreaker — before falling to Kyle Schwarber in the semifinals. In the game itself he was among the AL bats held in reserve for a potential tiebreaker swing-off. For a Red Sox team that needed someone to carry the lineup, Contreras was the answer all half.