When a team is below .500 in June, there are bound to be plenty of average and underachieving players on the roster. A lack of star power and sizzle has plagued the Boston Red Sox most of this season. Now, with voting underway for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, this club is going to struggle to gain national recognition.

Formerly one of baseball's most prominent brands, Boston has found itself lost in the shuffle. Yes, a loaded AL East does not help, but no one really takes the team seriously. The Sox made a habit of bouncing back and forth between last and first throughout the 2010s, but a re-ascension is harder to buy these days.

Many fans are upset with the direction ownership has taken the franchise in and are growing more and more impatient. However, there are still a couple of bright spots. Even with things bleak, 2 players have managed to put themselves in the All-Star conversation. And honesty, with the way the season is going right now, Red Sox Nation could use a fun interlude.

Let's try to replace all of this melancholy I have created with some much-needed positivity. Let's break down these potential All-Stars and see if we can give this beleaguered fandom a bit of hope.

Rafael Devers, 3B

Ok, so this may not be the best place to start if we wanted to shift to a more upbeat tone. Rafael Devers has objectively been a disappointment through the first two-and-a-half months of the season. He is hitting .247- his lowest batting average since his full MLB season in 2018- and has a weak .301 on-base percentage. But Devers still has enough pop to propel him to the July 11th All-Star Game.

The 26-year-old is in the top 10 with 17 home runs and ranks third in the league with 56 RBIs. And he is heating up. His production has significantly risen over the last several days, so his case for the Midsummer Classic should be stronger as the month goes on.

Devers is also showing solid improvement at the hot corner, displaying range and skill he did not used to have in his arsenal, per Beyond the Monster. The errors on routine plays still happen, but sabermetrics experts should be pleased to know he is no longer in the red when it comes to outs above average. Though, his defense is not what is going to boost him past the two third baseman currently ahead of him in the fan voting.

Matt Chapman and Josh Jung are leaving Rafael Devers in the dust. And rightly so. They have been key parts of winning clubs, while the 2018 World Series Champion has stumbled after signing a monster $331 million contract during the offseason. Still, T-Mobile Park will be sorely missing the star presence he exudes if Devers falls off the ballot.

He is in form again, and I think he will stay that way. At least long enough to earn his third All-Star selection.

Masataka Yoshida, LF

Outfield is a crowded race, but the American League squad needs to make room for Masataka Yoshida. The Japanese rookie has adjusted to MLB pitching nicely and is one of the few consistent contributors on the Red Sox. He just dipped below a .300 batting average but still boasts a dazzling .374 on-base and a solid .461 slugging percentage.

As expected, defense has been a vice at times, but Yoshida is holding his own with the Green Monster at his back. He inked a $90 million contract for his bat, though. And despite what skeptics predicted, the 29-year-old is proving to be well worth the hefty investment.

Masataka Yoshida currently sits at eighth in voting, but he could feasibly leap ahead George Springer, Adolis Garcia and Kevin Kiermaier. Perhaps, he should already be above those guys. Many fans will debate his merit for AL Rookie of the Year, considering he already made a big name for himself in the highly competitive Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese league), but Yoshida's 2023 All-Star status should not be disputed.

It has been a rough stretch for Boston, but the team should at least be modestly represented in the MLB All-Star Game. Besides, fans need a break from cursing out the franchise.