PHILADELPHIA — Somebody had to represent the lowly White Sox in All-Star Games during the depths of their rebuild.
That’s no knock on Shane Smith, Garrett Crochet or Luis Robert Jr., each of whom had admirable enough showings to earn their way to the Midsummer Classic during the Sox’ string of three consecutive triple-digit-loss seasons.
But with the team finally showing hints of sustainable competitiveness, nearly half of manager Will Venable’s regular position players are legitimately worthy of All-Star consideration.
After leaving Philadelphia with a series loss Sunday, a few Sox could make their way back to Citizens Bank Park for the All-Star Game on July 14. That would mark the first time the team has sent multiple players to the game since shortstop Tim Anderson and reliever Liam Hendriks earned nods in 2022.
‘‘We’ve got a number of guys who I hope are in those conversations and I hope are getting the attention that they deserve,’’ Venable said.
Look no further than injured rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, whose strained hamstring is expected to heal sometime around the All-Star Game. His 20 home runs are still good for second in the American League behind the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez after a week on the shelf.
Murakami’s regular moonshots have stolen some of the spotlight from his teammate across the diamond, Miguel Vargas, whose 15 dingers lead major-league third basemen and whose breakout otherwise would be the story of the season. Vargas is vying to become the first Sox All-Star at third since Joe Crede in 2008 and potentially the first Sox starter at the position since Jimmy Dykes in 1933.
The third player in the heart of the Sox’ batting order, shortstop Colson Montgomery, broke out of a funk in Philly with his 16th homer, extending his lead among major-league shortstops.
Even more impressive has been the star turn for right-hander Davis Martin. His 2.61 ERA was the fourth-best in the AL entering play Monday, and his eight victories were the second-most.
Flame-throwing reliever Grant Taylor (1-0, 1.93 ERA) burnished his national profile further over the weekend, mowing down the Phillies with three consecutive strikeouts to seal the Sox’ victory Saturday. He has fanned 50 batters in 32⅔ innings.
‘‘He’s one of the best arms in baseball,’’ Sox pitching director Brian Bannister said. ‘‘One of the better arms I’ve ever worked with. He’s already put up over one WAR on the relief side [1.4 per FanGraphs, as of Sunday]. He’s as productive as a lot of starting pitchers out there in his role. It just goes to show how dominant he is.’’
And don’t sleep on second baseman Chase Meidroth, who will bring a 19-game on-base streak into the series opener Tuesday against the Braves. His .735 OPS is third at his position in the majors.
But the biggest surprise in terms of a player inserting himself into the All-Star conversation is outfielder Tristan Peters, whom the Sox got for peanuts during the offseason. All he has done is post an .813 OPS and play a dazzling center field in 62 games that have left fans shaking their heads over the disappointment of the Robert Era.
‘‘I didn’t know much about him, to be honest,’’ Venable said of Peters, a 26-year-old rookie who clawed his way onto the roster in spring training and leads big-league center fielders with 15 doubles, including four this past weekend. ‘‘He’s been a really pleasant surprise, a guy that really works hard, puts himself in a good position to take good swings on good pitches. And, obviously, the defensive part of his game speaks for itself.
‘‘It feels like he hits a double every single day. It’s really cool to see Tristan take advantage of an opportunity, and he’s been huge for us. He’s been amazing.’’
Online All-Star voting runs until June 25.
ON DECK
BRAVES AT SOX
Tuesday: Grant Holmes (4-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. Erick Fedde (1-5, 4.94), 6:40 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Wednesday: Chris Sale (8-4, 2.23) vs. TBA, 6:40 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Thursday: Martín Pérez (4-3, 3.02) vs. TBA, 6:40 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.