Author Archives: @eljgon

Comparing the 2018 Red Sox to the 88 Teams Before Them

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The 2018 Red Sox are not only the team with the best record in baseball, they are the winningest team in franchise history. They have the chance to become the first team to reach 110+ wins since the 2001 Seattle Mariners. That is incredibly special, but many people want to ask: How special is it really?

Everyone can state that 106 wins is a rare feat, and they’re right. However, the numbers pertaining to how good this team is may shock you. Here, the 2018 Red Sox will be analyzed and compared to every single Red Sox team since 1930.

Offense

The 2018 Red Sox have two players who will likely eat up most of this season’s MVP votes in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. This team is an offensive catalyst that leads all of baseball in almost every single category. After a power absent offensive season in 2017, this team has transformed itself. One can almost call it mature or seasoned, at this point. Xander Bogaerts will more than likely reach the 100 RBI mark, Mookie will have a 30/30 year and Andrew Benintendi reached his career high in hits. They hit well against everyone, in any venue, and their record proves it.

Credit: Fangraphs (2018)

How Clutch Are They?

The Sox rank 25th in OPS (.787), 16th in wRC+ (109), 50th in batting average (.267), and 25th in runs scored (833). These are not mind-blowing numbers by any means. However, delving deeper into the numbers can show that the team is extremely clutch. In fact, they rank 3rd in a factor that Fangraphs literally calls “Clutch“. Granted, a Red Sox team without David Ortiz will never be as clutch as it could be. This 2018 team is different, and it can finally be said that they no longer need Big Papi in order to find success. On the season, the Red Sox rank first in RBIs which shows how efficient they have been. Not only do they get on base, but they also deliver when there is a chance to bring guys home.

The Red Sox currently have 199 home runs (12th) and will more than likely break the top 10 in franchise history. On the contrary, they walk at a rate of only 8.9, which lands them at the 59th spot. As far as strikeouts go, they rank 3rd highest at a 19.8% rate (which is still good for 5th lowest among teams in 2018). This trend can be attributed to a few things, such as the evolution of baseball or the aggressive hitting style Alex Cora has introduced. Another important asset of this team is the way they steal bases. They steal bases as efficiently as anyone has seen in recent years, even while lacking a true speedster. A 79.47 SB% ranks them first in all of baseball in 2018. The team has finally ditched the “Lead Sox” cliché.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Pitching

The 2018 Red Sox are known to have many public opinions about their pitching staff. It seems that one day, the pitchers can do no wrong and the next day, they are the worst pitching staff ever. Many pitchers have had moments of brilliance in this historic season. One could say that the Sox are having a decent season especially when compared to better pitching staffs like the Astros or the Dodgers. Comparing the 2018 Sox to those of season’s past show where this team’s true strength is.

Credit: Fangraphs (2018)

Dominant Outings

A simple comparison to those teams of the last 88 years will reveal that the 2018 Red Sox rank 12th in ERA (3.67), 2nd in strikeouts (1499), 1st in batting average against (.234), 3rd in WHIP (1.24), and 7th in saves (46). The average fan may think that the hitting has been the main reason for success this season, but the pitching is just as important. Having a good pitching staff that limits the opposition is very important. On the contrary, runs win games and having a great offense is key to making a deep playoff push. Having both on the same team in the same season is a deadly combination.

A more analytical viewpoint will show that the Slider has been the most effective pitch for the 2018 Red Sox. They posted a wSL figure of 27.1 and a wFB of 32.1 which is 4th best in the last two decades, for fastballs. They attained an xFIP of 3.92, which coincides with their team ERA and alludes to their defense being a good source of help for the year. Finally, when it comes to SIERA (my favorite pitching stat), the Red Sox have amounted to a figure of 3.73. This basically means that the pitching staff does an above average job at limiting hits and runs scored (they rank 5th out of all teams in 2018).

(Copyright ©2018 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.)

In The End

This team will be looked at as one of the best in Red Sox history. Regardless of if they win a World Series title or not, this shows how far they have come and how much more these kids have to give. Boston is stuck with this core for a while and that should be celebrated for the fact that many teams go decades without witnessing something like this.

@ELJGON

Red Sox Should Target Three Relievers This Offseason

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The bullpen has been a thorn in the Boston Red Sox’s side many times in 2018. To say that it is a bad bullpen is, quite frankly, a bad statement. However, it seems that they may not be a threatening bullpen to opposing teams. They can get the job done, but are they reliable to have a lock-down inning when needed? Red Sox fans loathe the moment when a relief pitcher comes in to a high leverage situation, in 2018.

This season has been a fantastic one as of now. Currently at 103 wins and one win away from clinching their third AL East title in as many years. The writing seems to be already on the wall for this impending postseason. The bullpen is barely trustworthy.

This is a small cloud that is seen in a huge ray of sunshine. Not to be redundant, but this Red Sox team is legitimately good. However, every team has its weaknesses and this is one that can carry into next season if not addressed. Don’t expect a trade, as the Red Sox don’t have a lot of pieces they can afford to give away for the time being. Thus, it’s never too early to look at who the Red Sox could sign in the offseason. Here are three serious options they should consider:

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1. Craig Kimbrel

Hear me out on this one before you shoot me.

Yes, we all know that Kimbrel isn’t having a fantastic season. Yes, he is having the worst season of his career when it comes down to FIP. A statistic that is, of many things, very telling of how a pitcher could perform in the future.

When it comes down to who the Red Sox currently have that can take over in case of Kimbrel’s departure, it’s frightening. Currently the closer role would have to go to Ryan Brasier, who has been the most reliable pitcher this season for the Sox. Even then, Brasier is unproven (38.1 IP in his MLB career) and Kimbrel should not be replaced with Brasier just yet. Also, some current closers on the 2019 free agent market are not worth breaking the bank for.

Kimbrel knows what it’s like to pitch in Boston, experience the media, fans, ballpark and the pressure of a big market. He’s experienced success and struggles with this team. He knows what is needed of him, and he is the best available option in the 2019 free agency class. It’s time to trust Kimbrel again.

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2. Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller has been on my list of “Relief pitchers I want next season” and there are a lot of reasons as to why this still holds water. Since 2016, he is ranked first (high leverage situations) in average against, ERA, FIP, xFIP, WHIP, BB/9, and K/BB among all relief pitchers that will be a free agent in 2019.

He’s been to a World Series, seen success and failure throughout his career and is a seasoned veteran. Also to note, he has a 1.10 ERA in 32.2 Postseason innings pitched.

One final note is that he has also experienced what Boston has to offer, being that he was with the club for four seasons. He knows what is expected of him just like Kimbrel, and Miller can be the guy that can bring this bullpen to a new level if added.

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3. Jeurys Familia

Never would a former Mets player would be on a list of players that I would put my trust in, yet here we are.

Jeurys Familia has quietly put together a pretty good career up to this point. Albeit, he hasn’t looked unhittable since joining Oakland but that’s besides the point. His numbers in high leverage situations are very good and he does a great job at keeping the ball in the yard. Familia is someone that the Sox can potentially replace Kimbrel with if talks fall through. He’s proven to the world that he can close out games (51 saves in 2016) and can produce in a big market city.

One final note on Familia, is that he is younger than the aforementioned options. This is one less worry for when this team has to lock up some of the younger guys.

@ELJGON

Bogaerts

It’s Time To Appoint Xander Bogaerts As Captain Of The Red Sox

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The Boston Red Sox in 2018 are a machine. It seems as if they can do no wrong, even though some may point out there are (few) vulnerabilities in this team. However, there is one thing missing from this team, and has been since David Ortiz’s departure. The Red Sox are missing a true voice of leadership. Who could fill the void – Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, or another candidate?

The Red Sox are running rampant on opposing teams. They are young, athletic, and their talent is proving to be almost unmatched every time they step on the diamond. Their inevitable trip into the postseason is backed by having two of the best players in baseball, and a record that is currently seven wins better than the defending World Series champions. A certain presence has always been absent since David Ortiz left and even though the Sox replaced the power presence with JD Martinez, something is still missing. A clubhouse leader is almost as important as anything else; think of it as a 10th position, at times.

Tek: The Last Captain

The last official captain for the Red Sox was the beloved Jason Varitek, who spent his entire career with the club and won two World Series titles in the process. He proudly donned the “C” over his heart on his jersey from the historic 2004 season until his retirement in 2011. He was one of three captains in baseball at the time of the appointment, along with Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko. This is a tradition that Red Sox nation would love to see continued, and this is the perfect time to do exactly that.

Varitek

Courtesy of the Boston Herald

Looking Ahead

Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are the faces of the team today. This is a new generation of players that will be around for a long time – an untouched core that has been through nearly everything together, comparable to the “Core Four” the Yankees had years ago. Even then, Derek Jeter was appointed captain and took this extra role about as serious as he did his shortstop post.

The shortstop position is seen as the captain of the infield, even by MLB itself. It is the most athletically demanding position and the most pivotal when it comes to calling plays or defensive shifts. Now, I understand that Jason Varitek was a catcher and the catcher may take the role of calling plays or shifts as well. However, with the platoon of Christian Vazquez, Sandy Leon and (as of late) Blake Swihart, there is too much inconsistency in appearances. The captain of the team needs to be someone on the field every game, as long as they are healthy.

Why Not Dustin?

This leads us down another rabbit hole: many people will be saying “Well the team has Dustin Pedroia!” Not so fast, buddy. Dustin Pedroia is the longest tenured player on the Red Sox roster currently, true. However, he has downplayed this role multiple times. Dustin has the mentality of the team having more than one voice, and leading together towards success. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this mentality, but it can’t last forever. This team will eventually go through rough patches, being this season or after. Having a multitude of voices without one to settle the clubhouse could be worrisome.

Dustin Pedroia has even pointed to Xander being the one to bring up the clubhouse’s spirits most of the time.

“I was sitting in the [batting] cage by myself and I was hurting, and Bogey comes in — he’s the happiest kid ever — and he said, ‘Hey, what’s wrong?'” Pedroia said. “I’m like, ‘Man, Bogey, I don’t know if I can. I mean, I’m going to be fine to play, but I hope they throw it right down the middle. You know what I mean? And he goes, ‘Oh man, you’re gonna be fine.’ And I go, ‘Bogey, see that’s what I’m talking about. There are some days when I come in and I need you and we all need each other. So it’s OK to be that guy. Let it come out.’

Bogaerts is the Perfect Candidate

Xander Bogaerts came up late in the 2013 regular season before helping the team win a World Series. He was a breath of fresh air for a team that needed some young, refreshing talent. As far as this core goes, he was second only to Jackie Bradley to come up in the same season. Xander has more of a liking in Boston and a “been there, done that” identity with this club. He’s won a championship, lost in the playoffs, made pivotal plays, and has been on the wrong side of success. As quick as Xander has turned into a young veteran of the club, it’s time to reward him. Being that he is still only 25 years old with 5 years of experience under his belt, he is very relatable to his young teammates.

Mookie, Benintendi and the others can learn a lot about what it’s like to play in a World Series game. Xander is the perfect candidate to impart that knowledge.

@ELJGON

Top 10 Red Sox All-Stars in Franchise History (Players 5-1) (@ELJGON)

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Yesterday it was announced that Chris Sale will be starting for the AL team and will be joined by his teammates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez in the starting lineup. Of course, Mitch Moreland and Craig Kimbrel will likely make an appearance as well, but there is no doubt that the Boston Red Sox are well represented in this seasons Mid-Summer Classic. My first installment of this list, which consisted of the top ten through six ranked all franchise All-Stars had some great names on it. However, we are getting to the top five All-Stars in Red Sox history.

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5. Pedro Martinez (98, 99, 00, 02)

Originally I thought Joe Cronin belonged in this spot. However, I spent some time thinking and this is the right choice. Everyone knows Martinez as one of the most dominant pitchers to ever live and made a living out of making batters look silly. However, in 1999, he did something spectacular. Sure, he started the All-Star game as many pitchers typically do. This instance is more about the way he started it. He struck out five out of six batters faced over two innings. Those batters were Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Jeff Bagwell. In what is considered one of the best All-Star Game performances of all-time. He also won the ASG MVP after that game. When talking about franchise All-Stars, Pedro must be mentioned.

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4. Bobby Doerr (41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 88**)

All-time Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr was no stranger to the All Star Game, having started in five of them for the AL. The Red Sox purchased Doerr for $75,000 in 1935 and started for the team when he was 19 years old. A lifetime batter of .288 with 2042 hits, Doerr spent all 14 seasons of his career with the Red Sox. Doerr most likely would have been an All-Star in 1945, but he opted to join the Army instead. After serving his country he returned to the club in 1946 and, despite a dip in batting average, drove in 116 runs. Bobby Doerr sadly passed away at the age of 99 on November 14th 2017, but his legend will be remembered always.

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3. David Ortiz (04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 16)

What’s a Boston Red Sox top ten list without David Ortiz? Everyone knows the huggable slugger and Yankee killer that Ortiz became. He always had an overpowering presence when at the plate, regardless of who his opponent was. He meant more to Boston than almost any other player in the franchise’s history. Ortiz has one homer and a .294 average in all ten All-Star games, including seven starts. However, his most memorable moment came during his last All-Star game in 2016, when he was pulled out in the first inning to a standing ovation and salutations from all of his major league peers. He even had a friendly exchange with former Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, which makes all the more reason to get emotional.

1970 Topps Carl Yastrzemski AS MVP

2. Carl Yastrzemski (1963, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72,
73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 82, 83, 89**)

Yaz is probably second in everyone’s mind when it comes to best Sox players to ever live. The accolade is well deserved, as he had a lifetime batting average of .285 with 3419 hits and played all 23 seasons with the Red Sox. However, not many know of his All-Star Game heroics. Yaz hit his only ASG home run off Tom Seaver in 1975. He also robbed Johnny Bench of a home run in the 1969 All-Star Game and had a .294 average in 14 games. He represented the Red Sox almost as best as anybody else. Almost.

Ted Williams ALl Star

1. Ted Williams (1940, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)

Teddy Ballgame is the best hitter ever. His stats are mind-boggling (lifetime .344/.482/.634/.1.116), but these numbers carried over to the All-Star Game realm as well. Batting .304 with four home runs in 16 All-Star Games, he continued to make a name for not only himself, but for the Red Sox as well. In a roster that was just dripping in hall-of-fame talent such as Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio of the likes, he always stood out. Williams had a walk off home run in the 1941 All Star Game off of pitcher Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs. Adding to the fact that Williams also hit .406 the same season, this was just icing on the cake.

Williams would have probably had five home runs in All Star Games, but was robbed of a homer by Willie Mays in the 1955 affair. There was also the matchup against Rip Sewell in 1946, when batters would call his eephus pitch “nearly unhittable”. In true Ted Williams fashion, he ripped it out for a home run. Ted was truly one of the best to ever play the game year-round.

Italics = started ASG; ** = managed ASG

@ELJGON

It’s Time To Revamp The All Star Game’s Selection Process (@ELJGON)

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It’s that time of year again.

The 2018 MLB All-Star rosters have been revealed and boy, do we have a lot to talk about. It’s clear that the player selection process is a popularity vote rather than an endorsement for a successful first half. The fact that Blake Snell (12-4, 2.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), Nicholas Castellanos (.306, 15 HR, 56 RBI, .882 OPS), Jesus Aguilar (.302, 23 HR, 64 RBI, 1.000 OPS) were not originally All-Stars is terrible. These players are among many others who face the same issue each year, and it’s doing more harm for the game than good. On a bigger scale, if MLB wants to continue its trend of raising viewership numbers, they need to do away with some old habits; the All-Star game is no exception. Some have many ways to fix the player selection, and here is my take:

Things To Keep

There are certain aspects of the All-Star game and its process that are beneficial to the integrity of baseball as well as the attractiveness of current fans. These aspects should be kept without a doubt.

  1. Uniforms during the actual All-Star game will be every player’s respective uniform. It should follow the home and away color code.
  2. Each team will send at least one representative to the All-Star game. I had a lot of time to think about this, and at first I was against it. Why should someone on a really bad team make the All-Star game over someone who actually deserves it? However, this keeps fans engaged, even when their team is not doing so well. Also, it keeps bigger market teams from overpopulating the roster versus smaller market teams. We’re keeping it.
  3. Both the NL and AL teams will implement the DH regardless of venue.
  4. Managers will make starting lineups.

Things To Change

Here is where things could get a little weird at first but have an open mind.

Basically, the All-Star game format will change into four teams total, two teams for each league (Team A and Team B for NL and AL).

Team A and Team B in each league will play each other on the first day. Then, the winning teams will represent their respective league in the final game the next day. This is a similar process to how the NHL bases their All-Star game. However, since MLB has six divisions instead of four like the NHL, it would get complicated.

Fans will vote for four player captains, two for NL and two for AL.

All captains cannot be from the same Major League teams. Fans will also vote for players into a pool for team captains (with their manager) to pick in a draft style player selection process.

The preliminary games will be six innings long, the final game will be nine.

This ensures a few things such as roster size, reducing game times and reducing the chance of injury among other aspects. Having four teams instead of the usual two would mean that there would be twice as many all-star players as before, which doesn’t make sense.

Roster sizes for the preliminary games are 20 players (eight position players, five bench, three starters, four relievers). The captain of each winning team chooses five players (two position, three pitchers) from the losing team to take them to the final game, thus making a 25 man roster.

Each team will have a manager, as always. But instead of from the recent World Series, they will be from the year’s past championship series.

This still gives us two managers from the World Series and two more managers for the third and fourth teams.

Finally, the fight for home-field advantage in the World Series is coming back.

The All-Star game is so much better when there is actually something to fight for.

 

Wrapping up, this whole thing isn’t perfect. There will be flaws in this and all criticisms are accepted, but we can all agree that something has to be done in order to avoid major snubs every single year while keeping fans of the game engaged.

@ELJGON

Top 10 Red Sox All Stars in Franchise History (Players 10-6)

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Hot days, pool parties, no school, and trips to the beach. Summer is in full swing which means that the Midsummer Classic is almost upon us. The 2018 All-Star Game, which will be hosted by the Washington Nationals, is coming up on July 17th. The Red Sox have plenty of candidates to haul in votes. Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel are among the front runners along with Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, and Mitch Moreland who are also receiving a respectable amount of attention. It’s times like these that are suited for a walk down all-star memory lane. Here’s the top 10 all-stars in Red Sox franchise history. 

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10. Fred Lynn (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)

Fred Lynn is one of only two players (Ichiro Suzuki) who has won the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award in the same season. He was a lifetime .308 hitter for the Red Sox and had a great run of eight straight seasons appearing in the All-Star game. Of course, he played only five of those years for the Red Sox. Fred Lynn did not appear on the ballot in 1975 but got voted in because of write-in votes. Lifetime, he has four home runs in All-Star games, three of them as a Red Sox. His five straight appearances prove just how important he was to the team in the late 1970’s.

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9. Manny Ramirez (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08)

Manny Ramirez, one of the best Red Sox hitters in franchise history, was no stranger to the annual honor. In fact, in all seven seasons he was an all-star for the team, he was also a starter. In 2004, he hit a two-run home run off of Roger Clemens at Minute Maid Park in Houston in the first inning; it was his only home run in any All-Star appearance of his career, but impressive nonetheless.

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8. Carlton Fisk (72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 78, 80, 99*)

Carlton Fisk, an all-time catcher for the Sox and Hall of Famer, played 2226 games at the backstop. In his 24 seasons as a major leaguer, he accumulated some of the best offensive stats ever seen by a catcher. As far as his all-star resume is concerned, he only accumulated three hits in 11 All-Star games. However, his most notable hit came in 1991 when he was a member of the Chicago White Sox. He became the oldest player to get a hit in an All-Star game (43 years, 8 months).

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7. Jim Rice (77, 78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 85, 86, 99*)

Jim Rice was an all-time great left fielder for the Sox in the late 1970’s and most of the 1980’s. The Hall of Famer is very similar to Mookie Betts; he’s an all-around great hitter and fielder. In all eight appearances as a player (1999 he was a coach), he only had one home run, which was off of Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker in 1983.

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6. Wade Boggs (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)

Wade Boggs, a once in a lifetime franchise player, was an incredible hitter. He amassed 3010 career hits and a lifetime average of .328 (.338 with the Red Sox), proving just how dominant he was as a third baseman during his time. A starter for seven All-Star teams as a Red Sox, he had a .321 career average in All-Star games. His most memorable moment was when in 1989 – Boggs and Bo Jackson went back to back with solo home runs off of pitcher Rick Reuschel. What made it even more memorable was Vin Scully and President Ronald Reagan commentating the entire moment together.

Stay tuned for players 5-1.

Italics = Starter, * = managed/coached

@ELJGON

Breaking: Hanley Ramirez Involved in Federal and State Investigation [Updates]

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Back at the beginning of the month, the Boston Red Sox released their always smiling and lighthearted first baseman Hanley Ramirez. At the time, he was batting .254/.313/.395 with 29 RBIs in 177 at bats. Since releasing him, the Red Sox seemed to miss a certain aspect to their lineup. They just haven’t looked like the offensive juggernaut that they were in April. This move confused some who thought the move was strictly “baseball related”, according to Red Sox VP of media relations Kevin Gregg. Some thought that this move came because of his pending activation of a $22 million vesting option for 2019, which would kick in if he piled up 497 at bats in 2018.

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The Story so Far

Today, ABC News’ Michele McPhee broke that Hanley is being roped into a federal and state investigation. McPhee also reports that Hanley has alleged ties to a party police arrested during a drug stop. The said party possessed 435 grams of Fentanyl and other drugs, and stated that some of the drugs were Hanley’s. According to state evidence, in the past Hanley allegedly made several visits to the Fentanyl ring that police busted.

MLB, Red Sox, and Hanley (via his agent) all deny knowledge of the federal investigation. However, the FBI does not need to inform any of these parties about an investigation while it’s underway. We could all be finding out together.

More to come.

@ELJGON

Possible Trade Deadline Moves for the Red Sox

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Anybody that has been watching the Red Sox know that their offense can be frustrating sometimes. Betts, Martinez, and Benintendi cannot continue to be solely depended on in order to keep winning games. The Sox lead the majors in runs scored, average, total bases, hits, and extra base hits. They also rank second in other pivotal categories such as OPS, home runs and RBIs. They have reached this level of performance while carrying a lot of dead weight at the bottom third of the lineup.

Collectively, the 7-9 hitters are hitting a measly .221 with 60 RBIs, 178 strikeouts with a .608 OPS. Don’t get me wrong, this offense is special and can do a lot of damage when this season is all said and done. The fact is, the top of the lineup won’t bring the city of Boston another championship single-handedly. 

Inevitably, the Red Sox will be active around the trade deadline. They won’t make a big splash, but they will most likely add a piece (maybe two) in order to complement the offense in a big way. Here is who they might go and get:

Wilson Ramos

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It should not be a surprise that Red Sox catchers have been woeful at the plate. This season, catchers are hitting .226/.270/.319/.589 with 18 RBIs and 47 strikeouts. Sox catchers also have a league worst -1.1 WAR, so upgrade to the catcher depth is a no-brainer. With all this being said, Wilson Ramos would be a match made in heaven for the Red Sox.

Ramos is slashing .284/.327/.446/.773 with eight home runs, .327 BABIP and a 115 wRC+. In short, if I told you he was the fourth best hitting catcher in baseball, I’d most likely have the numbers to back up my claim. The Rays, meanwhile, are 13.5 games out of first and will be trending in the wrong direction faster than they already have. They began their rebuild when they gave away Evan Longoria in December of 2017, and will most likely look to continue just that. Ramos is a free agent in 2019, so he would be a rental. But it’s so worth it.

Nicholas Castellanos

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Nicholas Catellanos is really starting to turn into a top-tier hitter in his young age. Castellanos has played a majority of his professional career at third base, but is now an everyday outfielder. In his last three seasons, he’s hit .285/.331./.492/.823 with a 117 wRC+, which is pretty darn good. He’s 26 years old and will be under team control until 2020, so a trade would have to yield a lot more than the Wilson Ramos scenario.

However, the already struggling Tigers just lost their franchise first baseman in Miguel Cabrera for the rest of the season and will be forced to be sellers at the deadline. If this happens, the only logical way to make it work is to give up Jackie Bradley along with some others. The problem with this move is that Castellanos will be a hot commodity with other teams, and the Sox may not have enough to offer when it comes to competition. Regardless, the club should be active in inquiring for the 26 year old.

Mike Moustakas

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No, this is not a recycled paragraph from the past off-season- bear with me here. Just because Moustakas signed a one year contract (with a second year mutual option) doesn’t mean the Royals can’t move him. The Royals are 23 games under .500 and this would probably be the best move for both organizations.

You may be wondering, “But what about that Devers kid?” Rafael Devers has not been playing the best baseball so far in 2018. Devers has the lowest wRC+ figure among qualifying third basemen in the league. He may still need some time platooning with a more experienced third baseman or possibly even going back to Pawtucket. Let’s get one thing straight: I am not saying give up on the kid. What has to be remembered is that he is still only 21 years old and may need some more time to sharpen his skills and adjust his swing.

Moustakas is having a pretty good year, batting .263/.317/.483/.800 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs. He definitely can pick up the pace even more, especially if he was inserted into the Red Sox lineup. On top of that, his .973 fielding percentage is way better than Devers’ (.931), and he has extensive postseason experience. It’s a win-win all around.

@ELJGON

Boston Red Sox Select Triston Casas in the First Round

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With the 26th pick in the MLB Draft, the Boston Red Sox selected third baseman Triston Casas. Casas attended American Heritage High School in Florida, and will most likely sign with the Sox barring his commitment to the University of Miami. The 6′ 4″, 238 pound corner infielder has a comparison to Sean Casey and Freddie Freeman with his advanced barrel skills and ability to square up on pitches.

The Good:

Triston Casas was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The 18-year-old has a tall and athletic build, which is perfect for a first baseman that can contribute both offensively and defensively. However, he has proven to make strong throws while on the move, as a third baseman does regularly. Casas won the Richard W. “Dick” award in 2017 (given annually to USA Baseball’s top player), and seems to have a bright future ahead of him. Triston also has a major league approach during BP, which is a plus. Casas has a 95 mph exit velocity average and ranks in the 99.3 percentile among his draft class. Best of all, he has shown ability to hit the ball to all fields with ease. Overall, he is a kid with a lot of power, and will only continue to gain muscle mass and improve on his contact abilities.

The Not So Good:

Although Casas has shown he is a good hitter, he has also portrayed a bit of streakiness in his young career. He does have some areas in his swing to improve on, such as occasionally falling off to the side on his follow through. The most troubling thing that sticks out to me is that he had knee surgery performed in December of 2016 (x-ray shots below). This could be an injury prone thing, or it could be nothing to worry about. Power swinging players generate a lot of torque especially in their knees, so this should be something to keep an eye on in the future.

KneeFront12-26-2016KneeClose12-26-2016

Wrapping up on Casas:

Overall, I think this kid could be something special. With the recent trouble that the Sox have had with corner infielders (Sandoval, Hanley, Chavis of the likes), this is a great move by the Sox organization.

@ELJGON

Photo Credits: http://tristonraycasas.com/bio/ & USA Today

Previewing the Sox: 5/28-6/3

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The previous week (5/20-5/27) for the Red Sox has been an encouraging one to say the least. They took two out of three from the Tampa Bay Rays and the first place (at the time) Atlanta Braves. The offensive player of the week is Andrew Benintendi (.353/.455/.824, 1.278 OPS, 223 wRC+). The pitcher of the week is Eduardo Rodriguez, who got two wins while posting up a 1.59 ERA with 14 strikeouts, three walks and two earned runs. This is evidence of two players who needed to have a great week like this. Will these performances kick-start the players into performing at a better rate? Only time will tell.

Glancing Ahead

Looking ahead to this week, the Sox play the Toronto Blue Jays at home for three games, and then travel to Houston for a four game showdown with the Astros. The Astros split their four game series with the Cleveland Indians, and will also be playing the Yankees for the first three game series of this week. Focusing on the Astros series, the probable pitchers look to be Pomeranz, Sale, Price, and Porcello. For the Astros, it looks to be McCullers Jr., Cole, Verlander, and Morton. The Sox seem to be facing the best of the best as both Verlander and Cole are ranked first and second in ERA in the American League (1.08 and 1.86 respectively). Also, George Springer and Alex Bregman are doing quite well in the month of May. Springer posting a .341/.383/.557 slash with a .940 OPS and Bregman with a .282/.396/.529/.940 line.
The Sox offense really needs to step up more than ever against Houston. The Astros, as a team, throw 43.9% of their pitches in the strike zone, and have the highest swinging strike percentage in the majors (12.6%). The Houston bullpen should not be undermined, as they have one of the lowest contact percentages in the majors (73.6%). They also have a 2.63 ERA, which is ranked third in baseball. All in all, this Astros pitching staff is no joke since they have the highest strikeout rates, along with a top 5 walk rate and a miniscule 0.86 HR/9 figure. The Sox need to be aggressive in the zone and attack early, because there is not a whole lot of relief once the opposing starters exit. Of course, there is the obvious payback feeling for being booted in the ALDS against this same Astros team. But here’s a catch: Alex Cora is leading the charge. He was on A.J. Hinch’s World Series winning coaching staff last year, which will prove to be an advantage. This series will be epic.

Notes for the week:

  • David Price has a career 1.088 WHIP with a 2.92 ERA while playing indoors (like Minute Maid Park).
  • The Astros lead the league in overall run differential, however Houston has a pedestrian +34 differential at home for the season.
  • The Sox will need Mookie Betts back in order to contend with the Astros this weekend. Don’t be shocked if Mookie misses the next few days.
  • The Red Sox have a 3.04 ERA as a team when playing away and the Astros have a 2.63 ERA when playing at home.
  • The Astros have a .235 batting average as a team when playing at Minute Maid park this season. The Sox have a .248 average when on the road.

This upcoming series with the defending champions is going to be a crazy experience. Don’t miss it.

@ELJGON