Boston Red Sox Top-5 breakout performances of 2015
Aug 26, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Travis Shaw (47) celebrates with shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) after hitting a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at U.S Cellular Field. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
The 2015 season ends with the Boston Red Sox at the bottom of the division, finishing last in the AL East for the second straight season. This once proud franchise hadn’t suffered consecutive last place finishes since the 1929-1930 seasons, yet now find themselves in the basement of the division in three of the last four seasons.
Of course the one year in that stretch that wasn’t a last place finish resulted in a championship in 2013. This goes to show there can be a silver lining found in almost any story, so while the team’s spot in the standings remains an unacceptable disappointment, there were some bright spots to this season that offer a glimmer of hope for the future.
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Boston’s season went south due to poor roster construction that was highlighted by several misfires in free agency and trades. Injuries to key players and a few slumping veterans only compounded those issues, sending their season spiraling down the drain.
While most of those offseason moves from last winter didn’t pan out, the Red Sox have plenty of homegrown talent that emerged this year. The Red Sox began to play much better once they trimmed away some of the disappointing veterans that were weighing them down to make room for more young players, finishing the season with a 32-26 record since August 1.
If the Red Sox can play at that pace next season they will find themselves back in contention. Here are the top-5 breakout performers from this season that can help them get there if they can continue to build on their career years.
Next: Xander Bogaerts
Sep 19, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) hits a home run during the sixth inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
2015 Stats: .320/.355/.421, 7 HR, 81 RBI, 84 Runs, 10 SB
In only his second full season in the big leagues, Bogaerts finished second in the league in batting average and hits. While his bid for 200 came up short, his 196 hits were the most by a Red Sox hitter since Adrian Gonzalez collected 213 in 2011.
Bogaerts got off to a solid start last year, but his rookie season quickly went off the rails once the summer months began, as he hit a measly .161 from June through August. He would recover to his .313 last September, foreshadowing his breakout season to come.
There were no lengthy slumps for Bogaerts this season, as he hit at least .274 in every full month and was well over .300 for four consecutive months. The 22-year old responded to his All-Star snub by hitting a scorching .371 in July and went on to hit .337 after the break. It’s fair to say he may get a bit more attention once the voting process begins again next year.
One way that Bogaerts has been able to improve at the plate is by making significant strides in cutting down on his strikeout rates. After striking out 23.2 % of the time last year, Bogaerts cut down his strikeouts to a rate of 15.4 % this year. His aggressiveness at the plate meant drawing fewer walks, but the increase in contact paid off thanks to a career-high .372 BABIP.
Bogaerts has flourished into one of the brightest young stars at his position. If he develops a bit more power and learns to take more walks without having it come at the expense of his contact rate, Bogaerts could make another leap in the near future to become a superstar.
Next: Brock Holt
Sep 11, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt (26) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
2015 Stats: .280/.349/.379, 2 HR, 45 RBI, 56 Runs, 8 SB
Holt initially broke out last season when he made a name for himself with his versatility by playing 7 different defensive positions. Giving the Red Sox the flexibility to plug him anywhere in the lineup was valuable, but Holt was still viewed as no more than a utility player that could come off the bench or fill in for an injured starter.
That viewpoint was changed when Holt was selected to his first All-Star appearance this year. He hit .292 before the break with a .379 OBP that put him near the top of the league in the first half of the season. His propensity for getting on base convinced the Red Sox to try him out in the lead-off position for a while, where he hit .325 in 80 at-bats from the top of the lineup.
Last year Holt hit a wall near the end of the season when the effects of his first full year in the big leagues began to wear on him. The second half fade plagued him once again this year, but it wasn’t nearly as drastic this time. Holt’s average dropped to .265 after the break, which isn’t up to the All-Star standards he set early in the season, but is still well above the replacement level production he provided in the second half of 2014.
Holt has shown a lot of progress in his ability to hold up over the grueling schedule of a major league season. If he can continue that progress to put together a full season that resembles his first few months of this year, he’ll cement his spot in the lineup as an everyday player – even if he isn’t necessarily playing the same spot defensively every game.
Next: Eduardo Rodriguez
Sep 28, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (52) delivers a pitch during the second inning of the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
2015 Stats: 10-6, 3.85 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 7.25 K/9
When the Red Sox acquired Rodriguez from the Baltimore Orioles at the 2014 trade deadline there were many scouts calling it the steal of the year. As great as Andrew Miller was as a setup man in Boston’s bullpen, a reliever heading for free agency wasn’t nearly as valuable to the franchise as a young pitching prospect that could become a part of their rotation for years to come.
It didn’t take long for Rodriguez to prove them right. After dominating at two levels of the minor league system since arriving in the Red Sox organization, Rodriguez earned a promotion to the majors. He made his debut on May 28, holding the Texas Rangers scoreless over 7 2/3 innings to notch his first career victory.
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Rodriguez led the AL with a 1.87 ERA in night games, which covered 13 if his 21 starts. His staggering day/night splits aren’t necessarily an indication that he can’t perform when the sun is out, as he did make several successful day starts. Rodriguez had 4 starts this season where he gave up at least 6 runs, all of which came during day games. Those starts skew his numbers in a small sample size. It’s not unusual for even the best young starters to get lit up once in a while as they adjust to the learning curve of playing in the big leagues.
With a 3.85 ERA, Rodriguez finishes the season second among Red Sox pitchers that made at least 5 starts this season. He has solidified his role in the rotation for next season and shown enough flashes of brilliance to suggest he may develop into the ace this staff is looking for.
Next: Jackie Bradley, Jr.
Aug 9, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (25) hits a three RBI triple in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Jackie Bradley, Jr.
2015 Stats: .249/.335/.498, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 43 Runs
Remember when people questioned if Bradley would ever hit enough to stick at the major league level? He’s always had one of the best outfield gloves in the game, but this season we finally saw his bat break out.
Bradley’s struggles at the plate continued to plague him in the brief time he spent with the team in the first half of the season, when he his .133 in his first 30 at-bats. He had been hitting down in Pawtucket, which continued the trend of Bradley producing at every minor league stop of his career. He just wasn’t able to catch up with big league pitching. That changed when the Red Sox coaching staff helped him adjust his swing to eliminate a toe-tap in his routine that was slowing him down.
The results of this altered approach at the plate were significant, as Bradley produced the best month of his career. He hit .354/.429/.734 in August and finished the second half with an .891 OPS that put him in the top-20 in the league after the break.
Was this a small sample size mirage or a sign that Bradley really has figured out how to hit? His September decline may have many rushing to assume the former, but he remained productive for too long for it to have been a fluke. Bradley may not approach those outstanding August numbers again, but if he can settle in at anything resembling his second half numbers (.267/.352/.539) he can still become a very valuable player due to his Gold Glove caliber defense.
Next: Travis Shaw
Sep 30, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Travis Shaw (47) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2015 Stats: .274/.331/.491, 13 HR, 36 RBI, 31 Runs
Shaw was never expected to be a significant part of the team’s future, but the rookie may have forced the Red Sox to reconsider with his surprisingly strong debut.
Once Mike Napoli was shipped out of town before the deadline it opened up a spot at first base for Shaw. After playing sparingly before the deadline, Shaw became essentially an everyday player after August 1. Given how well he was hitting, the Red Sox couldn’t afford to take him out of the lineup.
Despite not having much of a track record for power in his minor-league career, Shaw blasted 13 home runs and 10 doubles in only 226 at-bats. His .822 OPS was the third best on the team among hitters with 200+ plate appearances and would have tied him with Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer for 19th in the league if he had enough plate appearances to qualify.
Shaw’s future remains a mystery. With the Red Sox expected to shift Hanley Ramirez to first base next season there doesn’t appear to be a clear starting spot for Shaw. He can still be a useful bat off the bench, while the lefty’s .329 average against left-handed pitching may make the Red Sox consider platooning him with Pablo Sandoval at third base if the Panda continues to struggle against lefties.
A strong rookie season may also have turned Shaw into a valuable trade chip. If the Red Sox are looking to put together a package to acquire a top of the rotation starter, Shaw could become a key piece of that deal if he’s deemed expendable on this roster.