Red Sox Rankings: Top Five First Week Performances
A look at the players who stood out in the first week of the 2016 Boston Red Sox
We only have five games to look at so far but the results have indicated some trends you will find in here. One big trend. Guys stepping up and doing their jobs as well as or maybe better than we expected them to. Much has been said about David Price‘s first start of the season which got the team off on the good foot. After game one and how Joe Kelly was hammered in his start things weren’t looking so great but the team ramped things up and got the job done to post a 3-2 week. This list counts both overall and one game performances in its list.
To try and process Price and Craig Kimbrel giving up eight runs combined in Monday’s game (which will never happen again), take a deep breath. It’s only game six of the season. In the meantime, let’s take a look at how other guys performed well in the season’s first week
Next: 1. Travis Shaw, corner infielder
1. Travis Shaw, corner infielder
When John Farrell surprised many by naming Shaw the starting third baseman over the struggling Pablo Sandoval, the focus was squarely on Shaw’s ability to field the position. After three errorless games at third base and five last season, Shaw has showed he is capable of making the routine plays. On Saturday, Shaw showed he is capable of making the highlight reel play. On a slow hopper to his left, Shaw grabbed the ball and fired to first all in one motion to nip the speedy Kevin Pillar (25 steals last season) at first base.
He doesn’t just get this spot in the ranking for that one play (though it certainly didn’t hurt). Shaw’s ability to hit is also crucial to his effectiveness. While he hasn’t gone deep yet, in 19 plate appearances starting all five games (including one at first base) he has rapped two doubles while slashing a healthy .313/.421/.438 on the young season. The ability to move between the corners of the diamond increases his value, allowing Farrell the flexibility to give Ortiz a day off, Hanley Ramirez a rest from the field, and find at-bats for Sandoval, without losing offensive firepower.
So far, Shaw has performed how the coaches drew things up in Spring Training. It is only one week, but it is very encouraging that he could be a solid player in the league right away.
Next: 2. Brock Holt's big grand slam
2. Brock Holt’s big grand slam and great game on April 9
When the Red Sox starting left fielder came up in the sixth inning of Saturday’s game in Toronto with the bases loaded and the Red Sox down 7-2, fans were just hoping Holt could move the line along to the big boppers to clear the bases with a homer. Showing remarkable power for a man who hit two homers last season in 129 games, Holt lined a Jesse Chavez pitch over the right field wall in a flash and the Red Sox were back in the game, 7-6. What was even more remarkable was that Holt had gone deep the game before in Cleveland, similarly pounding a laser over the right field wall there as well.
With that grand slam, Holt tallied five RBI on the day, spurring the Red Sox on to a sweet 8-7 victory over their division rivals. In the eighth inning with the tying run at second, Holt deftly handled a bullet off the bat of AL MVP Josh Donaldson that he threw over to first to preserve the Red Sox lead. The Texas native even gave a mock wiping of the brow after the play in the direction of pitcher Koji Uehara to say “whew, we just dodged a bullet there”. They could be the only two homers that Holt hits all season that he had on their successful road trip last week. None will be bigger than that grand slam on Saturday that led to the Red Sox victory.
Next: 3. Steven Wright start on April 10
3. Steven Wright start on April 10
In the Red Sox Spring Training camp at Fort Myers one of the big competitions was the position of fifth starter in the rotation, once star-in-the-making lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez went down with a knee injury on February 29. Through his strong Spring, Wright won the job and this was the first chance for him to show the Red Sox that they had made the right decision. At least through the first start of the year, he quieted the critics for now with his strong performance. Of course, you never want to lose a game, but this doesn’t prevent Wright’s performance from being outstanding.
Right off the bat, it appeared to be a short outing for Wright as two hits and a walk loaded the bases for the Blue Jays. One run scored on a would-be double play. The second run trotted home as Dustin Pedroia‘s throw to get the second out sailed high out of play. It was a quick, 2-0, but Wright was able to get out of further damage.
This would be all the runs that Wright would allow on the day. He was able to wriggle out of further first inning damage, retiring the Jays in order, three up and three down, four times on the day. He managed to work out of a bases loaded two out jam and left with a runner on second in the seventh. Even after a second Price start today, Wright remains the only starter to go more than six innings in a game. For a team with a tired bullpen, Wright’s performance was exemplary, even if he did come out on the wrong end of a 3-0 decision. Allowing only six hits and three walks on 118 pitches in 6.2 innings, Manager John Farrell will feel very good about having Wright as a fifth starter.
Next: 4. David Ortiz' two homers to open 2016 season
4. David Ortiz’ two homers to open 2016 season
On his farewell tour of 2016, after declaring this year his last season, Ortiz wanted nothing more to get off to a fast start to quiet the omnipresent critics that the 40 year old is not the same as he used to be. Another subpar Spring brought about the usual whispers that maybe Big Papi would embarrass himself in his last season. Facing former Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber might be a long day for Papi. In the end those fears were unfounded. Kluber did not have his best stuff on the day and Ortiz touched him up for a double.
Later on, as the Red Sox hung on to a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning, a long fly out of his previous at-bat was corrected into a towering home run for Ortiz. This made the score 6-2 and made it easy for Kimbrel’s first game with the team to close the win out.
Though the team didn’t win the next night, Ortiz’s homer off Carlos Carrasco made the Large Father just the second player after Ted Williams to homer in his first two games of a season over the age of 40, who did so at the age of 41 in his last season of 1960. While the Red Sox were not able to prevail on this night, losing 7-6, it showed the big man still has the fire of competition, inspiring the team to a never-say-die attitude that helped them the next night in Toronto when Holt’s heroics jolted the team toward victory.
Next: 5. Hanley Ramirez transition to first base
5. Hanley Ramirez transition to first base and hot hitting
Ramirez had question marks of his own coming into the 2016 season as to whether he could handle first base. The hitting ability was not called into too much question, though his fade during last year’s second half had fans wondering (.449 OPS in 114 plate appearances). After last year’s left field disaster, would Hanley be able to do the job? Through the season’s first week, this has been a yes to any question of defensive competence at first base that anyone might ask. He has made all the plays, even scampering to the stands in Toronto to make a catch.
While no one is awarding Hanley the Gold Glove at first yet, his torrid batting start could have him on his way to Most Valuable Player (MVP) contention. The dreadlocked Dominican has four multi-hit games out of five, lacing a triple for his only hit in the other game. It is only 22 plate appearances, but he is 10-for-22, hammering a .455/.478/.727 slash line to put to rest any doubts about his offensive swoon last year in the second half.
Next: Red Sox starting rotation is not fixed
After a tough two days that the team has had, it is good to remember that the team is off to a promising start. The pitching might not be where fans would like it to be right now, but they have the tools to get better. Price and Kimbrel will be better going forward and the memories of this month’s struggles will be long gone by season’s end.
Stay tuned to BoSoxInjection.com each Tuesday for the week’s Red Sox Power Rankings