Boston Red Sox first half grades
The Boston Red Sox have had a rough June and that is quite an understatement. With half the season gone it is time for some grades.
What a difference one month makes for the Boston Red Sox. April the team finished 14-10 and bumped that up to a remarkable 18-10 in May with the offense pacing the way. The hitting simply masked other issues and by issues that goes by the title – pitching.
The month of June was a disaster for the Red Sox as they managed to compile a dismal 10-16 record while routinely falling behind or giving up leads. The early months certainly provided some comfort in allowing the Red Sox to complete the first half of the schedule with a 19-17 road record. A bit early on the 81 game schedule – the team is at 78, but the end of June does make a nice break point.
Searching for good news is the fact that MLB has created some interesting playoff options to keep even the lowest rung teams with a certain degree of potential resurrection and a chance at going into the playoffs. Of course, the problem that surfaces is the “Pirates Syndrome” where Pittsburgh has managed a 0-3 record the last three years in the one and out the game.
Injuries are always a factor, especially with pitching that is now on the endangered species list. Rare is the healthy and consistently good arm and when one is located it is best to hold on or if sold get plus value. The Red Sox certainly have faced the grim reaper of pitching with both injuries and career crashes that make 1929 look like a mere financial bump.
With offense, you know that some will return to past glory years, others will surprise with great production, others will surprise with no production and some will stay right in that niche you expected. The bottom line vision is that the good will outweigh the bad and you will have a tick – slight or magnificent – upwards.
The first half grades are in and a few made the Dean’s List and a few would be best served by being placed on one of the Boston Harbor Islands for the duration of the season.
Catchers and DH.
Ryan Hanigan – F
The point of contention is the very word catcher as in catch as in catch the ball. Hanigan has 17 passed balls and that is simply unacceptable. I also note that in a few games that total could easily have been expanded if the official scorer had a tad less sympathy.
The offensive numbers are shot for Hanigan with a slash of .186/.250/.229 and for a third straight season, strikeouts are greater than walks. Time is up.
Christian Vazquez – C+
This grade is generated by the defense since that is what keeps Vazquez melded to the lineup as number one catcher. The framing, footwork, managing a turbulent pitching staff and his elite – yet still recovering arm – keep him in the lineup. Hitting? Well – a Hanigan type grade.
Vazquez had one shining moment during the first half a home run against the Yankees that turned the tide for a win. That was it. If Vaz can get to his average to .240 of 2014 it would be a substantial improvement.
Sandy Leon – A-
What is this guy on? Suddenly everything is falling in. Some are line drives and others are bleeders, but the result is a small sample slash of .467/.543/.700. Shave 200 points off and he may be your regular.
Defensively Leon is an excellent catcher and is having the fire hydrant build of a catcher. This guy can throw and he is surprisingly agile behind the plate. Leon continues he may slide into number one catching slot.
David Ortiz – A+
A designated hitter is supposed to do just one thing superbly well and that is hit. Why read off the numbers? The extra base hits are falling like the Perseid Meteor Shower. The RBI totals will surpass 100 again and Papi continues to advance in career home run totals. Just hope he stays in one piece.
Infield
Travis Shaw – B
A bit shaky at times with the glove, but after a year of Pablo Sandoval, absolutely anything is an improvement. His UZR/150 is a respectable 5.6 and DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) is at five for second place in the American League.
Shaw started hot, cooled off, and has perked up again. Do not expect 30 home runs or a .300 average, but most certainly expect a boatload of doubles, RBI in bunches and the occasional long ball. The beauty is Shaw can play first and even wander to left field if needed.
Xander Bogaerts – A+
All-Star and possible batting champion. Great RISP of .386. Gap power, down the line power, home run power developing and one extremely tough out. Above average range and defensive ability. The total package. Is he still too tall to play short?
Dustin Pedroia – A
Leads all AL second basemen in DRS, UZR/150 and aggravating everyone from teammates, to the opposition to the umpires. Pedey’s bat is back with an over .300 average, some returning home run pop and a pace to go 40+ in doubles. The downside or is it – double plays. Pedroia has bounced into a league leading number, but when you hit bullets sometimes they get two with it.
Hanley Ramirez – B-
The transition to first base has gone rather well after the LF disaster of 2015. Defensively, you see some minus signs on the metrics, but a bundle more for three-time Gold Glove winner Eric Hosmer. Hanley has done just fine.
The big bucks are being doled out for hitting and that has been rather tepid especially in the power department. What does catch attention is the RBI total that projects to over 90 – Ramirez has surpassed only 100 RBI once in his career.
The reserves
This is pure Pawtucket with a collection of fringe players who can shuffle back and forth on I-95. Josh Rutledge (B-) did a nice job until he slumped and went DL. Marco Hernandez (B-) has shown some good hitting instincts and could contribute off the bench. Deven Marrero (C-) personifies good field and no hit.
Outfield
Brock Holt – C
A very tough grade for the Leatherman tool of the Red Sox. How much of his slash of .239/.310/.354 is related to his concussion? What does stand out is a surprising three home runs in limited action. The UZR/150 stands at a -14.4 for his left field action and Holt did display some issues going to his left. His added depth to the lineup has been missed.
Chris Young – B
Once the at-bats started to come in so did the hits as Young finished the first half with a comfortable slash of .277/.338/.508 and six home runs. The doubles were a surprise with 12 in Young’s 142 plate appearances. Defensively he is an improvement over Holt. Young’s physical status may be more serious than first reported and the DL stay could be significant.
Mookie Betts – A
If you believe in defensive metrics and UZR/150 then Betts has shown substantial improvement in 2016 with a UZR/150 of 14.7. Watch him game after game and you see his combination of speed, quickness, and above average arm all combine to start mentioning a budding Dwight Evans.
Betts is a run scoring machine who leads the league in that category from his lead-off spot. One thing that is essential to scoring runs is to hit. Can’t score if you can’t get on base and Mookie gets on base – maybe a few more free passes would look nice, but the kid is on the way to 100+ RBI, 30+ home runs and a shot at a .300 average.
Jackie Bradley – A
If he could only hit .250? Forget the defense as the only surprise this season has been the occasional error – this is a top of the line defensive player with an arm that makes the pitching staff envious.
Bradley has cooled off after a 29 game hitting streak, but that is certainly expected. What has not cooled off is his propensity for extra base hits. Doubles, triples, and home runs are being accumulated and it shows in a 100+ RBI pace. JBJ is still around .300 and if he follows script expect another 20 game blitz in the second half.
Reserves
Rusney Castillo (F) and will be set financially for life. Blake Swihart (B-) was starting to adjust to LF and the bat had come alive. Now back to square one with a serious ankle injury. Bryce Brentz (B) will soon land on earth after some serious hitting. Ryan LaMarre (Who?).
Starters
David Price – C-
You have to scale this grade with his early season collapse. Price seems to have recovered until another rough spot surfaced his last two starts. The fact is he has not performed like an ace and is now patient zero for how misleading W/L can be at 8-5 with an ERA that approaches 5.00. More bad news is 15 home runs allowed and some were to hitters that Price should toy with. The good news is his FIP is 3.58, leads the AL in strikeouts and has not missed a start. Oh…and more bad news? What he did in far too many of those 17 starts.
If you figure money into the grading equation I would be tempted to make this an F.
Rick Porcello – B
This is the Porcello that was expected – a gritty inning eater who may have the occasional meltdown, but will keep you in the game. The ERA is 3.78 and FIP of 3.97 is close – and speaking of close – Porcello leads the league in hit batters. Nice to have a pitcher who fights for the inside of the plate. This is the Porcello of 2014 and is an excellent middle rotation pitcher.
I had some lingering feelings that E-Rod could potentially be another Felix Doubront – that is now looking prophetic. Now back in Pawtucket to retool and attempt to salvage 2016. The core numbers are pathetic – ERA 8.59, FIP 6.95, WHIP 1.74 and an HR/9 of 2.8. One can go to Pitchf/x and digest all the numbers regarding velocity, pitch selection, and all the other sundry metrics – it should be R rated.
Clay Buchholz – F
Why bother?
Joe Kelly – F
See Buchholz, Clay.
Steven Wright – A+
Can Wright keep it up? Wright has saved this staff and that means staff including bullpen. Some of his performances are scintillating and compared to the variety of cream puffs dragged out he is a blessing for RSN.
Remains – F
Why even discuss those called up? There is not enough Zoloft to calm my nerves.
Bullpen
Anthony Varvaro – A
Yes – he didn’t pitch but had the good sense to retire before they called him up to be embarrassed.
Craig Kimbrel – B+
Just what I expect with maybe a few too many walks at times. Had some early jitters and the occasional meltdown, but that is expected of any top of the line closer. Kimbrel relies on two pitches with his fastball being tossed 70.6% of the time and a nasty curve the other 29.4% Velocity is right in career parameters. K% and BB% are right in line with career numbers.
Junichi Tazawa – B
Looking at the numbers Tazawa has had a relatively nice season. What catches our memory synapses is the occasional meltdown. Taz has a second best career LOB% at 82.6%, a career low .243 BABIP and a K/9 % of 10.68. The HR/9 jumps out at 1.48. Maybe his innings will keep from being elevated?
Koji Uehara – C-
A career best 13.50 K/9 rate. LOB% is 67.8 – not a good sign. An HR/9 of 1.84 so the balls are leaving the yard all too frequently. How much has a wrist injury impacted his ability? Don’t know, but it could be a consideration.
Koji has shown glimpses of being the standout, he was for 2013-15 and has shown glimpses of a pitcher whose career may be done after 2016 – at least in Boston.
Matt Barnes and Heath Hembree – B
I get both confused, so why not just treat them as bullpen twins since both are very similar. Both throw hard (edge: Barnes), can go multiple innings, can toss secondary pitches with varying degrees of accuracy and have been a nice stabilizing force in the ‘pen. Neither will get any “Wow” comments, but have been dependable in the first half – especially Hembree.
Tommy Layne and Robbie Ross – B-
The portside twins out of the bullpen. Layne gets hit with a bit more authority from lefthanders (.250) than righties (.231). Ross has been especially troubling for lefties who are hitting just .129. Both are serviceable pitchers, but this is not Andrew Miller – the flat out dumbest free agent move they chose not to sign.
The rest – F
You saw them, you laughed at them, you cried when line drives sprouted like weeds in my garden and now you can do what I do and forget about them.
Management and Team
John Farrell – C
The issue is not if Farrell will be dismissed, but when. The days are numbered unless the Red Sox start to duplicate May in July.
Carl Willis – F
The real pitching coach is Pedroia! How embarrassing to have a situation where the coach misses out. The latest murmur is E-Rod is tipping his pitches again and that is from Willis himself. Fix it! This staff is a mess and ownership goes to the players and the coaching staff – especially Farrell and Willis.
Chili Davis – B
I never get too excited about hitting coaches and for every player, they help there is apparently one that is currently circulating around the bowl after being flushed.
Dave Dombrowski and Mike Hazen – INC
They have work to do and so far all that one hears is crickets, but historically DD is one not to sit by and not be proactive. What will happen is unknown, but expect some changes and that will be reported in the final grade.
The Team – B
The grade is based on a winning record and that is refreshing after the last two seasons. If the grade was June it would be an F.
Stats through 6/30/2016
Sources: FanGraphs/Baseball-Reference