Boston Red Sox: Five players who produced breakout seasons in 2016
The 2016 Boston Red Sox would not have qualified for the postseason without the significant and unexpected contributions from five players that had breakout seasons.
The Boston Red Sox 2016 season was a success on so many levels. Of course, how far we venture into the postseason will have a lot to do with how this season is ultimately viewed, but, regardless of the amount of postseason success that this Red Sox team attains, five players in particular upped their games considerably.
What is so fascinating about these five remarkable players and their “breakout” seasons is that all of them, with the exception of Mookie Betts, experienced persistent failure, yet persevered through it to achieve success.
The breakout seasons of Sandy Leon and Steven Wright are rendered all-the-more-remarkable when one considers that both were relegated to nearly a decade in the minor leagues. How many people would have given up their dreams long before a decade had passed? My guess is the vast majority.
Such perseverance speaks volumes regarding the psychological strength of these individuals, and one must believe that the more difficult the road to success, the more that success is appreciated upon finally attaining it.
Sandy Leon
The success story of Leon is probably the most fascinating, as not only did he endure nearly a decade in the minor leagues, but also when the 2016 baseball campaign commenced, he was the fourth catcher on the depth chart.
In order for Leon to receive regular playing time, a modern-day miracle would be required. Three catchers who were ahead of him on the depth chart would need to fall victim to an injury or fail to produce in order for Leon to get an opportunity.
In addition, were he to receive said opportunity, he had to produce immediately because it is likely that he was on a very short leash.
It was almost the perfect storm. Swihart jams his ankle in a June 4 contest against the Blue Jays, while, in that same contest, Ryan Hanigan strains his neck. Swihart’s injury was season ending and Hanigan’s forced him to miss a month. Toss in Christian Vazquez’s total lack of offensive production, and Leon is awarded an opportunity.
Getting said opportunity was incredibly improbable; however, Leon’s seizure of the opportunity embodies what baseball and the Great American Dream represent.
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The Red Sox acquired Leon on March 30, 2015 from the Washington Nationals for “cash considerations.” In hindsight, that was the going price for a catcher that nobody expected to stick at the Major League level.
Leon’s minor-league resume is rather unimpressive. In 612 games, he made 2319 plate appearances, and produced a Batting Average/On-base Average/Slugging slash line of just .238/.325/.330.
Prior to 2016, in 75 games and 235 Major League Plate Appearances, Leon’s slash was .187/.258/.225. Other than outstanding defensive tools, Leon would have to lose at least 40 pounds just to “hit his weight.”
Entering 2016, the Red Sox had Leon tabbed as their fourth-string catcher, behind Swihart, Vazquez, and Hanigan. It appeared that Divine Intervention was required for Leon to get his first prolonged opportunity as a Big League catcher.
On June 4, 2016, in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Blake Swihart severely sprained his left ankle when his foot was caught in the base of the left-field sidewall at Fenway. Swihart would require season-ending surgery.
In that very same game, Ryan Hanigan, the back-up catcher, strained his neck, and was placed on the DL; he would miss a month.
After Swihart and Hanigan were placed on the DL, Vazquez was the only available backstop for the Red Sox. It was at this time when the Red Sox purchased Leon’s contract from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Leon was initially to serve as the back-up catcher; however, in his few opportunities starting for Christian Vazquez, Leon produced some remarkable results at the plate.
By mid-June, Leon and his offensive production had replaced Vazquez in the role of starting catcher. After all, in 57 games and 184 PA, Vazquez’s slash was a mere .227/.277/.308 with 1 HR, 12 RBI, and 39 Ks.
For Vazquez, the writing was on the wall; on July 4, 2016, Hanigan was activated from the DL, Vazquez was optioned down to AAA, and Leon had finally reached his destination.
Incidentally, in addition to Leon’s offensive prowess, producing a .310/.369/.476, he ranked third in the AL in throwing out would-be base stealers at a 41.2% clip.
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Selected by Boston as the 40th overall selection in the first round of the 2011 draft, Bradley progressed through the Sox’s minor league system at a meteoric pace, reaching the Majors in just two short years. Despite collecting a litany of minor-league awards and accolades, Bradley’s numbers at the Major League level were atrocious.
From April 2013 through July 2015, Bradley had 575 plate appearances at the Major League level. In those plate appearances, he produced a slash line of .191/.264/.274 while hitting just five Home Runs.
Bradley’s elongated swing resulted in the inability to catch up to a major league fastball or generate any power upon contact.
However, somewhere along the line, while languishing in Pawtucket in 2015, JBJ shortened his stroke, closed his stance, and these alterations in his mechanics enabled him to be much shorter to the ball and to drive the baseball to all fields with significantly greater authority.
Upon his return to the Red Sox in 2015, Bradley’s alterations in his swing were physically evident, as were the results of that retooled swing.
In 57 games and 209 plate appearances from August 1, 2015 to the end of the 2015 campaign, Bradley finally gave Red Sox Nation a glimpse of his enormous potential. In those two months, he produced a slash of .276/.361/.564 while blasting nine Home Runs.
As a Red Sox fan, I was thrilled with what I was observing; however, I wondered if such production could be maintained for an entire season and for a team in a pennant race?
After Bradley’s enormously successful 2016 campaign, in which he hit .267 with 30 2Bs, 7 3Bs, 26 HRs, and 87 RBI, I can state with certainty that JBJ has finally arrived.
In addition, Bradley’s 2016 campaign included his first all-star selection and a 29-game hitting streak.
I would be remiss were I not to mention his defensive proficiency. He is undeniably the best defensive center fielder in baseball. He led all American League center fielders with 365 putouts, 13 assists, and three double plays turned.
At season’s completion, he should be in possession of a shiny, new, Gold Glove.
Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 amateur draft. While in the minors from 2011 to 2013, Betts was primarily a 2nd-baseman. Upon realizing that remaining at said position would likely delay or even prevent his arrival to the Boston Red Sox, in 2014 Betts transitioned to an outfielder.
Only a superb athlete, which Mookie obviously is, could not only make such a positional transition, but also play said position with such brilliance.
Unlike Bradley, Betts was never considered an elite prospect, although you would never know it after perusing over his minor-league credentials.
In 299 minor league games and 1120 at-bats, Betts hit .316 with 27 HRs and 164 RBI. He also stole 92 bases in 107 attempts.
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In stark contrast to Bradley, Betts has never struggled at the Major League level. In 2014, his rookie campaign, Betts hit .291 with 5 HRs and 18 RBI in 52 games and 189 at-bats.
Last year, in 145 games and 654 Plate appearances, Betts hit .291 with 18 HRs, 77 RBI and 21 stolen bases.
2016 could be referred to as Betts’ coming-out party, as he hit .318 with 31 HRs, 113 RBI, and 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts. He was also selected to his first all-star game and was the only Major League player to hit three Home Runs in a single game on more than one occasion, as he accomplished the feat twice.
He is a viable MVP and Gold Glove candidate. He patrols the spacious right field at Fenway as well as anyone that I have ever seen.
His .997 Fielding percentage led all AL outfielders, while his 14 assists ranked him second among AL outfielders. In addition, his four double plays turned and his 346 putouts both ranked first among AL right fielders.
Prior to this season, Rick Porcello established himself as a quality middle-of-the-rotation starter. After all, with the exception of last year, Porcello had won at least ten games in every season of his Major League career.
From 2009 to 2015, Porcello’s statistics were the definition of “average.” During those seven seasons, Porcello averaged 12 wins, 11 losses, an ERA of 4.39, 2.2 BB/9, 5.8 K/9, a WHIP of 1.36 and about 16.5 Quality Starts.
This season, as the front-runner to win the Cy Young Award, Porcello smashed those statistics, and established himself as one of baseball’s elite hurlers.
Porcello won 22 games while losing only four. He posted an ERA of 3.15, 1.3 BB/9, 7.6 K/9, a WHIP of 1.01, and produced 26 Quality Starts.
Numbers are one thing; however, where one ranks among one’s peers can be even more telling.
Porcello led the AL with his 22 wins and his 5.9 K:BB ratio. He finished as runner-up in five AL pitching categories: Quality Starts, WHIP, BB/9, FIP (3.40), and Adjusted ERA+ (145).
He ranked third, fourth, and fifth in the AL with 3 CG, 223 IP, and a 3.15 ERA, respectively.
Lastly, he ranked seventh among AL hurlers with 7.8 Hits/9 and eighth with 189 Ks.
Yes, Porcello had a phenomenal 2016 campaign and nothing would cap said campaign off more appropriately than the well-deserved Cy Young Award.
Steven Wright
Steven Wright, at age 32, had an incredible two-thirds of a baseball season until he landed on the DL with bursitis in his right shoulder; he is likely done for the season.
Nonetheless, 2016 was a coming-out party for Wright. From 2007 until the present, Wright spent the great majority of his professional baseball career in the minor leagues, where he compiled a record of 55-51 with a 3.79 ERA in nearly 1000 innings.
While there exist exceptions, knuckle-ball pitchers tend to be late bloomers. They typically begin as conventional pitchers and after years of languishing in the minors, eventually recognize that their stuff is not Major League caliber. They proceed to learn the knuckle-ball in their thirties and if they make it to the Majors, it usually occurs sometime in their thirties.
Wright has spent small portions of 2013-2015 at the big league level, all with the Red Sox, where he compiled a record of 7-5, with a 3.95 ERA in 107 IP.
One could argue that from Opening Day to August 5, 2016, Steven Wright was the best starting pitcher in the Red Sox rotation. Unfortunately, Wright jammed his pitching shoulder sliding back into second base on Aug. 6 against the Dodgers after he entered the game as a pinch runner. Wright landed on the disabled list and missed three weeks. He returned from the DL to make two ineffective starts against the Royals and Rays, allowing nine runs in 10 innings.
If one disregards Wright’s last two starts, in which he was injured, then Steven Wright’s breakout season yielded some very impressive statistics. In 22 starts, 15 of the “Quality” variety, Wright was 13-5, with a 3.01 ERA in 146.2 IP.
Next: Boston Red Sox: Rick Porcello deserves the Cy Young award
Unfortunately, Wright’s season ended prematurely; however, I would expect him to be ready to pitch at an equally effective level in 2017 and beyond.