BoSox Injection
Fansided

Red Sox: Potential team Most Valuable Players for 2017

By Rick McNair

Oct 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) reacts after scoring a run in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians during game three of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) reacts after scoring a run in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians during game three of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 7
Next
October 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello (22) throws in the third inning against the Cleveland Indians during game one of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball game at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
October 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello (22) throws in the third inning against the Cleveland Indians during game one of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball game at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Pitching MVP – the favorites

The Red Sox have the reigning Cy Young holder in Rick Porcello. Porcello went deep into games, won games after a loss and provided start to finish consistency. Porcello led the league in wins and was a true “Ace.” A similar run in 2017 would mean a team honor, but a regression back to 2015 (don’t think about that) or a return to Detroit days would spell the end.

More from Red Sox News

David Price is a former Cy Young Award winner and is certainly looking for the entire season to be like the second half of 2016. Price led the American League in innings pitched and starts so the durability factor is certainly present. Price would be a clear favorite except for one item of note – Chris Sale.

Sale is a yearly favorite for the Cy Young Award with five straight seasons being in the top six of the finalist in the American League. Assuming Sale continues on that trajectory he just may be the favorite on capturing team honors for pitching. Sale posts upper echelon numbers in metrics and traditional so the statistical justification is there.

Sale – at least for me – is the favorite, but not by a wide margin. What gets attention is Sale’s BB/9 and K/9 figures that are yearly among the best of all starters. Sale also enjoys Fenway Park (1-1, 3.63) in limited six-game sample. Not bad.

Home/Red Sox News