Right Field
Spoiler alert: the Red Sox win this matchup.
That should come as no surprise, given that Boston fields AL MVP runner-up Mookie Betts in right. There’s really too much to say about Mookie to praise his 2016 work, so I’ll stick to the highlights. 31 homers, 113 RBIs, 122 runs, 42 doubles, 5 triples, 26 steals, .318/.363/.524 slash line. Oh yeah, and a major-league leading 32 defensive runs saved and a 17.8 UZR on defense to culminate in a 9.6 WAR – second in the majors behind Trout.
This guy is a bonafide star in every way, and he’s only 24 years old. He’s the Red Sox version of Mike Trout, which is probably the best way to sum it up.
It really doesn’t matter who the Indians put at right field unless it’s Mike Trout, but it doesn’t help matters that it’s Lonnie Chisenhall. No, he’s not a bad player by any means, and the Indians aren’t exactly counting on superstar production from him, but he’s light-years away from Betts. Often rotating between third base and right field with a bit of first base sprinkled in, Chisenhall settled in as the Indians’ everyday right fielder in 2016.
His 97 OPS+ rates him as a slightly below-average hitter, and his .286/.328/.439 reflects that. Given that he’ll be hitting around the eighth spot in Cleveland’s lineup, that’s hardly bad production from the bottom of the lineup. So yes, this comparison is a bit unfair to Chisenhall, who is quietly a serviceable starter if not quality bench piece, but in the spirit of the position-by-position competition, this one is a no-contest.
Advantage: Red Sox