Red Sox: 5 questions to follow this season
With less than 24 hours until the 2017 season kicks off, I examine what I’ll be looking at this season.
The days are longer, the snow has melted, and the gates at Fenway Park are almost open. At last, we have endured the worst few months of the year and are a matter of hours away from the first pitch of 2017.
The Boston Red Sox have had an eventful offseason, headlined by the acquisition of 5-time All-Star Chris Sale, and are among the league’s favorites to win the World Series. Some question marks remain, however, that will determine the Red Sox’ success. Here, I take a look at the five most looming questions of 2017:
Will Andrew Benintendi live up to the hype?
Red Sox fans, get excited. Andrew Benintendi, the consensus top prospect in baseball and favorite to win the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year award, is ready for the show. Benintendi has dominated at every level he has played in. He won the 2015 Golden Spikes Award given to the nation’s best college baseball player and then proceeded to shoot through the minor leagues, reaching the big league squad after just 151 games.
If that wasn’t enough to prove that he’s legitimate, he continued to impress at the major league level. After being called up in August, Benintendi hit a slash line of .295/.359/.476 with above average defense in 34 games.
He’s has bulked up this offseason and had an exceptional Spring Training, hitting a line of .344/.423/.639 with 3 home runs. Red Sox fans cannot wait to see what he brings to the table this season as he begins to tap into his All-Star – and possibly MVP – potential.
For many Red Sox fans, including myself, David Ortiz is a hero. He won three World Series for the Sox, made the All-Star game 10 times, and came to embody the city of Boston, helping to unite the city after the Marathon Bombings in 2013 with an impassioned speech.
His loss carries both statistical and intangible implications. On the field, Big Papi was one of the best players in the MLB right up until his retirement. In 2016, Ortiz led the team in home runs (38), runs batted in (127), on-base plus slugging (1.021), and finished third in batting average (all at age 40, nonetheless). These numbers will be difficult – if not impossible – to replace. Sluggers like Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts will be looked at to fill Papi’s power void.
Off the field, however, Papi’s loss might be felt even more. David Ortiz was the face of the Red Sox, and one of the faces of the MLB from his magical postseason run in 2004 until his retirement. He was more than just a player, he was an icon. The de facto captain of the team as well, his leadership will not be easy to replace. That duty will fall to Dustin Pedroia.
Fans and players alike will miss Big Papi. There’s no doubt it will be weird seeing a Red Sox team without Ortiz on the roster – I was three years old the last time that was the case. Ortiz is irreplaceable, but to what extent will his loss affect the team’s on-field performance?
The short answer to this question is yes. It will take a minor disaster for Red Sox manager John Farrell to be fired before the end of the season, but how far will the #FireFarrell movement go?
Farrell’s in-game management has been horrendous the past few seasons. His decisions regarding the bullpen, pinch hitting and pinch running have riled up angry Red Sox fans who want nothing more than to see Farrell out of a job. For example, Farrell has taken the blame for Steven Wright‘s season-ending injury sustained last season on the base paths after Farrell decided to use Wright – an inexperienced baserunner – as a pinch runner.
#firefarrell is now trending in #Boston https://t.co/inO6pV7CQG
— Trendsmap Boston (@TrendsBoston) October 11, 2016
While much of the flack Farrell receives is deserved, and a change at the manager position would not be the worst thing for the team, Farrell will not be fired this season. Firstly, if he has not been fired by now, it is evident that the front office has enough trust in him to retain him through the worst. This trust was evident when the Red Sox picked up Farrell’s option for 2018.
Secondly, if Farrell were to be fired, there is no clear second-in-command anymore with the departure of ex-Bench Coach Torey Lovullo. Lovullo served as the interim manager for the Red Sox for the end of the 2015 season when Farrell was fighting cancer, and his success was the primary reason for the calls for the Red Sox to fire Farrell. Lovullo has since been hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as manager, so he is no longer the Sox’ safety net that he had been the past few years.
Farrell will be the Red Sox’ manager through this season, but how often will we hear the calls to #FireFarrell?
Xander Bogaerts’ 2016 was a tale of two halves. Bogaerts lit it up from April to July, but hit a wall post-All-Star break. After putting up a slash line of .329/.388/.475 during the first half of the season, including a 26-game hitting streak, his second half line read .253/.317/.412.
Not only did his stats fall, but it was evident through the eyeball test. Bogaerts’ signature vision and ability to spray the ball to all fields seemed to disappear in the latter months of the season. Many of his solid, Green Monster-slapping hits were replaced by bloop singles and infield hits. After raking 22 doubles pre-All-Star break, he only hit 12 afterward.
If this spring is any implication, his struggles will continue. Bogaerts hit a tepid .277 between Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Red Sox fans have the right to worry about Bogey entering 2017. His struggles continued through the end of the season last year, and he has not had much time to work with hitting coach Chili Davis this spring due to the World Baseball Classic.
Additionally, Red Sox fans naturally cringe while reading about their players participating in the WBC. We don’t need to be reminded of Daisuke Matsuzaka‘s 2009 season. Following his stellar 2008 when he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting, Dice-K earned the WBC MVP award in 2009. Entering the 2009 MLB season, the expensive prospect from Japan was surrounded by a cloud of hype. He proceeded to see limited action due to an injury he sustained during the Classic, notching a 5.76 ERA in just 12 appearances.
Be optimistic about Bogaerts – he has proven himself as one of the best hitters in the league when he is hot – but be cautious. Don’t be surprised if Bogaerts’ stats drop off significantly.
You all knew this one was coming. Red Sox fans’ favorite punching bag is back and better than ever. After signing Sandoval to a 5-year, $95 million deal two offseasons ago, he quickly transformed from the lovable Kung Fu Panda we watched from afar when he was in San Francisco, to the subject of our disdain. His 2015 season included a .245 batting average, countless fat jokes, and an Instagram scandal.After missing almost the entirety of the 2016 season due to injury (or the inability to find a belt that fits), Sandoval became the laughingstock of the MLB.
Sandoval enters this year with something to prove. He needs to show Red Sox Nation that he is worth $95 million, and he is off to a good start. Sandoval kept the fans up to date with his weight loss this offseason on social media, and it seems as though his workout regimen is paying off.
https://twitter.com/RedSoxBeisbol/status/819294908456452096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2017%2F01%2Fpablo-sandoval-weight-loss-skinny-boxing-red-sox-mlb-spring-training-boston
Sandoval is noticeably slimmer, and this has translated to on-field success. Take Spring Training stats for what they’re worth, but Sandoval has hit an eye-catching slash line of .338/.348/.677 this spring. Whether or not this will continue from March into April is yet to be seen, but Kung Fu Panda is determined to win back our hearts.
Next: Red Sox Opening Day history
The Red Sox kick off their 2017 campaign at 2:05 EST against the Pittsburgh Pirates.