Heading into this postseason, the Red Sox have many players with varying degrees of postseason experience and success. So who has the most to prove?
Up and down this Boston Red Sox roster, you’ll find players with multiple years of postseason experience, some with none at all, and then many who are only just getting their second taste of playoff baseball. When it comes to this team, regardless of whether they’ve played in October or not, succeeded in October or not, there are a number of players who the Red Sox will need to count on if they want to win their 9th World Series title this year.
When it comes to this team, regardless of whether they’ve played in October or not, or have been successful on the postseason stage, there are a number of players who the Red Sox will need to count on if they want to win their 9th World Series title this year.
One player who will need to prove himself in the wake of a lackluster regular season is Hanley Ramirez.
The Red Sox need him to hit. We know what Hanley is capable of at the plate, and if he can turn it on against Houston there’s no telling where these Red Sox could go. After a season that saw him hit just .241 with 23 home runs and 62 RBIs to follow up his 2016 campaign of .286, 30, and 111, Sox fans were disappointed that his production fell off by so much.
The Red Sox will need him to provide production in the middle of their order if they plan on planning late into October. For a player who so desperately wants to be looked up to as his good friend David Ortiz was, now is the time to make his mark. The Sox need a power bat in their lineup and Hanley is the best candidate.