Red Sox: Three up, three down based on April results

The Boston Red Sox have had some stellar performances propel them to the league’s best record. Let’s look at who’s rising and who’s falling after one month.

After just over one month of baseball, the Boston Red Sox sit at an MLB-best 22-8. They’ve had great pitching at times, and some inspiring performances from some of their offensive pieces.

Of course, other players have stood out for less positive reasons. Certain members of the team have, for better or worse, made larger impressions than others.

Let’s take a look at who’s up and who’s down for the Red Sox as May gets going.

Up: J.D. Martinez

Whenever the Sox make a big splash in free agency, the player’s ability to handle the pressure of playing in Boston is, unfailingly, the biggest unknown. So many exceptional talents have arrived in Boston to raucous fanfare, only to experience some of the lowest points of their careers.

J.D. Martinez is the latest such free agent, but so far he’s more than lived up to the hype. Two hitless games to begin his Red Sox career set the warning bells ringing among the more reactionary members of the fanbase, but since those games, Martinez has been among the best players in the league.

Currently, the slugger is batting .343 and owns six home runs and 24 RBI. His average places him at third-best in baseball, and his stellar .984 OPS puts him at a solid 15th overall. He’s collected the ninth most RBI through 30 games and has shown no signs of slowing down. While it’s still very early, he’s so far been a more productive acquisition for Boston than Giancarlo Stanton has been for the New York Yankees.