Boston Red Sox: Three up, three down from the month of May
As the long days of summer loom just ahead of us in the 2019 season, some members of the Red Sox are on the rise, while others are fading.
The second full month of the 2018 season saw the Boston Red Sox recover, somewhat, from a fairly dismal April. The pitching staff showed signs of its old dominance and the bats came to life. The Red Sox still struggle with consistency, and the injury bug isn’t doing them any favors; yet, on the whole, May delivered more positives than negatives.
Still, the Red Sox trail the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays by a significant margin and they need to start closing that gap in June. If they head toward the end of the first half still down double digits, or even close to double digits, panic will begin to set in.
Fortunately, Boston has the talent to overcome the deficit, and some of that talent stood out above the rest last month. With David Price back in the rotation and Nathan Eovaldi drawing ever closer to a return, we should see the Sox playing at the top of their game from here on out.
However, there are still some players who aren’t pulling their weight; their production should be the main concern at this point. If Boston wants to have a real shot at holding onto the division crown, those players will need to find some way to step up.
Rafael Devers found himself on the positive side of the ledger at the end of April, but his performance in May deserves an entirely new set of accolades. Devers took the positive signs he showed in the season’s opening month and exploded as an offensive force. The young third baseman collected 40 hits in 114 at-bats, good for a gleaming .351 batting average. Most impressively, almost half of those hits went for extra bases. Devers roped seven doubles, a triple, and eight home runs, all of which led to an immense 1.021 OPS. Devers played so well in May that he earned AL Player of the Month.
As great to see as the power surge is, we need to spend some time looking at Devers’ traditional weaknesses: his patience at the plate and his defense. Devers spent the offseason working to improve his eye and learn to wait for his pitch, and so far that work is paying off. In April, Devers struck out 17 times in 85 at-bats. Though he took 29 more at-bats in May than he did in April, he struck out just one more time (18). His newfound patience is leading to more contact, and his natural power means that will often be hard contact. Assuming he keeps it up, he should continue to deliver positive results at the plate.
In the field, Devers improved drastically. Nine errors in April gave way to a perfect fielding percentage in May. Of course, he will commit another error at some point; even the best fielders make mistakes, and Devers will probably never be named among the best. However, that’s no reason to discount the work he’s done to fill in the biggest hole in his game. As Devers becomes a complete hitter, it’s nice to see he hasn’t let his glove work fall by the wayside. If he can play average defense at third and continue to hit as well as he did last month, he’ll have the hot corner locked down in Boston for years to come.
Like Devers, Michael Chavis earned a spot on this side of the list after April as well, but he certainly deserves to be here again. En route to being named AL Rookie of the month, Chavis hit seven home runs and collected 19 RBI. His .248 batting average for the month isn’t inspiring on the surface, but two short cold streaks (0-18 near the beginning of the month and 3-18 at its end) are largely to blame for that.
As a rookie, he’s going to struggle with inconsistency and the lows will at times be very low indeed, but he’s also done more than enough to prove he can handle major league pitching. At this early stage of his career, it’s more important to see the things he does well.
Despite his lackluster batting average, Chavis still got on base at a respectable .331 clip and slugged .457. As he readjusts to pitchers after they have adjusted to him, both of those numbers, in addition to his average, should rise.
In the field, Chavis has been something of a savior. Though a natural third baseman, he’s adapted almost seamlessly to the middle of the infield. He’s made just three errors so far and helped the Red Sox survive injuries to Eduardo Nunez and Dustin Pedroia. Chavis has played so well, in fact, that he should at this point be considered the favorite to succeed Pedroia at second once the veteran hangs up his glove.
Chavis’ development is a continuation of Boston’s recent run of developing major league talent in the field. Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Devers, Christian Vazquez, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Chavis are all home-grown and have all proven themselves in the bigs. A good run over two months certainly doesn’t make a career, but it’s a very good start.
Since returning from the injured list on May 20 against the Toronto Blue Jays, David Price has been nothing shy of phenomenal. Across three May starts following his removal from the list, including an abbreviated outing against the Houston Astros due to an illness, Price pitched 11.2 innings and surrendered not a single earned run. In that same span Price’s excellent command has been on full display, as he struck out 11 batters while walking just one.
With Price back and at the height of his powers, the Red Sox finally have a truly reliable option behind Chris Sale. Eduardo Rodriguez has disappointed after a promising offseason, and Rick Porcello remains wildly inconsistent. The 2016 Cy Young winner still allows too many home runs to function as a true No. 2 starter. The Red Sox pitching staff, when healthy, is the team’s advantage over the rest of the division. The second punch that Price represents following the Sale hay-maker makes the rotation formidable again.
Once Eovaldi returns, the rotation will be at full strength again and the Red Sox will likely start making up ground in bunches. However, of the two, Price is the more important piece. On any other staff, he would clearly be the ace. He’s a workhorse who can usually be counted on to give the bullpen a rest, while at the same time giving the Red Sox a chance to win each game he starts. Over a long season, a pitcher like Price, who can take the load off the rest of the team, is a vital and invaluable piece.
Hector Velazquez got off to a very strong start to the season and did a lot to take the pressure off the rotation when Eovaldi and Price went down with injuries. He allowed just five runs across 13 innings in April and finished with a strong 3.46 ERA for the month.
However, once the calendar shifted to May, Velazquez’s fortunes turned rapidly, culminating in an IL stint of his own at the end of the month.
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Hector tossed 18.1 innings in the season’s second full month and struggled mightily in almost all of them. He surrendered 16 earned runs on 17 hits and nine walks. He allowed at least one earned run in seven of his 10 May outings. He was finally placed on the IL after surrendering four runs in two innings against the Cleveland Indians on May 29.
It was not all negative for Velazquez. He tallied 17 strikeouts giving him a total of 32 in 34.2 innings on the season. Some of his poor performance in May could have been related to his injury. With any luck, he’ll return rested and fully healthy, and ready to contribute once again.
Velazquez is an important piece for Boston. He’s a quality option as either a spot starter or a long reliever, something few teams have. He can help keep the rest of the pitching staff fresh late in the season, which would be a huge advantage. If he can figure out his issues, the Sox as a team will be in much better shape.
A few poor outings for any pitcher usually won’t outweigh the body of his work, but sometimes they do, such as when those outings lose the pitcher his closer job. Ryan Brasier started off the season as hot as any pitcher in the bullpen. He allowed just two earned runs in 12.2 April innings and saved six games. Yet, as soon as May rolled around, Brasier’s performances suddenly lost their quality, and he was quickly removed from his 9th-inning duties.
Brasier tossed 10 innings last month and saw 10 runs (eight earned) cross the plate. While eight of those 10 runs came in just three of his 12 outings, Brasier was far from dominant all around. His K/BB ratio went from 10/2 in April to 8/6 in May. He allowed walks in four of 12 outings, and multiple walks in two of them. He allowed multiple hits in three of his appearances and completely imploded against the Cleveland Indians on May 28. On that day, he failed to record an out but did manage to surrender three runs on two homers and a walk. That night, he picked up his third blown save. Brasier’s ERA for May finished at an ugly 7.20
The Red Sox need Braiser to right the ship. Manager Alex Cora likes to choose his closer based on matchups, and he can’t do that if Brasier can’t be trusted. The 31-year-old righty is ostensibly healthy, which means his issue is likely mechanical. He’ll get it figured out eventually, but should be kept far away from the 9th inning until he does.
It pains me to place Dustin Pedroia on this side of the list. It’s not even his fault. Years of incredible efforts and of never giving anything less than 110% has finally caught up to the Laser Show, and the injuries are taking their toll. We found out near the end of May that Pedroia may not ever be able to play again, and is considering retirement. The gritty second baseman has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the team and may have taken the field at Fenway Park for the last time.
If this is the end, we should take the time to acknowledge the career of a true dirt dog. Pedroia never slowed down for a moment and was even known to take grounders from his knees while in a walking boot and recovering from an injury. Doubted for his size, Pedey proved that heart and effort could overcome any obstacle. After winning Rookie of the Year in 2007, Pedroia was named MVP in 2008. He remains one of only four players to win the two awards in consecutive seasons.
Over the course of 13 years in the majors, Pedroia compiled a .299 batting average and 1,805 hits. More impressive than his bat was his glove, which remained excellent even during the worst of his injuries. He is a four-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner and won a Silver Slugger alongside his MVP Award in 2008. He also won the Heart and Hustle Award in 2012, which is probably the one that describes him best.
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Pedroia may be down right now, but he can walk away from his career, if he indeed chooses to do so, with his head held high. He played the game harder and with more passion than most other players, and he got three World Series rings out of it. He gave the Red Sox every ounce of what he had to give, and he will be missed.