Red Sox vs Dodgers World Series rematch: What’s changed since October?

The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers met in the World Series last October, let’s look at how they match up now that they are done with the first half.

With the first half of the season behind us, a 2018 World Series re-match is upon us. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a formidable opponent with the highest run-differential in baseball. The Boston Red Sox have been an up-and-down team without a solid direction.

Both have high-octane offenses that rank in the top-6 in runs scored, but the Dodgers have pitched much better this season than the Red Sox have.

The Dodgers have a real shot to make it to their third straight World Series. They have been fantastic, despite injuries to key players like A.J. Pollock, Corey Seager, and Rich Hill.

Also, Joe Kelly, who was great for the Red Sox in the postseason last year, will return to Boston to receive his ring.

How have they been playing?

The Dodgers currently have a three-game lead for the best record in MLB at 60-32, whereas Boston is sitting in third place in the division with a fine 49-41 record. It is almost like the Red Sox and Dodgers have switched regular seasons. The 2019 Red Sox have played like the 2018 Dodgers and vice versa.

At this point last season for Boston, they had lost three games in a row just once, which also happened to be their longest losing streak. They have already lost four in a row on two occasions this season, spanning from March 30-April 2 and May 28-June 1. Last year they spent 148 days in first place and have not led for a single day this year. This team has been nowhere near as good record-wise, despite having a similar roster.

The Dodgers have not been under .500 this year, not once. They have not been more than three games back in the division this season. They did lose six games in a row earlier this season, but that was sandwiched in between a five-game and a six-game winning streaks. Last year the largest lead they had in the division was just 2.5 games.

How good are their offenses?

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Both teams have hit well this year, as each team has just two everyday players with an OPS+ under 100. As previously mentioned, both teams are at the top of the baseball world when it comes to scoring runs. The Red Sox are currently tied with the Minnesota Twins for the most scored in the majors with 509. The Dodgers are right up there with 490 scored, good for sixth.

While Mookie Betts has regressed from his MVP performance last year, Cody Bellinger has elevated himself into that conversation with his astronomical first-half. Bellinger is hitting .336 with a 1.124 OPS and 30 home runs to go alongside his 71 RBIs.

Rafael Devers had a breakout half, slashing .324/.377/.546  with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs.

The Dodgers are also getting Seager back for this series. Seager has been solid this season at the dish and should be an improvement over Chris Taylor, who had spent time at shortstop in Seager’s absence.

How good is their pitching?

The Red Sox pitching staff has been their downfall this season. They have blown 20 save opportunities and have had just one real consistent starter to this point. Chris Sale has not won a game at Fenway Park since last season, which is not entirely his fault.

This season, the Red Sox have a 4.59 team ERA, which is 17th in baseball, but they have struck out the most batters of any team in MLB. The bullpen has struggled to keep leads and the starters have been hit early at times. They throw the most pitches per plate appearance in the league, with 4.05.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, have one of the best staff’s this season. They rank second in baseball with a 3.37 ERA and have recorded 10 shutouts this season, the most in majors. They also have had the most quality starts with 52, compared to Boston’s 33. The most glaring stat to me, however, is their ability to limit walks, with just 200 on the year which is the lowest in the majors. The San Diego Padres have the second fewest with 230.

How good is their defense?

Both the Red Sox and Dodgers have been meh teams defensively this season, as the Dodgers have committed the 9th most errors and the Red Sox have the 12th most. As a result, they have given up 45 and 35 unearned runs, respectively.

Each of these teams has their strengths but could use some solid additions. The Red Sox need pitching either in their bullpen or the back-end of their rotation. The Dodgers could use some extra defensive help, but it is not a pressing need should they continue to hit as well as they have.

This series should be interesting, but with Boston’s pitching staff we probably won’t see another 18-inning game.