Boston Red Sox early surprise performances from 2020 spring training
Highlighting Boston Red Sox players who have opened some eyes with strong performances in spring training so far this year.
We’re nearly two weeks into the exhibition schedule and most players in camp haven’t cracked double-digits in terms of Grapefruit League games played. That leaves us with small sample sizes but there are some encouraging signs we can take away from the strong performances of several Boston Red Sox players this spring.
Most of the players locked into Opening Day roster spots are using spring training as a tune-up to prepare for the grind of the upcoming season, find a rhythm at the plate or work on mechanics. There’s no reason to be concerned that J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez are struggling to hit their own weight. We shouldn’t worry that Xander Bogaerts has struck out in all four of his plate appearances since returning from an ankle injury. Those guys are going to hit once the season begins.
Then there are those fighting for roster spots, fending off challengers at their position or adjusting to new roles. Players in those scenarios are worth monitoring.
Let’s take a look at some of those players who are thriving this spring, potentially carving out a role for themselves this season or cementing a spot that may have come into question.
Rusney Castillo continues his annual tradition of tantalizing us with a scorching spring while knowing full well his contract will prevent him from getting called up to the majors. He’s 9-for-16 for a .563 batting average that by far leads the team among those with double-digit at-bats. It’s nice to see but ultimately meaningless.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is off to a fast start this spring, hitting. 421 with a pair of home runs. The batting average is inflated by a recent 3-for-3 performance but take that perfect day at the plate away and he’s still having a great spring.
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We know who the streaky Bradley is at this point so it’s tough to get overly excited. It’s worth noting this is a contract year for JBJ though. The addition of Kevin Pillar threatens to steal playing time away from him, at least against left-handed pitching, once Boston’s outfield is fully healthy. A strong start to the season could help him retain his everyday role.
If Bradley were to falter or become trade bait near the deadline, a path could open for Jarren Duran to make his big league debut. He has blazing speed that provides a threat on the base baths that the current roster is lacking and he projects as a solid center field. Maybe he’ll never be a Gold Glove candidate like Bradley but he can handle the position while providing more value at the plate.
Duran is hitting .333 with a home run and a triple in 15 at-bats this spring. He may be emerging as Boston’s center fielder of the future with Bradley expected to leave in free agency.
Another foundation of the outfield is Andrew Benintendi. He’s aiming to bounce back from a disappointing season while replacing Mookie Betts in the leadoff spot, a role he failed to fill to begin last season. Benny is slashing .308/.357/.538 this spring, a promising sign that he will get off to a better start this season and that he can thrive at the top of the order.
Catcher is one of the most interesting position battles in camp this year. Vazquez has the starting role locked up on the heels of his breakout season but the role of his backup is up for grabs.
Kevin Plawecki has taken an early lead in this race by going 5-for-10 with three walks in 13 plate appearances. He hasn’t recorded an extra-base hit and nothing about his history suggests that more power is on the horizon. A solid defensive catcher who isn’t a liability at the plate is all the Red Sox can hope for from their backup and that’s what Plawecki is giving them so far.
Jonathan Lucroy has far more upside but the former All-Star is off to a rough start, hitting .154 with a .497 OPS. A neck injury was blamed for his dwindling production in recent years and the surgery he had to rectify the issue was supposed to lead to a bounce-back year. There’s no signs of that happening yet. Lucroy is in camp on a minor league deal so the Red Sox may cut bait if he doesn’t improve.
Connor Wong is probably a year or two away since he’s never played above Double-A but he has showcased his raw power with a pair of home runs this spring. The best catching prospect in the Red Sox farm system will put himself on the radar for 2021 with a strong season.
On the pitching side, the most notable performance has been from Nathan Eovaldi. We know what he’s capable of but expectations were low after last year’s disaster. He looks healthy this spring with his fastball sitting in the upper-90s with pinpoint control.
Eovaldi hasn’t allowed a run in five innings of work, tallying eight strikeouts without issuing a walk. Boston is counting on him to boost their thin rotation and his dominance this spring has fans excited that he can reach his potential.
The No. 5 spot in the rotation is up for grabs and Ryan Weber has emerged as a clear candidate. He’s also tossed five shutout innings in two appearances, striking out seven without a walk.
Brian Johnson has put himself back in the picture. He leads the team with 6 1/3 innings pitched and has allowed only two earned runs for a 2.84 ERA to go along with eight strikeouts and one walk. Johnson is no longer on the 40-man roster but the Red Sox might need to find room for him considering their lack of pitching depth.
An underwhelming track record suggests Johnson is nothing more than a spot starter but he could eat some innings while the rotation deals with injuries. He could be in the mix if the Red Sox utilize the opener strategy, although Johnson’s 7.96 ERA in 26 career first-inning appearances should make us question if he can adapt to that role.
Pitchers are harder to evaluate this early in spring since their workload has been limited and they never pitch more than a few innings at a time. Pitchers also tend to be ahead of hitters early in camp.
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Spring training results don’t necessarily predict regular season success but it can make a difference for those fighting for a roster spot or for players with something to prove in the wake of a disappointing 2019 campaign. These players may not stay hot for long but their early success could lead to more opportunities once the Red Sox wrap up camp at the end of the month.