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Boston Red Sox: Five things fans won’t miss about 2020

By Sean Penney

BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 11: A general view of Fenway Park in the fourth inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on August 11, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 11: A general view of Fenway Park in the fourth inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on August 11, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /
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Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 18: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 18, 2020 at Fenway Park (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Red Sox fans won’t miss interrupted routines

Regardless of whether or not the season begins on time next year, we can be fairly certain that MLB will make it through training camp without interruption.

2020 was a disaster for many players in large part due to a wrench being thrown into their routines when the pandemic forced teams to shut down during the middle of spring training. Players spent months being isolated from the team with limited resources to stay in game shape. When an agreement was finally reached to bring baseball back, players were rushed through an abbreviated summer camp that left many unprepared for the season.

Baseball players are creatures of habit so they can easily be thrown off by drastic alterations to their routines. Few were impacted more than J.D. Martinez. The Red Sox designated hitter sputtered through the worst year of his career, hitting a meager .213 with a .680 OPS. His lack of defensive value leaves him essentially useless when he’s not swinging the bat well, leaving him with a -0.6 WAR.

A normal training camp should allow players to hit the ground running next season. Hitters will have sufficient time to find their rhythm at the plate and starting pitchers will be able to properly build up their workload.

A slow start doomed the Red Sox this year since the shorter schedule didn’t leave them nearly enough time to dig themselves out of an early hole. Returning to their regular spring routine will help prevent this team from stumbling out of the gate again.

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