Grading the 2022 Boston Red Sox with a mid-season report card
By Sean Penney
Red Sox DH and catcher
J.D. Martinez is seventh in the league with a .313 average. He hasn’t been hitting homers (8) at the rate we are accustomed to seeing from him but he’s still slugging a respectable .498 and he has 24 doubles. Martinez is spraying the ball all over the field and using the opposite field more than ever. He might not be knocking it out of the park as frequently but the process has led to plenty of hits and All-Star caliber production.
Christian Vazquez is having a solid season, hitting .291 with a .764 OPS. He only has four home runs but that still puts him on pace for his most since 2019. Vazquez has a knack for coming through with clutch hits and he’s tied with Bogaerts for fifth on the team with 31 RBI.
His defense behind the plate remains steady and Vazquez is a trustworthy battery mate for this pitching staff.
Kevin Plawecki was a pleasant surprise with the production he provided at the plate during limited opportunities over the last two seasons but he has fallen flat this year. Plawecki is hitting .157 with a .497 OPS. He’s a mediocre defensive catcher who isn’t providing any offense. We’ll always be grateful that Plawecki gave us the home run cart but the backup catcher position is a spot the Red Sox need to upgrade.
Grade: B+