The Boston Red Sox have not entered the postseason on a high note. Not only are Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela not at 100 percent health-wise, Mickey Gasper, Eli White, Tyron Guerrero and other players are down with injuries.
The Sox's offense has seriously struggled in the lead up to the postseason, as well. Boston posted a league-worst .651 OPS and 71 runs scored in September — that's 18 fewer runs than the Philadelphia Phillies, the second-worst run scoring team in the season's final month.
But as the rest of his team has faltered, Adley Rutschman is heating up just at the right time. The former Baltimore Orioles catcher is slashing .266/.299/.547 in September, which might not seem like a huge breakout, but he batted just .170/.254/.245 in August, his first month in Boston.
Rutschman's last week is the most encouraging sign yet for the Sox. He's slashing .346/.370/.577 with a home run in his last seven games. Baseball is a game of momentum and Rutschman is one of the few Red Sox entering the Wild Card series hot. Boston will need his best work at the plate this series, especially from the right side, given the injuries it's dealing with. Thankfully, Rutschman is finally thriving from the right-handed batter's box.
Adley Rutschman is heating up for the Red Sox right at the perfect time
The Red Sox paid a hefty price for Rutschman at the trade deadline to bring a much-needed upgrade to their catcher spot. The 28-year-old is one of the best defensive catchers in the league and he effectively eliminates any advantage opposing teams have at the plate and on the base paths, a boost Connor Wong certainly doesn't bring on his start days. Now, Rutschman is finally starting to give the Sox the offensive production they hoped for when they sold all their best minor league pitchers and more for him.
Boston has rewarded Rutschman with the No. 2 spot in their Wild Card Game 1 lineup (subscription required). Manager Chad Tracy foreshadowed his placement in the lineup during the last game of the season against the Cubs, in which Rutschman went 1-for-2 with a homer and a walk. Batting him second is quite a risk, given the catcher's offensive trouble this season, but the Sox need all the help they can get at the plate and Rutschman is their hottest bat.
Rutschman doesn't have a ton of playoff experience from his tenure with the Orioles, but the five games he's played in October are more than many Sox players have under their belt. As one of their only players who's felt the pressure of the postseason on more than one occasion, the Red Sox need Rutschman to stay hot.
Add us as a preferred source on Google