Boston Red Sox Summer Check Up


Boston Red Sox

50-26 (2nd in AL East)



Eye Popping Number

Pick a Mookie Betts stat

Two years ago, Mookie Betts gave Mike Trout a somewhat legit run for his money for American League MVP. This year he’s at it again. He’s first in the league in slugging percentage (.697), and second in baseball in batting average (.344), on base percentage (.426), on base plus slugging percentage (1.155). He’s also third in Wins Above Replacement (4.4) and runs scored (56). You don’t need his ridiculous 198 weighted runs created plus to tell you that he’s been elite at creating runs this season.

Biggest Surprise

There haven’t been a ton of surprises this season for the Red Sox, they’ve been expected to fire on all cylinders all year long. Mitch Moreland has come out of his shell a little bit this season though. After 8 average to above average seasons, he’s been fantastic in season number 9. He’s already on pace to set career highs in doubles, triples, home runs and walks. His .288 batting average is also 10 points higher than his career high. With the release of Hanley Ramirez, his offensive production has been a welcomed asset this year.

Player to Watch

Chris Sale is still one of the pitchers in baseball, but this year he isn’t alone. Eduardo Perez is the big X-factor in the pitching rotation. With two Cy Young winners on staff, and Sale (how has he NOT won one?), Perez has rounded out the rotation. While wins aren’t a stat that have a ton of value anymore, Perez is 4th in baseball with 9. Usually you have to pitch pretty well to get that many wins, and Perez has. He has a career best 3.59 ERA and is well on pace to throw a career high in strikeouts and is 27th in baseball with 90 k’s. As the season progresses into the dog days of summer, the depth he provides will be valuable.

What to Watch for at the Deadline

The Red Sox are one of the top 3 teams in baseball right now, so there aren’t a lot of holes on the roster. Unfortunately, the few holes they have are deep. Right now their catchers are one of the weakest hitting positions in baseball. Wilson Ramos (Tampa Bay) would be a great fit to add more punch to their stacked line up. Whitt Merrifield (Kansas City) can fill their hole at second base, and can slide into center field when Dustin Pedroia returns from injury. Other than that, the team is ready for a deep run into October.

*All stats as of 6/22 via fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com


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