Red Sox Offense 2016

[User Name]

UN?, where the heck you live?

 

Donkeyland, but what I meant was specifically Boston media. I follow the twitter guys and yadayada, but I no longer get MLB network, and I did not buy the MLB channels this year because it's a waste of money honestly.

[greenwell]

I was comparing some numbers on the incredible month of May the team is having.

 

OPS this month is 0.908

Since the beginning of 2013 the highest OPS by any team in one month was 0.858, that was the RedSox in September of 2013. Other than that the highest is 0.838.

 

JBJ 1.281 OPS this month

Since the beginning of 2013, 3 players have had a single month with an OPS higher than that (minimum 75 PA). Those 3 are Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and Edwin Encarcion.

[SinceYaz]

I was comparing some numbers on the incredible month of May the team is having.

 

OPS this month is 0.908

Since the beginning of 2013 the highest OPS by any team in one month was 0.858, that was the RedSox in September of 2013. Other than that the highest is 0.838.

 

JBJ 1.281 OPS this month

Since the beginning of 2013, 3 players have had a single month with an OPS higher than that (minimum 75 PA). Those 3 are Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and Edwin Encarcion.

 

Gator, I was gonna make this a separate post, but I think it ties in perfectly with what you are saying. Quote from Boston.Com ...

 

"By Paul Swydan 12:08 PM

COMMENTARY

 

Last time we suited up for the Red Sox player power rankings, I noted that the Red Sox have the best offense in the American League. This time, it is my duty to inform you that the team currently has not only the best offense in the AL, it has the second-best offense in baseball’s Integrated Era (1947-present) . While that is fueled in part by the best-ever team batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and as such is not necessarily long for this world, it’s important context for what the team is doing right now. With the back end of the rotation still creaky, the offense is propping up the team. Hopefully the team’s brain trust can figure out the proper plan for the starting pitching before the bats cool off."

 

I added the highlights...

[SinceYaz]

He has been hitting well since the calendar switched to May, but showing no power.

 

I think that the lineup as it is, and even will be without Papi next year, has room for a good singles, doubles hitter. If he has no power but can keep the line going, he has significant value. If ....

[SinceYaz]

He has been hitting well since the calendar switched to May, but showing no power.

 

Fans are having a blast watching Betts, Bogaerts and Bradley. No one wants to see them get traded. That guy will have to argue with himself about trading them.

 

Things that are apparently clear here, mvp78 & 700, aren't so apparently clear to others we have posted with, on more than just the BDC site. I could name a couple other sites where the negative and smarmy are always making their point(s) as if they are more intelligent and baseball savvy than anyone at Fenway One (name made up for the heck of it...). Nevermind that the Henry group has provided us with 3 WSCs and 11 of 14 outstanding seasons... A common line was "We won in spite of __________, and at that point you could fill the line option with "Tito," "FO," "JF," or any of another number of scurrilous options. IOW, no matter how well things were going, the dark side couldn't wait to be heard.

 

Our apologies for standing up for the Sox in all its various options. We have often been stating the positive so as to balance the sheets with the negative. Old habits die hard.

[mvp 78]

I might not like Larry, Henry and Werner, but if they didn't buy the team, we may still be waiting for a WS title.

[S5Dewey]

Things that are apparently clear here, mvp78 & 700, aren't so apparently clear to others we have posted with, on more than just the BDC site. I could name a couple other sites where the negative and smarmy are always making their point(s) as if they are more intelligent and baseball savvy than anyone at Fenway One (name made up for the heck of it...). Nevermind that the Henry group has provided us with 3 WSCs and 11 of 14 outstanding seasons... A common line was "We won in spite of __________, and at that point you could fill the line option with "Tito," "FO," "JF," or any of another number of scurrilous options. IOW, no matter how well things were going, the dark side couldn't wait to be heard.

 

Our apologies for standing up for the Sox in all its various options. We have often been stating the positive so as to balance the sheets with the negative. Old habits die hard.

 

Thanks, SY. That's your basic excellent post.

[SinceYaz]

I might not like Larry, Henry and Werner, but if they didn't buy the team, we may still be waiting for a WS title.

 

Therein, my new friend, is the rub. They have produced for us, and without selling our daughters or sisters into slavery or some other terrible offense.

[SinceYaz]

Thanks, SY. That's your basic excellent post.

 

You humble me, S5. Thanks.

[Palodios]

Allen Craig is back playing for Pawtucket. Is there any chance that they give him a shot in LF? They are giving him a big paycheck. it would be a good way for him to reestablish some trade value.

 

They needed to get his permission to outright him off the roster. He also has been injured at the start of the season and only played 6 games in Pawtucket. Plus, adding him to the 40 man roster will cost a couple million in luxury tax alone.

 

Best case scenario at some point he gets tired of the AAA bus trips and voids the contract early to try to make it on another team.

[Maxbialystock]

Well, maybe not the roses, but surely the Sox.

 

Last night I checked espn.com's MLB stats for individuals batting and discover that the Sox have six players--Betts, Bogaerts, Ortiz, Shaw, JBJ, and Pedroia--in the top 23 WAR (wins above replacement) ratings for all of MLB, not just the AL.

 

Think about that. With 30 MLB teams, every team theoretically should have 1 in the top 30 or the top 23 for that matter. But the Sox have six. Missing in action, I hasten to add, is Hanley Ramirez who wasn't even in the top 50 despite having an OPS over .800 and showing himself to be a very capable fielding first baseman. Right now his overall WAR is .8, a huge improvement over last year and one that ranks him (WAR-wise) as the 5th best firstbaseman in the AL. And he ain't part of our "big six" or whatever you want to call them.

 

The downside of the six (or seven--HanRam bats 5th, after all) is sometimes on game treads we get mad at the other two slots--such was my reaction when JBJ was walked intentionally his first two times in order to bring Hannigan to the plate.

[Slasher9]

they really are on an incredible pace right now. both offensively and defensively.

defensively we have 22 errors and 36 DP's.

travis shaw (5 errors) is the only player with more than 2 errors at this point of the season. incredible.

[Maxbialystock]

For anyone who says it's still May with plenty of time for the bubble to burst, I can only say, "sure, but right now it's so great it's unprecedented. The Sox lead MLB in scoring and OPS and our lineup is blessed with more than our share of solid young players--Betts, Bogaerts, JBJ, and Shaw--and that ignores the catcher Vazquez who looks pretty darn good behind the plate."

 

I don't expect the bubble to burst, but do expect some of those lofty OPS's to drop back a little.

[mvp 78]

Enjoy the hot streak while it lasts. Complaining about it eventually falling back to earth is just being a ninny muggins. This lineup has been a joy to watch this season.

[Maxbialystock]

I'm not sure of this, but my guess is the Sox have never had hitting this good early in the season and with so many contributors at age 26 and under. 1967 had some youngsters--Tony C, Petrocelli, Reggie Smith--but they didn't hit as well as these guys (at least, so far).

[mvp 78]

I'm not sure of this, but my guess is the Sox have never had hitting this good early in the season and with so many contributors at age 26 and under. 1967 had some youngsters--Tony C, Petrocelli, Reggie Smith--but they didn't hit as well as these guys (at least, so far).

 

In the mid 70's with Fisk, Evans, Rice, Lynn, etc.?

[a700hitter]

I'm not sure of this, but my guess is the Sox have never had hitting this good early in the season and with so many contributors at age 26 and under. 1967 had some youngsters--Tony C, Petrocelli, Reggie Smith--but they didn't hit as well as these guys (at least, so far).

The 60's were a pitching dominated era. They had to lower the mound to address the issue. Those guys : Tony C, Rico and Reggie were pretty darn good.

[a700hitter]

In the mid 70's with Fisk, Evans, Rice, Lynn, etc.?

Oh that lineup was a pitcher's nightmare. There were three future HOFers in that lineup and if Lynn hadn't experienced so many injuries, he would have gotten serious consideration.

[a700hitter]

They needed to get his permission to outright him off the roster. He also has been injured at the start of the season and only played 6 games in Pawtucket. Plus, adding him to the 40 man roster will cost a couple million in luxury tax alone.

 

Best case scenario at some point he gets tired of the AAA bus trips and voids the contract early to try to make it on another team.

You are dreaming. He is not going to walk away from his biggest salary year. We are in for $9 million this year. if the the luxury tax costs us $2 million more but he can perform well at the MLB level, he would rebuild his trade value and we might be able to get some real value for him in the off season and maybe save some salary. Under the current approach, the Red Sox are will give him a large check for the next 2 seasons with no hope of getting any value. He is not going to walk away from $20 million.

[S5Dewey]

I like old baseball maxims, mostly because there is usually a lot of truth in them.

 

"You can't win it in April but you sure can lose it."

 

"It's a marathon, not a sprint".

 

At this point you can say that the Sox certainly haven't "lost it" in April (and May), which is one heck of a lot better than they've done in the past two years. It's a marathon and they haven't put themselves so far back in the pack that they have to make up a lot of ground. That's about the best we can (realistically) ask for at this point in the season.

[S5Dewey]

I'm not even certain that the MLBPA would let him walk away from this contract and then sign one for less money. They're hinky about things like that. I can remember when ARod wanted to do just that - walk away from a contract to re-sign for less money with the Sox - and the union stepped in and said no-no-no. [THANKFULLLY!!!]

[illinoisredsox]

The 60's were a pitching dominated era. They had to lower the mound to address the issue. Those guys : Tony C, Rico and Reggie were pretty darn good.

 

That's understating it.

 

1968. Bob Gibson posted a 22-9 record and a 1.12 ERA. Nearly 50 years later, I'm still trying to figure out how he lost 9 games.

 

Denny McLain of the Tigers won 31 games.

 

Yaz won his second straight AL batting title that year as well, batting a robust .301. The immortal Danny Cater was second at .290.

 

Definitely a different era.

[sk7326]

Ultimately with Craig, the money is gone - there are good reasons for both sides to end it

[a700hitter]

Ultimately with Craig, the money is gone - there are good reasons for both sides to end it

Craig isn't going to walk away from any of it. Zero.

[Spudboy]

I like old baseball maxims, mostly because there is usually a lot of truth in them.

 

"You can't win it in April but you sure can lose it."

 

"It's a marathon, not a sprint".

 

At this point you can say that the Sox certainly haven't "lost it" in April (and May), which is one heck of a lot better than they've done in the past two years. It's a marathon and they haven't put themselves so far back in the pack that they have to make up a lot of ground. That's about the best we can (realistically) ask for at this point in the season.

 

I always say that I do not expect the Sox to win the WS each year. But I do expect them to be competitive. That is to say that they should be putting a team on the field each night that has a chance of winning.

[Maxbialystock]

I always say that I do not expect the Sox to win the WS each year. But I do expect them to be competitive. That is to say that they should be putting a team on the field each night that has a chance of winning.

 

To remind: the abysmal, horrible, last place Sox of 2014 won 43.8% of their games and beyond question meet your criterion of having "a chance of winning."

[Spudboy]

To remind: the abysmal, horrible, last place Sox of 2014 won 43.8% of their games and beyond question meet your criterion of having "a chance of winning."

 

No. My criteria would have the team at or above .500.

[sk7326]

I like old baseball maxims, mostly because there is usually a lot of truth in them.

 

"You can't win it in April but you sure can lose it."

 

"It's a marathon, not a sprint".

 

At this point you can say that the Sox certainly haven't "lost it" in April (and May), which is one heck of a lot better than they've done in the past two years. It's a marathon and they haven't put themselves so far back in the pack that they have to make up a lot of ground. That's about the best we can (realistically) ask for at this point in the season.

 

I don't want my spring ruined. I'd prefer my summer not be ruined. But if the fall is ruined, that is okay occasionally.

[sk7326]

Craig isn't going to walk away from any of it. Zero.

 

I know he ain't forgoing salary. I also know he ain't getting a major league gig here. Keeping a roster spot because "well, we're paying him - he might as well show up to work" is silly. Cut him, eat the contract and get on with the rest of your life.

[a700hitter]

I know he ain't forgoing salary. I also know he ain't getting a major league gig here. Keeping a roster spot because "well, we're paying him - he might as well show up to work" is silly. Cut him, eat the contract and get on with the rest of your life.

Back in Spring Training after seeing Sam Travis who was clearly going to be the Pawtucket first baseman, I said that the Red Sox should just release Craig and eat the money as there was no spot for him. Now, there might be a spot for him. A lot of things had to go wrong since Spring Training to open up a major league outfield spot. The Red Sox have opted to put a catcher in LF. I don't see any other better opportunity that could develop to give Craig a shot, so they might as well send him on his way.