Sox hitting??

[Kimmi]

Its a very informative article, wouldn't you say? The article is factual rather than opinion.

 

You are preaching to the choir. The Hardball Times is one of my favorite sites. It's a stat geek site!

[Emp9]

Top 5???? That's a bit of a fall from 2016 when the Sox led MLB in runs scored and led the AL by over 100 runs.

 

If that's your standard, I guess we have nothing to argue about. Too bad because I enjoy it--you know a lot more than I.

 

Hasn't it been that the last two seasons, the 2nd half was where the Sox offense really picked it up and rose to #1? It's beena bit of a slow start for some like Hanley and Betts (health issues), but there are some encouraging signs that losing Ortiz may not have that much of an negative effect, what with Moreland's performance thus far and Beni being not much of a question mark either. I mean, I didn't think Beni would be much of a question mark personally, but for some him simply being a rookie was a valid point.

 

Top 5 doesn't have to be that big of a drop, it depends on how close all top 5 teams are to each other. If there are huge disparities between #1 and #5, sure. Then again, having the #1 offense didn't translate to the Post Season last year anyhow. So I question the overall importance of being #1 in any said category. I'm looking for balance.

[Bellhorn04]

Hasn't it been that the last two seasons, the 2nd half was where the Sox offense really picked it up and rose to #1? It's beena bit of a slow start for some like Hanley and Betts (health issues), but there are some encouraging signs that losing Ortiz may not have that much of an negative effect, what with Moreland's performance thus far and Beni being not much of a question mark either. I mean, I didn't think Beni would be much of a question mark personally, but for some him simply being a rookie was a valid point.

 

Top 5 doesn't have to be that big of a drop, it depends on how close all top 5 teams are to each other. If there are huge disparities between #1 and #5, sure. Then again, having the #1 offense didn't translate to the Post Season last year anyhow. So I question the overall importance of being #1 in any said category. I'm looking for balance.

 

Beni is a key to the whole thing. Thus far he looks equal to the task.

[Nick]

Question about hitting into double plays.....any stats out there that penalizes batter for hitting into double play? You not only cost yourself an out but you negated On Base Percentage of another player (in theory).

[Emp9]

Yes, missing 17% of games is significant.

 

You could tell Betts wasn't 100% even when he came back those first couple games as well.

[Emp9]

Beni is a key to the whole thing. Thus far he looks equal to the task.

 

He's like Betts in that way for me. He's doing better than I thought he'd do and I had high hopes to begin with.

[S5Dewey]

Beni is a key to the whole thing. Thus far he looks equal to the task.

 

I'm very pleasantly surprised by what Beni has done. I thought he'd be ok, hitting maybe .250 from the #8 spot until the pitchers found the holes in his swing and Beni adjusted, and then he'd work his way up in the lineup. Instead Beni hit the ground running and looks like he belongs there. He's a legitimate threat from any spot in the top 1/3 of the order. IIRC even Pedey didn't do this!

[Maxbialystock]

Beni is a key to the whole thing. Thus far he looks equal to the task.

 

Agree Beni is pretty key, but I also think we need a deep lineup.

[Nick]

People slammed me for questioning how much more of a ceiling Beni had....my point was he is a true professional when it comes to hitting even at a young age. When a kid is already good, how much can he get better? Will he hit .400? Unlikely. But I can see him hitting .340. And he's not that far away.

 

Sure he'll have his struggles and period of adjustments. But he is ALREADY good at hitting. Pedroia won rookie of the year and MVP early in his career.

 

I see the same thing from Beni as we saw from Dustin. He will have success at early age.

[oldtimer]

Question about hitting into double plays.....any stats out there that penalizes batter for hitting into double play? You not only cost yourself an out but you negated On Base Percentage of another player (in theory).

 

I'm no stat guy, but there is a stat WGDP which really compares the runs above or below the average that a player has accumulated by his ability to avoid hitting into double plays when he has the opportunity to do so. Have a speedy player who doesn't hit a lot of ground balls when in a double play situation would get a better number. It can be used as a minor adjustment to WAR.

[moonslav59]

Our killer Bs now hold 4 of the top 5 slots in OPS (29+ PAS):

 

.938 Moreland

.859 Beni

.858 Betts

.825 Bradley

.729 Bogey

.646 Pablo

.639 Marco

.627 Young

.603 Pedey

.575 HRam

.540 Leon

 

Team OPS by position:

 

.938 1B

.870 CF

.806 RF

.791 C (6th in MLB catcher OPS)

.733 SS

.649 LF

.616 3B

.604 2B

.576 DH

Edited April 25, 2017 by moonslav59

[Maxbialystock]

Gotta like those killer Bs. But that's just 4. We need 8 pretty good guys in that lineup to make up for Ortiz. Moreland's fine, Sandoval is definitely not fine. Pedroia should be fine. Catcher should be fine. Ramirez should be too, but isn't.

 

Isn't that the same refrain from 2 years ago, right after we acquired Pablo and Hanley? This year they need to come thru.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Maxbialystock

[moonslav59]

Gotta like those killer Bs. But that's just 4. We need 8 ...

 

What's wrong with Bam Bam at DH? Bustin Pedroia at 2B, Bitch Moreland at 1B and Bazquez behind the plate?

[Spudboy]

I am kind of surprised at the LF OPS being so low.

 

Is that because both Benni and Young stroke singles?

[Station 13]

I am kind of surprised at the LF OPS being so low.

 

Is that because both Benni and Young stroke singles?

 

Benintendi play CF while JBJ was on the DL. Young didn't do squat the entire time.

[TylerD]

I really really really hope I'm wrong, but I think the offense is going to be a problem.

It's still too early to tell how we will be offensively. I think we will be just fine. We are competing for the division right now and struggling against good pitchers which is common at the beginning of the season. This series against the Yankees will bring out the best in this team I am sure of it.

[moonslav59]

Benintendi play CF while JBJ was on the DL. Young didn't do squat the entire time.

 

He faced a RHP for 46 PAs and a LHPs for just 15. That should be the other way around.

 

That being said, he actually hit righties better!

[Station 13]

Why did Young hit for Moreland? If the game got knotted, who play 1B last night?

[mvp 78]

Why did Young hit for Moreland? If the game got knotted, who play 1B last night?

 

Because Chapman is a lefty. Young mashes lefties. Moreland does not.

[Station 13]

Because Chapman is a lefty. Young mashes lefties. Moreland does not.

 

I feel Moreland has a better chance with his AB to be honest. JBJ should be pinch hit for. So who would play 1B after moreland?

[Bellhorn04]

I feel Moreland has a better chance with his AB to be honest. JBJ should be pinch hit for. So who would play 1B after moreland?

 

You have to score runs, then you can worry about 1B.

[Station 13]

You have to score runs, then you can worry about 1B.

 

Sure, but Young has look hopeless. Pinch hitting against Chapman is not easy off the bench. The timing would be impossible. Feel Moreland should be the one hitting and he has a better approach against a guy that had trouble throwing last night.

[moonslav59]

Sure, but Young has look hopeless. Pinch hitting against Chapman is not easy off the bench. The timing would be impossible. Feel Moreland should be the one hitting and he has a better approach against a guy that had trouble throwing last night.

 

I'm a huge "splits guy", but I thought of the same thing last night.

 

I agree.

[Slasher9]

the warm weather is coming. the hitting will be fine.

[moonslav59]

the warm weather is coming. the hitting will be fine.

 

Maybe we should lobby to play at TEX and other warmer climes in April next year!

[mvp 78]

Maybe we should lobby to play at TEX and other warmer climes in April next year!

 

Nobody wants to move to that dump.

 

How about a real city like Tampa!

[Nick]

I feel Moreland has a better chance with his AB to be honest. JBJ should be pinch hit for. So who would play 1B after moreland?

 

Well, JF can always put Wright in.....he's probably a better first baseman than a pinch runner.

[oldtimer]

You have to score runs, then you can worry about 1B.

 

We can run into superior pitching in any one game, the problem is we have scored very few runs in a whole string of games leaving our good pitching performances without much support. The weather will warm up for both teams on the field. Sounds like weather is just an excuse. We aren't going to make many significant lineup changes so what we need is to light a fire under this team and get it playing aggressive ball. There is a lot of talent on this team and it should be doing more now. Who are the team leaders to do that? What is Farrell doing to get this team going?

[moonslav59]

Nobody wants to move to that dump.

 

How about a real city like Tampa!

 

I didn't say move, I meant play our series at TEX in April not June or July.

[moonslav59]

We can run into superior pitching in any one game, the problem is we have scored very few runs in a whole string of games leaving our good pitching performances without much support. The weather will warm up for both teams on the field. Sounds like weather is just an excuse. We aren't going to make many significant lineup changes so what we need is to light a fire under this team and get it playing aggressive ball. There is a lot of talent on this team and it should be doing more now. Who are the team leaders to do that? What is Farrell doing to get this team going?

 

The weird thing is that Betts was our usual slow starter in cold weather, but he's doing well.