Opening Day lineup.... and roster spots

[mvp 78]

The Sox cared enough to bring in a RH hitting OFer.

 

With Mookie gone for hitters of consequence hitting from the Right side we have JD, Vaz and X....lets see, we have JD, Vaz and X and we have ahhhhhh JD, Vaz and X.

 

Plus most of a teams power comes from OF or DH bats. MLB has not managed to make agility so meaningless in the infield that you can afford to put too many linebackers in the middle infield and Beni is living proof that there are some hitters that simply can't hit many HR's no matter how much Manfred juices the baseball.

 

The last time the Sox featured an all LH OF was 1960. We know what a great team that was!

 

Good thing this team will get substantial power from their 3b and SS.

 

Dalbec, Peraza and Chavis are both RH bats that will get plenty of run. Dalbec and Chavis provide a lot of power.

[jung]

Good thing this team will get substantial power from their 3b and SS.

 

Dalbec, Peraza and Chavis are both RH bats that will get plenty of run. Dalbec and Chavis provide a lot of power.

 

Chavis can't hit anything that is not a fat Slider right down Main St or a Change in a hideous location. Other than that he is meat. Should be traded in fact. I have hopes for Dalbec but he is at the moment entirely unproven.

 

Peraza is surely not the second coming of Pedey. Heck he might not even be the second coming of 2018-2019 Pedey.

 

The most fun we will get out of 2020 will be watching the team manage its way through a 162 game season with this crew. Fine for us so devoted to MLB and the Sox to post at a forum. As for the bulk of the people that sit in those seats now, not sure it really matters.

 

Who gets really killed in this....the secondary ticket sellers. This will be another year where they take a bath IMO.

Edited February 11, 2020 by jung

[notin]

Chavis can't hit anything that is not a fat Slider right down Main St or a Change in a hideous location. Other than that he is meat. Should be traded in fact. I have hopes for Dalbec but he is at the moment entirely unproven.

 

Peraza is surely not the second coming of Pedey. Heck he might not even be the second coming of 2018-2019 Pedey.

 

The most fun we will get out of 2020 will be watching the team manage its way through a 162 game season with this crew. Fine for us so devoted to MLB and the Sox to post at a forum. As for the bulk of the people that sit in those seats now, not sure it really matters.

 

Who gets really killed in this....the secondary ticket sellers. This will be another year where they take a bath IMO.

 

I actually think the smooth-fielding, slap-hitting Lin is the best 2B in camp. But even as spring training begins, Brian Dozier, Scooter Gennett, and (ugh) Addison Russell all remain unsigned and have the potential to be impact players....

[mvp 78]

I actually think the smooth-fielding, slap-hitting Lin is the best 2B in camp. But even as spring training begins, Brian Dozier, Scooter Gennett, and (ugh) Addison Russell all remain unsigned and have the potential to be impact players....

 

Is Gennett healthy? Dozier is fine in one year Mark Loretta rental type of way. Pass on Russell.

[jung]

I actually think the smooth-fielding, slap-hitting Lin is the best 2B in camp. But even as spring training begins, Brian Dozier, Scooter Gennett, and (ugh) Addison Russell all remain unsigned and have the potential to be impact players....

 

You mean the smooth fielding slap hitting 2nd Lin who literally falls asleep right in the middle of plays? Does he have a sleep disorder?

 

That said, I am inclined to agree with you as sorry a Sox situation as that suggests.

[notin]

Is Gennett healthy? Dozier is fine in one year Mark Loretta rental type of way. Pass on Russell.

 

Well, I don't know if Gennett is healthy. I did give him a medical examination, but I have like zero experience doing that. So the whole thing wound up being flat out creepy and weird. And inconclusive.

 

Russell is just an *******, and in an "above and beyond" way over how a lot professional athletes are *******s. I can condone Puig, because he is crazy so his problems that might not be his fault and are more of a faulty wiring scenario. But Russell is crossing the line for me. He needs to go play in Japan, but not for the Nippon Ham Fighters. I dislike him so much I don't even want him going to teams I don't follow but like the monikers of.

 

I like Dozier on a one year deal, and maybe even a two year deal. But I hope having al all right-handed hitting middle infield isn't too off-putting...

[Slasher9]

Scooter would be an interesting pickup. wonder what it would take $$ to try that?

[jung]

The Sox cared enough to bring in a RH hitting OFer.

 

With Mookie gone for hitters of consequence hitting from the Right side we have JD, Vaz and X....lets see, we have JD, Vaz and X and we have ahhhhhh JD, Vaz and X.

 

Plus most of a teams power comes from OF or DH bats. MLB has not managed to make agility so meaningless in the infield that you can afford to put too many linebackers in the middle infield and Beni is living proof that there are some hitters that simply can't hit many HR's no matter how much Manfred juices the baseball.

 

The last time the Sox featured an all LH OF was 1960. We know what a great team that was!

 

Honestly I don't think the Sox brass cares at least for 2020. They did bring in a RH hitting OFer. He can't hit is weight. But WHO CARES. IMO he is here to keep JD out of the OF. Probably the smartest move they have made so far for 2020.

 

Least i forget, in spite of the short porch with the high wall in LF, LH hitters in Fenway are hitting into one of the deepest RF's in baseball. Its only a short porch in our RF right at the foul pole. Other than that, its a very deep RF.

[notin]

Least i forget, in spite of the short porch with the high wall in LF, LH hitters in Fenway are hitting into one of the deepest RF's in baseball. Its only a short porch in our RF right at the foul pole. Other than that, its a very deep RF.

 

And what does that have to do with what position a left-handed hitter plays?

[mvp 78]

Least i forget, in spite of the short porch with the high wall in LF, LH hitters in Fenway are hitting into one of the deepest RF's in baseball. Its only a short porch in our RF right at the foul pole. Other than that, its a very deep RF.

 

Boggs, Ortiz and many other LH hitters had no problem going the other way.

[jung]

Boggs, Ortiz and many other LH hitters had no problem going the other way.

 

Which yields doubles or even singles in Fenway if you are not fast enough to leg it out. Watch how many guys have to hustle their rear ends off to even get into second base having bashed a ball into the Monster.

[jung]

And what does that have to do with what position a left-handed hitter plays?

 

Well OF is 33% of batting order for one thing. If you are going to devote all of 33% of your batting order to LH hitters in Fenway Park you better be making that up elsewhere. Lets see, we have a LH hitting 1st baseman and a LH hitting 3rd baseman. That is a bunch of LH bats for a park with as deep a RF as Fenway's, unless you are suggesting that the Sox are a speed team that can take advantage of all that acreage in RF. Good luck with that.

[mvp 78]

Well OF is 33% of batting order for one thing. If you are going to devote all of 33% of your batting order to LH hitters in Fenway Park you better be making that up elsewhere. Lets see, we have a LH hitting 1st baseman and a LH hitting 3rd baseman. That is a bunch of LH bats for a park with as deep a RF as Fenway's, unless you are suggesting that the Sox are a speed team that can take advantage of all that acreage in RF. Good luck with that.

 

1b is an obvious platoon. There are 4 positions where the main player hits LH. That's it.

[notin]

Well OF is 33% of batting order for one thing. If you are going to devote all of 33% of your batting order to LH hitters in Fenway Park you better be making that up elsewhere. Lets see, we have a LH hitting 1st baseman and a LH hitting 3rd baseman. That is a bunch of LH bats for a park with as deep a RF as Fenway's, unless you are suggesting that the Sox are a speed team that can take advantage of all that acreage in RF. Good luck with that.

 

The Sox also have Bogaerts and JDM as serious RHH power bats. Moreland is probably not even a full time player, and likely to split time with Chavis or Dalbec, if not flat out lose time there altogether.

 

And there is still the possibility of someone like Dozier taking over 2B.

 

The 3 LHH outfielders ranks very low on the list of issues right now. I think replacing Price in the rotation is a much, much bigger concern, Because if mike Shawaryn or someone even lesser is being counted on for 150 IP this year, this is going to eb a long season...

[notin]

Well OF is 33% of batting order for one thing. If you are going to devote all of 33% of your batting order to LH hitters in Fenway Park you better be making that up elsewhere. Lets see, we have a LH hitting 1st baseman and a LH hitting 3rd baseman. That is a bunch of LH bats for a park with as deep a RF as Fenway's, unless you are suggesting that the Sox are a speed team that can take advantage of all that acreage in RF. Good luck with that.

 

Also, are you suggesting all LHH are pull hitters?

[mvp 78]

Also, are you suggesting all LHH are pull hitters?

 

I think he's suggesting there shouldn't be any LHH.

[jung]

Also, are you suggesting all LHH are pull hitters?

 

No I am not which makes the short span to the foul pole not very helpful. Most POWER SHOTS head to the POWER ALLIES. Right after you are off the foul pole in our RF it is a very deep RF. The rocket ship baseball has made that a bit less apparent but you STILL really have to hit it to get it out to our RF. You do see the fluke shot to RF if there is a prevailing breeze behind the rocket ship baseball. X's one handed, off balance, all his weight already on his front foot HR that actually carried OVER the visiting bullpen last year comes to mind.

[jung]

I think he's suggesting there shouldn't be any LHH.

 

Don't be ridiculous!

[notin]

No I am not which makes the short span to the foul pole not very helpful. Most POWER SHOTS head to the POWER ALLIES. Right after you are off the foul pole in our RF it is a very deep RF. The rocket ship baseball has made that a bit less apparent but you STILL really have to hit it to get it out to our RF. You do see the fluke shot to RF if there is a prevailing breeze behind the rocket ship baseball. X's one handed, off balance, all his weight already on his front foot HR that actually carried over the visiting bullpen last year comes to mind.

 

I've seen the park.

 

I've also seen that more of the elite hitters for the Red Sox have been left-handed hitters...

[Slasher9]

MLB has 61% RH pitchers and quick math means that there are 39% LH pitchers.

at the most we should have 4 RH hitters in our lineup.

we have too many RH hitters! platoon Xander!

[jung]

I've seen the park.

 

I've also seen that more of the elite hitters for the Red Sox have been left-handed hitters...

 

You might want to check out how many HR's our LH hitters hit on the road vs how many they hit at home. Its a tough home park to hit it out to RF and while 81 total games are played on the road, they are played at a variety of parks. 81 of a team's games are played in their home park.

[jung]

MLB has 61% RH pitchers and quick math means that there are 39% LH pitchers.

at the most we should have 4 RH hitters in our lineup.

we have too many RH hitters! platoon Xander!

 

I suspect we will platoon our 2nd baseman before we platoon X.

[notin]

I suspect we will platoon our 2nd baseman before we platoon X.

 

The Sox might even use Arauz at 2B if he impresses. But he's a switch hitter so that really messes everything up...

[moonslav59]

You might want to check out how many HR's our LH hitters hit on the road vs how many they hit at home. Its a tough home park to hit it out to RF and while 81 total games are played on the road, they are played at a variety of parks. 81 of a team's games are played in their home park.

 

As team, we hit more HRs on the road (127 to 118)

 

Most Hrs on the road (Home)

19 Devers (13)

18 JD (18)

16 Bogey (17)

15 Vaz (8)

12 Mookie (17)

11 Moreland (8)

11 JBJ (10)

8 Chavis (10)

5 Beni (8)

 

The biggest swings were Vaz & Devers.

 

[S5Dewey]

IMO the idea of having RHH over LHH in Fenway is overrated because it assumes every hitter is a pull hitter. Sure, RHH's are great when they pull the ball but The Wall is (or at least should be) very attractive for LHH's. They don't even have to hit it particularly well to have something good happen. What would be a routine FB out to LF anyplace else is off The Wall in Fenway. For a ML hitter it should be no more than a chip shot on a ball that's up and away.

 

Even the word on Benintendi and the much maligned JBJ is that if/when they hit the ball the opp way they're successful. The problem with our LHH's isn't that they hit left handed, it's that they can't/won't hit to LF.

[mvp 78]

IMO the idea of having RHH over LHH in Fenway is overrated because it assumes every hitter is a pull hitter. Sure, RHH's are great when they pull the ball but The Wall is (or at least should be) very attractive for LHH's. They don't even have to hit it particularly well to have something good happen. What would be a routine FB out to LF anyplace else is off The Wall in Fenway. For a ML hitter it should be no more than a chip shot on a ball that's up and away.

 

Even the word on Benintendi and the much maligned JBJ is that if/when they hit the ball the opp way they're successful. The problem with our LHH's isn't that they hit left handed, it's that they can't/won't hit to LF.

 

Devers goes oppo pretty well.

 

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/rafael-devers/17350/spray-charts?position=3B&type=battedball

[Slasher9]

Devers goes oppo pretty well.

 

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/rafael-devers/17350/spray-charts?position=3B&type=battedball

 

then why are you mad at him?

[mvp 78]

then why are you mad at him?

 

[jung]

IMO the idea of having RHH over LHH in Fenway is overrated because it assumes every hitter is a pull hitter. Sure, RHH's are great when they pull the ball but The Wall is (or at least should be) very attractive for LHH's. They don't even have to hit it particularly well to have something good happen. What would be a routine FB out to LF anyplace else is off The Wall in Fenway. For a ML hitter it should be no more than a chip shot on a ball that's up and away.

 

Even the word on Benintendi and the much maligned JBJ is that if/when they hit the ball the opp way they're successful. The problem with our LHH's isn't that they hit left handed, it's that they can't/won't hit to LF.

 

Mo Vaughn was probably the best we had at using the Monster at Fenway from the left side.

 

For those interested our very best hitters just by stats have been LH hitters, Ted Williams, David Ortiz and Yaz, Wade Boggs (punch and judy category), Mo Vaughn (does not get the credit he deserves from Sox nation because the team didn't go anywhere), Tris Speaker. The preponderance of our best hitters have been RH hitters including, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Manny Ramirez, Dwight Evans, Dustin Pedroia, Jim Rice, Dom Dimaggio (crushed by military service), Rico Petrocelli, Pete Runnels (punch and judy from the right side), Nomar, Harry Hopper (border line but thought he deserved a call out).

 

I believe Mookie would have slotted in somewhere as a RH hitter and he still might if he comes back. Rafi might slot in from the left. I am less sure about him as he has such a violent swing. He certainly has the potential. Less of a sure thing than Mookie. X will likely be here long enough to slot in from the right side.

Edited February 11, 2020 by jung

[Bellhorn04]

Mo Vaughn was probably the best we had at using the Monster at Fenway from the left side.

 

Better than Papi?