Evaluating Chad Tracy's First 50 Games as Red Sox Interim Manager

The Boston Red Sox have reached the 50-game mark under interim manager Chad Tracy, and while the team has shown signs of progress, they remain near the bottom of the American League standings. With the trade deadline looming, the organization must decide whether he has done enough to lead the team moving forward.

Tracy inherited a difficult situation. Before his promotion, his predecessor, Alex Cora, was released after starting the season with a 10-17 record and sitting at the bottom of the American League East standings. While Cora's roster dealt with some injuries, it was the regression of his offense that was really the nail in the coffin. Expected to build off of last season’s breakout prospects, like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, the lineup instead saw a complete decline, with the team having the second-lowest team wRC+ of 84 during this span. This regression, along with disagreement of philosophies with Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, caused Cora, along with six of his staff, to be fired.

Previously managing the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, Tracy's familiarity with several of the struggling young prospects made him a natural choice to take over. This familiarity, along with a more analytical approach to the team’s struggles, helped bring stability to the Red Sox lineup. After just over 50 games, the team is 22-29 under him, but has shown flashes of better times to come.

The offense as a whole has seen the most improvement under Tracy. Since taking over, the team ranks in the top 10 in the MLB in batting average in large part due to Tracy’s rebuilt hitting staff, which has helped several struggling players find their footing. No turnaround has been more noticeable than that of third baseman Caleb Durbin. After an underwhelming start to the season, Durbin has flourished under the guidance of Tracy’s staff. The skipper's public support of Durbin fixing his mechanics with a private hitting coach has sparked results for the 26-year-old. Over the past month, Durbin is batting .325/.341/.610 with a .952 OPS while hitting four home runs.

Tracy also used his familiarity with the farm system to address some weaknesses on the roster. In May, Tracy called up catcher Mickey Gasper after getting underwhelming production from Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong. Since his call-up, Gasper has carved himself a starting role, batting .255/.319/.324 and slotting into the leadoff spot while Jarren Duran continues to work out his swing.

But although the individual improvements have been welcomed, they have yet to translate to wins. The team currently has a record of 32-46 and has the worst record American League. While as a group they have improved their individual batting averages, as a team, they rank in the bottom five of the MLB in runs and home runs under Tracy’s tenure, still not taking advantage of the solid production from their pitching staff.

This inconsistency leaves the Red Sox front office with a difficult decision. Is the development of young players enough to justify allowing Tracy and his staff to continue leading the team's growth, or should immediate results be the organization's top priority?

With the trade deadline approaching, the next month may determine not only which players stay, but whether Tracy has done enough to remain part of the organization's long-term plans.