Mickey Gasper Is Staking His Claim To A Red Sox's Postseason Roster Spot

The current form of Mickey Gasper has created his strongest argument yet for carving out a more permanent role on the Boston Red Sox's roster heading into the playoffs. In a roller-coaster season for Boston, Gasper has taken advantage of his limited opportunities, providing an offensive spark each time he has been called up. Since his late call-up in August, Gasper is hitting .417/.576/1.167 with a 1.742 OPS, 12 RBIs and five home runs after going without one through the first half of the season. While he also offers positional versatility with experience at catcher and first base, his newfound power could be what helps him move up the depth chart. 

What's Behind Mickey Gasper's Recent Surge

Since returning to the majors, Gasper has made slight adjustments to his swing path that have helped him make better contact and produce more power. Against fastballs, he increased his average attack angle from 9 degrees to 11 degrees, allowing him to better capitalize on pitches left higher in the strike zone. His average exit velocity against fastballs has increased from 89.0 mph in June to 97.2 mph in August. Gasper has hit four of his five home runs against fastballs.

Against off-speed pitches, Gasper has favored an opposite approach, decreasing his average attack angle from 20 degrees to 17 degrees. The adjustment has helped flatten his swing and allowed his bat to meet the middle of the ball rather than getting underneath it or completely whiffing. Against off-speed pitches in August, Gasper has posted a 25.0% whiff rate, down from 26.7% back in June. If these adjustments remain consistent, his recent power surge could offer the team a game-changing option off the bench.

An Opportunity Behind the Plate

That offensive production could become particularly valuable behind the plate, where Boston’s depth has been tested throughout the season. At the beginning of the season, the Red Sox expected Carlos Narváez to continue building on his strong rookie season while Connor Wong served as his backup. However, after Narváez experienced a steep regression, Boston moved on and acquired three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman in a trade. 

Rutschman’s addition to a Red Sox team in the middle of a playoff push appeared to solve the team’s questions behind the plate, but he has yet to find his footing. Since joining the team, he has been batting .146/.255/.244 with a .499 OPS. While there should be little question about Rutschman’s status as the starter, Gasper’s recent form could reopen the conversation about who should serve as the team’s second option.

Currently, Gasper sits behind Wong on the depth chart. Wong has been a solid option, batting .246/.327/.374 with a .701 OPS, but has struggled to consistently produce power, hitting only four home runs this season. In nearly 50 fewer at-bats, Gasper has recorded only eight fewer hits than Wong, giving Boston another reason to consider whether his recent offensive surge deserves a larger role.

Versatility Could Be the Difference

Gasper's production does not necessarily make a case for him to be Boston’s starting catcher. However, his ability to provide offensive production while playing both catcher and first base could make him an appealing option for a postseason roster. At the very least, he's more capable of handling late-game substitution situations than Wong, which could prove to be the tiebreaker as the Red Sox mull over their best 26 players ahead of October.