Red Sox Week In Review: Baseball Is Back & Kristian Campbell Is Ready

I have some questions as the Red Sox roster has started to come into shape, and we get a few games under our belts. It is way too early in the season to start making reactionary decisions, but the small sample-size theater has had some interesting stage work so far. Let’s dive in. 

Kristian Campbell Looks Ready For The BIGS 
When the Red Sox promoted Kristian Campbell, it said more about their confidence in him than his performance. Campbell struggled in spring training, often chasing pitches out of the strike zone. Campbell made the team anyway but looked nervous in his first few at-bats, again chasing pitches and swinging awkwardly. He did manage to log his first big league hit in that first game, and perhaps that helped to settle his nerves a bit. 

His performance on Saturday in the 4-3 loss to Texas showed why the Sox had so much confidence in him. Campbell launched his first big league home run off the back wall of the bullpen in left field and finished the night 2-3, adding a double and a walk. He also nearly made a spectacular catch in his first start in left field, but the ball popped out of his glove on a rough landing and was ruled a double. 

The NESN broadcast shared that when they got to the team hotel in Texas, Campbell was going through the room assignments to find out who his roommate would be. Alex Cora had to inform him that he gets his own room at this level. This is a small sample size, to be sure, but this kid has a lot to be excited about as he gets settled into the big-league routine. 

So far, Campbell is batting .429/.500/.786 (1.286 OPS) in his first four games. 

Who Needs Spring Training? Wilyer Abreu Is RAKING 
Red Sox fans were concerned that Wilyer Abreu would not be ready for opening day after he brought the plague with him to camp (or quite possibly walked the Oregon Trail over the offseason). Abreu lost at least 15 pounds and didn’t see game action for several weeks. When he finally debuted, he struggled mightily, going 1-for-20 in spring action. Abreu insisted he was good to go and “felt strong” despite the weight loss. He wasted no time proving it, blasting two home runs on opening day, including a game-winning three-run shot in the 9^th inning to snap the tie in an eventual 5-2 Red Sox win. Maybe it is the newfound dad strength, as Abreu recently became a father, welcoming twins just a few weeks ago. 

Abreu has looked the most comfortable at the plate out of any of the Red Sox hitters (7-for-10 with two home runs, two doubles, five walks, and zero strikeouts) and may be poised for a breakout that could take him out of the platoon situation that he found himself in throughout his rookie season. Alex Cora left Abreu in the game to face a lefty on Opening Day (Abreu worked a walk) in what would typically be a pinch-hit scenario to bring in Rob Refsnyder. This left him in the game to face a righty in the 9^th in a clutch spot where he came up big. It will be interesting to see if Cora continues to trust his right fielder more and if his role continues to expand. 

The Big Boys Are Scuffling 
While the bottom of the lineup has been doing some damage (see Abreu, Wilyer & Campbell, Kristian), the top of the lineup hasn’t done much to generate offense over this first series. 

Rafael Devers is 0 for 16 and is on pace to strike out about 500 times. 

Triston Casas has gone 1 for 16 with seven strikeouts, looking lost at the plate. 

Trevor Story has gone 1 for 11 with one walk, although he has stolen two bases already. 

Jarren Duran is 4 for 16.

Alex Bregman is 4 for 17. 

This lineup is projected to score a lot of runs and was ranked by Anthony Castrovince as one of the best, if not the best, in the American League. These are good players who will figure things out eventually, but boy, has it been an ugly start to the season. 

The biggest concern is Devers, who has consistently been beaten by fastballs in the zone. Whether he did not have enough game action in the spring to get his timing down, his shoulders are still bothering him, or the DH tax is hitting him with the highest income bracket, it's apparent that he does not look comfortable at the plate at all. Devers is key to this lineup functioning at full potential, and the sooner he can get himself right, the better. 

Ever The Need For Situational Hitting
When the Red Sox wrapped up their 4-3 loss to Texas on Saturday night, you didn’t need to look any farther than the LOB column in the scorecard to see why. The Sox left ten men stranded while going just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. After Sunday’s 3-2 loss, where they went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring, their season total so far is 5-for-40 with runners in scoring position over the first four games. Yikes. The story of last season was when the Sox pitched, they didn’t hit, and vice versa. This became a real problem late in the season last year and led to the collapse of the offense that had carried them to a playoff position at the All-Star break. The Red Sox improved their pitching depth significantly this offseason, so hopefully, the staff doesn’t run out of bullets come August. That won’t matter if the lineup can’t find a way to get runners over and in. It's a small sample size for sure, but they seem to be picking up right where they left off. 

What's Next?
The Red Sox fly to Baltimore to start a 3-game series against the Orioles. Sean Newcomb will get the ball Monday in his Red Sox debut. The Massachusetts native earned the fifth spot in the rotation after a surprisingly dominant spring training showing and looks to continue that success against a strong Orioles lineup. The Red Sox open their first home stand of the season on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Monday @ Orioles
Tuesday Off Day
Wednesday @ Orioles
Thursday @ Orioles
Friday vs Cardinals 
Saturday vs Cardinals
Sunday vs Cardinals