Maxbialystock

As always, a simple, informative chart.

My goodness!

Casas had the one good year, 2023, but even then his fielding was suspect. Right now he makes Ellsbury look like one of the healthiest MLB players ever. I liked Verdugo at first if only because I remembered Elena Verdugo from Meet Millie (radio and TV and later Marcus Welby MD.

Funny thing, but I know exactly the play you're referring and completely agree. It cost 2 runs and the Sox lost 4-2. The Rangers went scoreless in innings 3-8.

I absolutely agree with your data but not with your grandpa. Winning isn't every thing--it's the only thing--and 2018 was the best Boston Red Sox team ever. Their postseason record was 11-3.

Agree on the dingers, but still think Arias is an instant plus-up at SS over Story, who, however, still has another year on his pricey contract. His average WAR/season over 5 seasons with the Sox is 1.6.

Agree. DeGrom had way better stuff last night--and accuracy. Sandoval striking out the side in the 1st was a false positive. Getting killed in the 2d was deserved.

Well said--you and mvp78 and moonslav.

Pessimistic, which is your norm. But not that far off base because the Yankees are in fact a tough team with great pitching and Judge back in the lineup. It could well be last year redux--but don't forget that the Sox came very close to winning game 2 and the series. I think Breslow did his job, but injuries to Crochet and Anthony, our two best players last season, hurt this season.

Very persuasive--terrific stats.

I wanted to keep him as the DH, but now think it was a good move by Breslow, especially with Durbin at 3b and Contreras at 1b. That said, right now Devers' OPS is .865 with 37 dingers and 98 rbi's. He has played in 148 games. No one on the Sox comes close to those numbers. On the other hand, Abreu, Rafaela, Contreras, and Durbin all have higher WAR's than Devers' 3.7.

80 years sure beats me because I'm just 86 and 80 years ago my arithmetic was pretty barebones. I got a lot better but freely admit my calculations can be suspect. Pomeranz had one lucky season. And I hate to break in on this inane discussion, but my latest "realistic view of 2026" is as follows-- Given the horrible start, a heckuva season with more ups and downs than I can remember in one season. long suit obviously is the pitching, rotation and bullpen, who this season are helped by a pretty decent defense. Offense is always the Sox long suit, but this season (with 12 games to go) they are ranked 17th in runs scored. As I have said countless times, this team is now fully Breslow's team (if you ignore overpaid Story and Yoshida who were signed by Chaim Bloom) and with the return to small ball (Sox are 24th in dingers) one can claim that Sabermetrics are in the rearview mirror. So is Cora (of whom I was a big fan). Breslow had the temerity to dump our best hitter, Devers, in June of last year and the guy who replaced him at 3b, Bregman, in the off season because he didn't want to shell out $35M X 5 = $175M. So the answer to Abbott/Costello memorable question--who's on third?--is Durbin, a bargain whose WAR is 3.9 compared to Devers 3.8 and Bregman's 5.0. I dwell on Breslow because the CBO--supported by the owner--makes a huge difference in the quality of players. And right now I give him a ton of credit because for over half of this season the Sox have been without their two best players last season--Crochet and Anthony. Last year the Sox won 89 games. Right now they are at 82 with 14 games to play, so 89 is a reasonable expectation. So is playing 3 games vs the Yankees in the postseason. Last year the Sox won the first game, lost a thriller in game 2, and were scoreless vs Schlittler in game 3. This year Schlittler will almost certainly lead off for the Yankees, I think the Yankees will win again, but also think the Sox have a shot with their best lineup healthy and the 3d best ERA in MLB. Gray, Tolle, and Bennett pitched 13.2, 13.0, and 12.1 innings vs the Yankees this season with ERA's of 1.98, 0.69, and 0.73. Suarez got killed twice by the Yankees--including 6 runs just 2 weeks ago.

As one of you has pointed out, the pitching gets tougher in the playoffs because you only need three good starters. First round Yankees are going to be tough because they have the best pitching in MLB and Judge is back (he struck out 3 times yesterday). On other hand, the Sox have some pretty good starters too and a pretty good bullpen. Their ERA is tied for 3d best in MLB. Plus position players should be pretty good with the only weakness at the middle infield. I see something like this (in any order Tracy determines)-- Anthony LF Rafaela RF Abreu RF Contreras 1b Rutschman C Gaspar DH Durbin 3b Story SS Kiner-Falefa 2b

Definitely Earl.

6 IP very unlikely because had 100 pitches in 5 IP .

Thanks.

I'm sorry to admit I think your thesis--more starters--is extravagant but right on. 😀

Rafaela on 10 day IL and Abreu not playing today. Anthony is a good steady rightfielder, but nowhere near Abreu. Speaking of Anthony, this is his second straight game in which he looked at 3 strikes in one at bat for a K. Just looked at 2 more strikes and then grounded out to--wait for it--the freaking catcher on a 5 foot grounder.

One more time--a huge play by Rutschman picking off a leadoff double by the Orioles. Catchers don't pick off runners at 2b very often. I don't remember the last time I saw it.

Well reasoned, well stated. I would add that you kind of need to start a season with 8 viable starters.

I don't troll. But I can over-react. My goodness gracious I cannot remember a catcher picking off a baserunner at 2b who had not really drifted that far away. Huge, huge play by Rutschman because that was a leadoff double in a close game.

When I get into a game and/or season, I definitely can go ape. So guilty as charged. I cannot remember a Sox season with more highs and lows than this one--nor one more difficult to characterize. The defense has been better than usual and definitely helped the pitching staff, which, despite that 16-1 loss and some others, has the 4th best ERA in MLB. Pitching is the primary engine for this season and the result of Breslow's constant search for and acquisition of arms. The singular exception was of course Chris Sale who in his last season with the Sox, 2023, was just recovering from Tommy John in 2020 and subsequent issues. Breslow was so convinced that he was through he even paid Sale's first season salary with the Braves, which is the same season when Sale won the Cy Young in the NL. Unlike all winning Sox teams of the past, this one doesn't hit all that well. Or didn't--the team OPS's for April, May, and June were .666, .736, and .689 and their won-loss record on June 30 was 37-47. In July and August the Sox OPS's were .765 and .791 and on August 31 the Sox were 75-63. The improvement was, I think, thanks to some stalwarts and some weird spit--like Gaspar replacing irreplaceable Contreras at 1b and outhitting and outfielding him. Like Story and Anthony coming back from eons on the IL and having September OPS's of .941 and .842. The two highest WAR's on this team unsurprisingly belong to two gold gloves, Abreu and Rafaela, who are also ranked 1 and 2 on the Sox in total bases. Or how about Breslow dumping superstud Bregman--who got that $175M contract with the Cubs--and going with bargain basement Durbin? Bregman's WAR is 4.7 and Durbin's is 3.5. Journeyman White just replaced the irreplaceable Rafaela in CF, where White has fielded adequately while chalking up an OPS of .867. These Sox are headed for the playoffs for the 2d straight year and the lion's share of the credit for bringing in almost all of the pitching staff plus Contreras, Durbin, Mead (still on IL), Rutschman, Gasper, Kiner-Falefa, Jones, Monasterio, and White. All but Mead have contributed. When and if Contreras, Rafaela, Crochet, Mead, and/or Houck make it back, Travis--also brought in by Breslow to replace Cora--will have a pretty good team to manage in the postseason. He will need one because the Yankees have the best pitching in MLB.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Fred exemplifies the wrong in all of us.

All's well that ends well. Nope. Even a shutout needs to be critiqued.