Maxbialystock

If the pitching holds up, the Sox are on par with the Yankees. The opening 17-2 streak was mostly because of the pitching. Price is a big concern, but Pom and ERod have also had their issues. What's neat is that both Sale and Porcello have been pretty solid, and Velazquez has to be the best 6th starter in MLB. I do give the Yankees the edge in the bullpen.

Promises, promises.

JBJ was our starting centerfielder in 127 games in 2014 but he ended up in Pawtucket because his OPS was .531. Today it's .545. What keeps JBJ on the field is the top 5 or 6 in the Sox lineup. The Yankees have a new murderers row this year and lead MLB in runs scored with 185, but the Sox are second with 180 and our current top 6--Betts, Beni, Ramirez, JD, Bogaerts, and Devers--are better than theirs. The Yankees bottom third of the lineup is way better than ours. The 2014 team could not afford to keep JBJ in the lineup, but this team can. And it isn't just JBJ, it's also our two catchers and Nunez/Lin/Holt. When Moreland with is OPS of .984 plays 1b, JD goes to LF, HanRam to DH, and Beni replaces JBJ, the lineup gets even better because Devers drops to 7th. But so far Cora hasn't done that very often because the lineup has been so productive despite that bottom third whose best bat currently is Nunez with an OPS of .646. His DWAR, it should be noted, is -.4. Back to JBJ. I do agree with you that it makes sense to give JBJ more time to get his swing back to something near 2016 when his OPS was .865, Ortiz was anchoring the lineup, and a bunch of guys had good years they didn't have last year, 2017. You in fact predicted the lineup would bounce back this year and not just because of JD, and you were right. So there is hope for JBJ.

It's really not a choice between JD and JBJ. It's about how many good bats do you need in the lineup, and so far this season the answer to that has been 5 or 6. That means that the lineup can include not only JBJ but either of Leon or Vazquez plus Lin now and then. Right now the two best offenses in MLB are the Yankees and Red Sox with 185 and 180 runs scored respectively. As much as the Yankees new murderers row should be respected, our top six are probably better than theirs, but their bottom third of the lineup is way better than ours. But make no mistake. So far this is a down year for JBJ. He was just as good a fielder in 2014 as he is this year and he was the starting centerfielder on opening day. He played in 127 games but ended up in Pawtucket because his OPS was .531 and Boston wasn't scoring like that are now. Today JBJ's OPS is .545 but he is tied for 2d most games played this year on this team. Cora clearly values his defense even though his overall WAR is -.3. Plus I'm sure Cora hopes his hitting will improve. In 2016 his OPS was .865.

Even when the Sox ran out to a 17-2 record, plenty of commentators were still picking the Yankees to win the AL East. Yes, the Sox have been a good team, but only because the pitching was exceptional. Now the hitting is there, but the pitching had faltered in the last 12 games before tonight. The ERA basically doubled the ERA in the first 19 games. The Yankees now appear to have good pitching to go with their best in MLB hitting (Sox are 2d.) There are supposedly four good AL teams this year: us, Yankees, Guardians, and Astros. The Yankees just took 3 of 4 from Houston and their first game against the Guardians. I hate having this argument because I sure as heck ain't rooting for the Yankees. I've been a Sox fan longer than you, and that basically means that I've learned it is never too early to start worrying. Funny thing is, I do like this Sox team. The bottom of the order stinks. The infield defense overall is probably below average. But this team can hit--boy can they hit--and the rotation has been better than I expected except for Price. Heck, I think our 6th starter Velazquez is better than Pom, heretical as that sounds. Plus, and this is corny, I think these guys have heart, and that's what it takes to beat the dam Yankees.

I saw JD make almost that exact same catch JBJ did tonight, only he was playing RF and made the catch in right centerfield, I think at Fenway. I don't however think JD could make the one Beni made in LF tonight. As I've said already, I trust Cora's judgment, and he wants JBJ out there. But you better believe that judgment is helped by having a terrific top six in the order.

Great pitching!!!! I'm really glad Cora brought Poyner back, but I also liked the jobs Kelly and Barnes did. One more quality start by Porcello: I think he has 6 out of 7 quality starts. He remains our most reliable starter. Top six in the lineup are tough: 4 dingers and all five rbi's. Yankee freight train remains 1 back despite giving up 6 runs to Cleveland. Yankees won on a run in the bottom of the 9th with two men out. ERod tomorrow. Hopefully the warm weather will get him back in a groove. His ERA of 4.78 is rotten, but he has three quality starts in five overall.

Meh. JBJ gets to keep his job because the top six in the lineup are hitting so well and even though the bottom third isn't it. This is his 30th game, 2d most by any Sox player, which means Cora wants him out there, and I trust Cora. That said, you know the mendoza line? That's a batting average below .200. Against lefty pitchers so far this year, JBJ's OPS is .202. Now that's low.

Guardians tie NYY in the 8th. 5-5

Great grab by Beni, a play JD does not make.

Porcello is pitching a gem even with a lot of pitches.

Not that this is at all relevant to a thread on the Sox-Yankees rivalry renewed, but has anybody else noticed that freight train one game back of the Sox? Right now they are playing great, and our guys stink. On second thought, it's better to decry that two game series with the Athletics in Tokyo in 2007.

No closer is worth that money. To me the "fireman of the year" award is a joke because most of the time the closer ain't putting out a fire because he normally starts with a clean inning.

You left out advancing the runners with 1 or 0 outs. Bradley is also lousy at that. Plus don't forget that his WAR is currently -.4. To me the best case for JBJ is dead simple. Cora wants him out there, and I trust Cora.

I, on the other hand, remember a Dodgers-Yankees WS game in a late inning when Yogi Berra, a great clutch hitter, hit one down the left field (opposite field) line and Sandy Amoros caught. I remember Willie Mays grab in the 1954 WS, game 1, vs. Vic Wertz and the Guardians. I remember Jeter's flip to home on the off-line throw from the outfield. But I don't remember the name of the Sox first baseman who let that grounder go between his legs. On the other hand, I'm losing track of all the great JBJ and Mookie grabs because they do it so often.

Can't disagree with that. Plus I trust Cora, whose preference is to play him.

Then they have no sense of history. The Continental Army pushed the British Army out of Boston in March 1776, but 6 months later the British Army drove us out of New York City and kept it for the duration--all the way up until the peace treaty was signed in 1783. Londoners should be rooting for the Yankees (despite their name). Fittingly, the longest-tenured owner in NYY history was another George.

Well said. I can't argue with that. And I agree about the beauty of great defense.

I think they didn't like what they saw in 2015 when he started 84 games at C because others were on the DL. His DWAR was -.4. The Sox ERA that year was 4.31, ranked 25th. The next year it was 9th, and last year it was 4th in MLB.

Good stuff. I'm kind of anti-Vazquez right now, but agree with you completely.

The Sox already have two good bats, Moreland and HanRam, to play 1B. To me it is pointless to want to move Devers when we have weak bats elsewhere (C, 2B, CF) in the lineup. Same goes for DH: HanRam and JD. In other words, I have yet to see a compelling argument on where to put Devers besides 3B other than benching him, which I think would be monumentally stupid at this point. Second, Devers has now played 30 games, 1 more than any other Sox player, so apparently Cora sees some value in him at 3b. At the same time, however, JBJ has played in 29 games, so clearly Cora values his defense because he sure ain't worth much on offense. His overall WAR right now is -.3, but last year it was 2.8 when his OPS was .726. Now it's .545. If it were up to me, given the weakness of the bottom 3d of the order, I would play JD more in LF, moving Beni to CF and JBJ to the reserve outfielder. HanRam goes to DH and Moreland, OPS over .900, to 1b. If you hate that idea, you only need to point out that right now the Sox are 2d in MLB in scoring, which argues that a great defensive CF can only help the pitching which is really struggling right now and isn't needed that much to help with the scoring.

A good point. Here's what soxprospects wrote about Devers: Field: Has soft hands and his footwork is surprisingly good given his build. Comfortable charging the ball and making smooth transfers from glove to throwing hand. Agile for his size and has average range. Projects as at least an average defender at third base. Speed of the game could give him some trouble while he adjusts to the major league level. On occasion will lose fundamentals leading to careless errors. Should be able to stick at the position long-term unless his body gets away from him as he matures. There was concern in the lower minors that he may need to move off the position, but this stemmed almost entirely from projections that he may lose agility as he grew into his large frame, rather than from anything relating to his fielding ability.

Are you saying WAR is irrelevant to evaluating the value of a player? I love watching good glove work and a great arm. It's the poetry of baseball. But, I say again, 80% of team defense is that pitcher on the mound. Speaking of defensive players being crucified, I take it then that you would still rather have the brilliant Iglesias at SS instead of so-so Bogie as the Sox shortstop. I loved Iglesias back in 2013 because he was terrific to watch, but I was fine then with letting him go and am more than fine with Bogie at SS today. I see Devers as another Bogie in the making.

Meh. 80% of defense is the pitcher on the mound.

Devers is 3d on the team in total bases and 4th in rbi's. His overall WAR, .3, ain't much, but Nunez's is -.5. I do not understand the enmity directed toward Devers and the free ride accorded Nunez, who I might add has 9 more years professional experience than Devers. To me Devers at 3b is a good investment for the future who is contributing now and will only get better. Do I need to remind this board of other recent Sox thirdbasemen? Mike Lowell was pretty good back in 2007-9. Later came Middlebrooks and the great Pablo Sandoval.