Charlie Hoke

Rookies have made an impact in the post season for both good and bad. Is it wise to trust a rookie during the Playoffs and World Series? Of the remaining 2025 Playoff teams, there are 3 rookies on the Brewers, 1 on Toronto and 1 on the Dodgers. Milwaukee Brewers Issac Collins, OF Caleb Durbin, 3B Jacob Misiorowski, RP Los Angeles Dodgers Rori Sasaki, RP Toronto Blue Jays Trey Yesavage, SP In Game 2 of the ALCS, Trey Yesavage started and pitched until the 5th inning only giving up 3 runs before he was lifted with 2 men on in a tie game. The bullpen subsequently gave up the lead pinning Yesavage with the loss. Will he get another chance if the series goes further? In Game 1 of the NLCS, Both Issac Collins and Caleb Durbin were starters with Issac Collins scoring the only Brewers run off of Dodgers reliever, Rory Sasaki, who had previously saved 2 games in the NLDS. The Dodgers went to the bullpen with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning and were able to close it out for Sasaki. Will the rookies continue to shine on the biggest stage or will more veteran experience be more telling?

History suggests that managers in the first full season with a team have a good chance of winning the World Series. In Red Sox history, the following first year managers all won World Series in their first full season with the team: Jake Stahl (1912) Ed Barrow (1918) Terry Francona (2004) John Farrell (2012) Alex Cora (2018) Honorable mentions should go to Dick Williams who led the Red Sox to the 1967 pennant in his rookie manager season and to Joe "Walpole Joe" Morgan, who won two American League East Titles in his 1st and 3rd years as manager. "There can be only one." - Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez (Highlander) Only one remaining playoff team in the 2025 Division Series has a manager in his first full season: Dan Wilson, Seattle Mariners, 90-72 record and the #2 seed in the American League. Will Dan Wilson's first full year as manager bring Seattle its first World Series championship?

After the end of the 2025 regular season, Jarred Kelenic is outrighted to the Braves AAA-Gwinnett farm team, removed from the Braves' 40-man roster, will not be offered arbitration, and instead opts for free agency. At 26, will he have the chance to continue his MLB career elsewhere? For now, Kelenic's biggest claim to fame may be bestowing the nickname, Big Dumper, to MVP candidate, Cal Raleigh, who was his teammate on the Seattle Mariners in 2021. Jarred Kelenic becomes free agent after being outrighted by Braves (Retrieved Oct 5, 2025) Why Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is called the Big Dumper | Sporting News (Retrieved Oct 5, 2025)

Mookie Betts and Kyle Schwarber, two ex-Red Sox, face off in the 2025 National League Division Series. Would the Sox have been better off keeping them instead of letting both go? Mookie Betts was traded away before the 2020 season for Jeter Downs, Alex Verdugo, and Connor Wong. Of the three, only Connor Wong remains now as a Red Sox, playing catcher. Betts had turned down a $300 million extension from the Red Sox resulting in his trade before his final contract year with the Red Sox. The Dodgers subsequently signed him to a 12 year extension for close to $400 million. Kyle Schwarber played part of 2021 and left after the season as a free agent, signing a 4-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, a contract that finishes this year. Mookie since leaving the Red Sox has won two World Series and had 6 consecutive post-seasons with the Dodgers. Schwarber has led the Phillies to 4 consecutive post-seasons and one World Series after leaving the Red Sox. Would the Red Sox have gotten to the playoffs in the past few seasons had those two elite top of the order players remained?

In the first games of the 2025 Wild Card Series, two winning teams had their closers pitch multiple innings and it paid off. Most managers are reluctant to use their closers for more than one inning for fear of injury, overuse, or some other reason that belies the optimal strategy of using your best closer in the most highly leveraged situations. In Game 1 between the Red Sox and the Yankees, Aroldis Chapman came in the bottom of the 8th inning with a one run lead and the tying run at first to face the Yankees #9 hitter, José Caballero, and despite balking the runner to 2nd, gets Caballero to fly out. In the top of the 9th, Alex Bregman drives in an insurance run to make it a 2-run lead before the Yankees get their final at bats. Staying in the game for the 9th inning, Chapman made it even more exciting by giving up three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. In his only multi-inning appearance during the regular season, Aroldis Chapman came in the 7th inning against the Phillies on July 23, 2025, holding a one run lead getting the last out but then giving up a game tying home run in the 8th inning, a game which the Sox would win in 11. However, despite spotting the Yankees 3 base runners, Aroldis Chapman strikes out Giancarlo Stanton swinging, gets Jazz Chisholm on a flyball and then Trent Grisham on a swinging strikeout and the Sox take a 1 game lead in the Wild Card and a save goes in the books for Chapman, Likewise in Game 1 between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians, Tigers closer Will Vest came into the game with 2 outs in the 8th inning to successfully save the lead in a 1 run game. This was not an unfamiliar situation for Vest who had 16 multi-inning appearances and 3 multi-inning saves during the regular season. Currently, the closer pitches only in the final inning of a close game to nail down a victory, however, simply using a closer with such strict consistency is not the best strategy. In the past, relievers often went multiple innings and the multi-inning save was more common. In yesterday's two wild card games, the closer game in early to deal with the potential tying run on base already. Aroldis Chapman faced the #9 hitter and Will Vest faced the #2 hitter in their respective opponent's lineups. Getting the out here was crucial to holding the lead. With the top of order and heart of the orders coming up, Chapman and Vest would face the best batters of the Yankees and Indians. In both cases, the win probability for the Yankees and Indians edged up to 23% and 26% in the bottom of the 8th and managers Alex Cora for the Red Sox and AJ Hinch for the Tigers made the call to the bullpen for their closer to take the mound for an early entrance and it paid out with victories. Will more closers be used earlier and to get more than 3 outs to nail down games?

The regular season is over and now the post-season begins. So how much do the playoff teams get for getting into the postseason? Gate receipts from the guaranteed post-season games form the player pool of money. The guaranteed games are the minimum number of games in each series that must be played to determine the winner. This would be 2 games for the Wild Card Series, 3 for the Division series, and 4 for the League Championships and World Series games. 60% of these receipts from all of these games form the pool and then the money is divided between the winning and losing teams as follows: World Series Winner..................................36% World Series Loser....................................24% League Championship Series Losers (2)...............24% Division Series Losers (4).............................13% Wild Card Series Losers (4) ............................3% The players on the team then divide the pool into full shares, partial shares, and separate cash awards. In 2018, when the Red Sox won the World Series, the total player's pool was $88,188,633.49. The Red Sox 36% share of the pool was $31.747.908.06, which was divided into: 66 full shares @ $416.837.72 each 10.025 partial shares 8 cash awards In this case, full shares went to most players who played during the year, the front office staff, and coaching staff. Partial shares and cash awards were issued to others as determined by the players Sources: MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (2022-2026) MLB Sets Postseason Shares Record Of Over $88 Million For 2018

Players moving between the Red Sox and the Yankees has been as common and frequent as the express air shuttle between the two cities. Of the 251 players who played for both teams, here’s some of the most significant switches. Which team has come out ahead? 2024: The Cuban Missile Soars! Signing Aroldis Chapman as a free agent is one of the more prescient moves by the Sox. A closer who has won two World Series and having played 7 seasons with the Yankees, at the age of 37, Aroldis Chapman is on the verge of setting the Red Sox record for the lowest ERA for a reliever. With a history of acquiring closers, Boston has secured Chapman's services for 2026 and will have an option for 2027 as well. 2024: A starting catcher as last Carlos Narváez was traded for Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz in December, 2024 and has become the Red Sox starting catcher has played stellar defense and has also hit 11 home runs through August 24, 2025, while Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz has rapidly ascended from A to AA in the minor leagues with stellar performance. Year Tm Lg Lev Aff W L ERA RA9 G GS IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2022 2 Teams 2 Lgs Rk-A BOS 0 3 1.88 3.52 13 10 38.1 31 15 8 0 15 0 42 1.20 7.3 0 3.5 9.9 2.8 2022 Salem CARL A BOS 0 0 1.50 1.50 2 2 6.0 3 1 1 0 3 0 6 1.00 4.5 0 4.5 9 2.0 2022 Red Sox FCL Rk BOS 0 3 1.95 3.90 11 8 32.1 28 14 7 0 12 0 36 1.24 7.8 0 3.3 10 3.0 2023 Salem CARL A BOS 6 3 2.60 4.07 14 14 55.1 43 25 16 4 27 0 51 1.27 7 0.7 4.4 8.3 1.9 2024 2 Teams 2 Lgs A-A+ BOS 5 5 2.91 3.91 21 20 89.2 65 39 29 5 43 0 102 1.20 6.5 0.5 4.3 10.2 2.4 2024 Greenville SALL A+ BOS 2 1 3.77 4.08 7 7 28.2 18 13 12 4 18 0 29 1.26 5.7 1.3 5.7 9.1 1.6 2024 Salem CARL A BOS 3 4 2.51 3.84 14 13 61.0 47 26 17 1 25 0 73 1.18 6.9 0.1 3.7 10.8 2.9 2025 2 Teams 2 Lgs A+-AA NYY 9 6 2.28 2.92 22 21 126.1 85 41 32 3 50 0 146 1.07 6.1 0.2 3.6 10.4 2.9 2025 Somerset EL AA NYY 3 2 2.32 2.95 7 7 42.2 33 14 11 2 13 0 47 1.08 7 0.4 2.7 9.9 3.6 2025 Hudson Valley SALL A+ NYY 6 4 2.26 2.90 15 14 83.2 52 27 21 1 37 0 99 1.06 5.6 0.1 4 10.6 2.7 All Levels (4 Seasons) 20 17 2.47 3.49 70 65 309.2 224 120 85 12 135 0 341 1.16 6.5 0.3 3.9 9.9 2.5 Stats for Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz from Baseball-reference.com through August 26, 2025 2024: Alex Verdugo cut loose three years in a row Signed for 5 years, Alex Verdugo was traded to the Yankees after year 4 for 3 players: Nicholas Judice, Richard Fitts and Greg Weissert. Despite getting to the 2024 World Series with the Yankees, Verdugo was again allowed to leave as a free agent, signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves, was called up in April, but released in July, 2005. Will his trifecta of new teams be the end or will a fourth team take a chance on him? 2013: 7 phat years followed by 7 lean ones 7 productive years with the Red Sox and two World Championships for Jacoby Ellsbury attracted the Yankees who outbid the Red Sox with a 7-year contract with an 8th year option. However, Jacoby's production was leaner during his Yankee years and saw Jacoby released before his contract was up. 2006: The Caveman shaves After 4 years and 1 World Series win, Johnny Damon heads to New York, shaves his beard to abide by the Yankees’ grooming code, and plays for four more years and one more championship, missing one other Red Sox championship during that time. 1996: The Rocket lifts off After 192 wins, 3 20+ win seasons, and 3 Cy Young Awards, Roger Clemens left as a free agent in 1996 as Boston management believed he was in the "twilight" of his career. Signing with Toronto, Clemens won the Cy Young award in back-to-back seasons before being traded to Yankees. Two World Series championships, another 20-game winning season, three other World Series appearances, one with his hometown Astros, and two more Cy Young awards, 7 total, the most all-time, rounded out Clemens' career. 1996: Mike Stanton fortifies the pen After 1.5 seasons with the Red Sox, Mike Stanton was traded to the Rangers and then signed with the Yankees starting a streak of 6 years in the post season and 3 World Series championships. A 19-year career showed that a talented lefthander is always in demand. 1993: Chicken Dinners in New York A 5-time AL batting champ with the Red Sox, Wade Boggs had a .369 career average in Fenway, the highest all-time, but after his 1st sub-.300 season in 1992, Wade Boggs was not re-signed and entered free agency. Boggs left Boston and joined the Yankees, winning two World Series, and then played his final two seasons in Tampa Bay, collecting his 3,000th hit. Wade Boggs was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2005. 1986: The Hit Man for the Groove Don Baylor, a former MVP, was traded for Mike Easler in an exchange of designated hitters. In exchange for future Cy Young award winner John Tudor, Easler came over from the Pittsburgh Pirates and hit .313 with 27 home runs and 91 RBIs in 1984, but his production dropped the following year. As a right-handed batter, Baylor was better suited for Fenway Park and hit 31 home runs, bringing heart of the order offense and clubhouse leadership that contributed to Boston's winning the AL pennant in 1986. 1978: El Tiante goes out Luis Tiant won 122 games and was a 20+ game winner 3 times for the Sox but was only offered a 1-year contract after the 1978 season. Instead, he took a two-year deal with the Yankees and a 10-year post-playing deal as a Yankee scout, leaving as a free agent. A viable Hall of Fame candidate, Luis was on the BBWAA ballot for 20 years and was on 6 Veteran Committee ballots but never achieved that honor before passing away at 83 in 2024. 1977: The Bear can’t get over the mountain in Fenway Hoping to reverse the trend of giving players to the Yankees, the Red Sox signed Mike Torrez as a free agent who was fresh off a World Series win with the Yankees after the 1977 season. It almost paid off as Torrez led the Red Sox to a tie at the end of the 1978 season and started the tie-breaking 163rd game. Leading 2-0 with two outs in the 7th inning, Torrez served up a 3-run homer to Bucky Dent, giving the Yankees a lead they would not relinquish. Winning 60 games for the Red Sox over 5 years, Torrez’s first year, 1978, was the only year the Red Sox came close to the post-season. 1972: “Why pitch 9 inning when you can get just as famous pitching 2?” Sparky Lyle Debuting in 1967, Sparky Lyle missed the World Series due to a sore arm. He emerged as the Red Sox closer in those first 5 MLB seasons. Before the start of the 1972 season, Sparky Lyle was traded for 1st baseman Danny Cater and shortstop Mario Guerrero. Arriving in New York, he became their closer and was the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award in 1977 and that year was the first of back-to-back world championships for him and the Yankees. 1930: Red Yankee Red Ruffing was traded for a backup outfielder in 1930 and $50,000. Although he lost 20 games twice for the Red Sox, he won 20+ games 4 times in a row for the Yankees winning 6 World Championships and 7 pennants. Red Ruffing was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1967. 1921: Waite Hoyt from Schoolboy to Aristocrat Starting his professional career at the age of 15, Waite Hoyt joined Boston for his major league debut. After his first two major league seasons in Boston, Waite Hoyt was traded in an 8-player deal in 1921 to the Yankees, where he led them to 6 pennants and two world championships. A popular broadcaster after his playing days, Waite Hoyte won 237 games, but only 10 of them with Boston, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 by the Veteran’s Committee. 1919: The Bambino for Nannette The most well-known player move was Babe Ruth. After 6 years in Boston and 3 World Championships, the Bambino was sold after the season in 1919 to the Yankees for $100,000 to help fund the first stage production of the play that would become the musical No No Nanette. This sale allegedly started the curse of the Bambino which resulted in the Red Sox never winning the World Championship again for 86 years. 1919: Mays to the Yankees After two back-to-back seasons where he won more than 20 games (22 and 21) and pitching on two World Series champions in 1916 and 1918, Carl Mays was shipped mid-season in 1919 from the Red Sox to the Yankees for $40,000 and two other players. Carl Mays went on to win 26 and 27 games for the Yankees and helped take them to two more World Series. Carl Mays is infamous for throwing the pitch that killed batter Ray Chapman in 1920, the only major league player killed during a game. So who do you think has done better, the Sox or the Yankees in exchanging players over the years?

Jarred Kelenic has a website, https://www.kelenic.com/, but it hasn't been updated since 2021. When will we see Roman Anthony's website?

Roman Anthony just tied Ted Williams for the most times on base in his first 50 games with 82. In some elite company, indeed! Ted Williams: Batting Stats Through Career Game #50 G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GIDP HBP 50 224 196 29 54 17 3 9 54 1 0 28 33 .276 .366 .531 .897 104 3 0 Roman Anthony: Batting Stats Through Career Game #50 G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GIDP HBP 50 208 175 27 49 16 1 2 20 2 1 28 52 .280 .394 .417 .811 73 1 5 https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/history/roman-anthony-just-tied-ted-williams-in-elite-boston-red-sox-franchise-history

And just like that, after less than a week on the MLB roster without a single at bat or appearance in the field, on Monday, August 4, 2025, Jarred Kelenic is sent back down to AAA Gwinnett. His only contribution was as a pinch-runner for the ghost runner at 2nd base to start the 10th inning of a 1-0 loss at Kansas City on July 30, 2025. On a leadoff single by Ozzie Albies, Kelenic was only able to make it to third and was stranded as the Braves failed to plate him with 2 strikeouts and a lineout. His MLB career will continue to be on hold. For Roman Anthony, though he looks to be a bona fide major leaguer and is here to stay.

Jarred Kelenic was recalled from Triple AAA Gwinnett to the Atlanta Braves on July 30, 2025 and will now have a chance to play while RF Ronald Acuña is out with an injury. It is interesting that in his latest triple AAA stint, Kelenic was primarily a DH with only 2 games played in the field at RF. Batting .218 in Gwinnett, Kelenic has his work cut out for him if he's to be the everyday right fielder in Acuña's absence.

Actually the #1 and #2 and sometimes even the #3 will cause the lesser numbered pitchers to be skipped for starts. That's why top starters used to get 40+ starts a year, now about 30+ starts vs 20+ for the lower ranked pitchers. #1 will usually start every 5th day, bumping the lesser starters. With off days and travel days that count as rest days, the top starters will pitch based on the calendar and not on the game number. So Buehler will be skipped if a better pitcher is fully rested. And in the playoffs, teams will often go with a 3 or 4 man rotation.

Don't forget the night clubbing and nightlife distractions in many more cities now then before when there weren't as many teams, and the teams were closer geographically and culturally.

The travel schedule is heavier nowadays with much more cross-country travel, and there is benefit to giving the regulars some rest, while also keeping the bench players fresh with playing time. In the old days, you carried a bullpen catcher like Ralph Houk in 1950 who started 1 game and appeared in 10. Now the bullpen catcher is a non-roster player.

So on July 22, 2025, Rafael Devers made his first start in the field at 1st base for the Giants and was quoted that he prefers playing in the field to being a full-time DH only. Hopefully this move will enliven his bat for the future. “It keeps me active. It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at-bat,” Devers said through an interpreter. “I’m the kind of player that likes to be active, likes to be on the field. I’d rather be on the field than be in the cage hitting all the time and just thinking about the next at-bat.” Rafael Devers debuts at first base for Giants after Red Sox trade

I blogged about Roman Anthony's prospects when he was first called up. He's definitely looking more like Brady Anderson, the Orioles years! Also, gave a take on Devers' reluctance to move to 1B and appropriate as a general take on moving players around. Feel free to comment on my take here or there.

Hopefully if there is a trade, they'll get something of use immediately versus the trade for spare parts and prospects that came from giving Devers away.

I don't think Bregman has been here long enough to give us a home town discount, especially with his agent being Scott Boras, who always seems to be looking to maximize his agent fee, which means maximizing a player's contract amount. :( For Chapman, the question is how much will a 38 year old closer have in the tank for the next year or two?

This was not the first time an injured elbow cost Ted Williams. In 1946 because of the tie for the National League pennant between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the St Louis Cardinals, the Red Sox owner, Tom Yawkey, worried about his team staying sharp if they had to wait for the 3 game National League playoff series to be concluded. It was decided to have a 3 game exhibition series between Boston and selected American League players, forming an impromptu All-Star series. Unfortunately, in the first game, Ted Williams was hit in the elbow by a pitch from Mickey Haefner. Although x-rays were negative, Ted had been painfully bruised with the injured elbow possibly accounting for his poor World Series performance against the Cardinals, going 5 for 20 (.200) with only 1 single and 1 RBI.

If your batting average declines each year for 6 years straight, can you stay in the big leagues? Although there are many new and more advanced statistics, batting average is still a useful measure of a player's ability. Is 6 consecutive years of declining batting average irreversible? Red Sox Dave Stapleton, an infielder who played from 1980-1986, is the only MLB player who played at least seven years whose batting average declined each year throughout his career. [1] From a high of .321 in his rookie debut in 1980, Dave's batting average declined every year to a nadir of .128 in 1986. Dave Stapleton, Boston Red Sox (1980-1986) Batting Age Team Lg WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ 1980 26 BOS AL 3 106 449 61 144 33 5 7 45 3 2 13 32 .321 .338 .463 .802 113 .357 108 1981 27 BOS AL 1.3 93 355 45 101 17 1 10 42 0 4 21 22 .285 .325 .423 .747 109 .346 111 1982 28 BOS AL 0.6 150 538 66 142 28 1 14 65 2 4 31 40 .264 .305 .398 .703 87 .315 81 1983 29 BOS AL -1.6 151 542 54 134 31 1 10 66 1 1 40 44 .247 .297 .363 .661 76 .299 67 1984 30 BOS AL -0.2 13 39 4 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 3 .231 .286 .282 .568 55 .253 33 1985 31 BOS AL -0.3 30 66 4 15 6 0 0 2 0 0 4 11 .227 .271 .318 .590 59 .279 56 1986 32 BOS AL -0.9 39 39 4 5 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 10 .128 .171 .154 .325 -10 .154 -32 7 Yrs 2.0 582 2028 238 550 118 8 41 224 6 11 114 162 .271 .310 .398 .707 90 .320 84 162 Game Avg 0.6 162 564 66 153 33 2 11 62 2 3 32 45 .271 .310 .398 .707 90 .320 84 Dave Stapleton, Boston Red Sox (1986 and Career Totals) 1B Fielding Stats Pos G CG Inn Ch PO A E DP Fld% lgFld% Rtot Rtot/yr RF/9 lgRF9 RF/G lgRFG 1986 BOS AL 1B 29 5 85 86 79 7 0 10 1.000 .991 -1 -13 9.11 9.42 2.97 9.33 1B (7 Yrs) 1B 318 270 2547 2815 2593 201 21 266 .993 .992 11 5 9.87 9.87 8.79 9.78 Dave Stapleton is most well-known for what he didn't do than for what he may have done. In Game 6 of the 1986 World Series with the Red Sox leading by 2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, he was not inserted as a defensive substitution at 1st base, something that had been done throughout the regular season and the playoffs, coming in 25 times during the regular season and in all 7 winning playoff games (4 in the ALCS and 3 in the World Series) in 1986. The losing play of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series [2] was on an error by the Red Sox 1st Baseman, which allowed the New York Mets to score the winning run and consequently forced a World Series Game 7, which the Red Sox also lost. Had Dave Stapleton been playing in the field in that 10th inning, would that same result have occurred, and would the Red Sox have won the 1986 World Series subsequently? Would a 1986 World Series win by the Red Sox helped him to continue his career? It's interesting to speculate on how one bouncing ball could have changed the course of history for a team and its players. As it was, 1986 was Dave Stapleton's final season at the age of 32. For him, 6 years of decline was not recoverable. In his 6th down year In 2025, another player has seen his batting average decline year after year for 6 years. Tim Anderson, a former AL batting champion, silver slugger, and 2-time All-star has seen his batting average drop 6 straight years since winning the 2019 AL batting crown. It was not an errant ball, but perhaps an errant brawl that has symbolized Tim Anderson's decline. when he exchanged punches with Jose Ramirez after a dispute on the basepaths on August 5, 2023. In his age 32 season, Tim Anderson was just released by the Los Angeles Angels on May 31, 2025. Is this the end of the line for Tim Anderson? Tim Anderson Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels (2016-2025) Batting Age Team Lg WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ 2016 23 CHW AL 2.3 99 410 57 116 22 6 9 30 10 2 13 117 .283 .306 .432 .738 100 .326 101 2017 24 CHW AL -0.3 146 587 72 151 26 4 17 56 15 1 13 162 .257 .276 .402 .679 81 .305 82 2018 25 CHW AL 3.9 153 567 77 136 28 3 20 64 26 8 30 149 .240 .281 .406 .687 87 .308 88 2019 26 CHW AL 4.2 123 498 81 167 32 0 18 56 17 5 15 109 .335 .357 .508 .865 128 .369 128 2020 27 CHW AL 2.5 49 208 45 67 11 1 10 21 5 2 10 50 .322 .357 .529 .886 140 .382 140 2021 28 CHW AL 4.5 123 527 94 163 29 2 17 61 18 7 22 119 .309 .338 .469 .806 118 .357 123 2022 29 CHW AL 1.3 79 332 50 100 13 0 6 25 13 0 14 55 .301 .339 .395 .734 109 .332 105 2023 30 CHW AL -1.8 123 493 52 121 18 2 1 25 13 2 26 122 .245 .286 .296 .582 62 .263 56 2024 31 MIA NL -1.5 65 234 16 50 3 0 0 9 4 4 7 68 .214 .237 .226 .463 29 .204 15 2025 32 LAA AL 0 31 83 8 17 3 0 0 3 1 1 3 29 .205 .258 .241 .499 40 .224 31 10 Yrs 15 991 3939 552 1088 185 18 98 350 122 32 153 980 .276 .307 .407 .714 94 .316 93 162 Game Avg 2.5 162 644 90 178 30 3 16 57 20 5 25 160 .276 .307 .407 .714 94 .316 93 Tim Anderson Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels (2024-2025 and Career Totals) Fielding Season Age Team Lg Pos G CG Inn Ch PO A E DP Fld% lgFld% Rtot Rtot/yr Rdrs Rdrs/yr RF/9 lgRF9 RF/G lgRFG 2024 31 MIA NL SS 63 59 537 245 66 170 9 34 .963 .972 -1 -2 0 0 3.95 3.82 3.75 3.77 2025 32 LAA AL 2B 16 12 125 65 23 40 2 14 .969 .982 -1 -10 1 10 4.54 4.03 3.94 3.97 2025 32 LAA AL SS 15 8 101 50 20 28 2 9 .960 .976 1 9 1 12 4.28 3.73 3.2 3.67 10 Yrs 981 913 8443 3822 1294 2384 144 517 .962 .973 -51 -7 -25 -4 3.92 3.9 3.75 3.84 SS (10 Yrs) SS 963 899 8300 3751 1268 2342 141 503 .962 .973 -50 -7 -26 -4 3.91 3.89 3.75 3.84 2B (2 Yrs) 2B 18 14 143 71 26 42 3 14 .958 .982 -1 -11 1 8 4.28 4.03 3.78 3.97 With above league average range factor per 9 innings (RF/9) and averaging 0.4 dWAR over the past two years. Tim Anderson can still be a defensive asset for a team. As an example, struggling Tigers' shortstop Javier Báez in the midst of 4 declining seasons of batting average, among other performance drops, had the opportunity to get a new lease on his career by moving to centerfield to start the season. While also playing 2nd base, shortstop, and 3rd base, Javier upped his batting performance and was selected to the AL all-star team as a starter as an outfielder. Tim Anderson also had some reps in the outfield during Spring training but never started there in the regular season. With his previously shown talent, will Tim Anderson get a chance to reverse this six-year decline? Sources: [1] "Dave Stapleton". Sons of Sam Horn. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2007. [2] 1986 World Series - Wikipedia

When asked to move positions, why is there is a natural reluctance? From a team perspective, it seems like an ego issue, but it may be more complex than that. During Spring Training of 2025, Rafael Devers was moved to Designated Hitter to allow newly signed free agent Gold Glove 3rd baseman Alex Bregman to play the Hot Corner. At the age of 28 and having played regularly at no other position than 3rd base, Rafael Devers balked at becoming a full-time designated hitter. He viewed this as criticism of his defensive ability and initially refused the move to a hitting only role. Some designated hitters claim to lose focus by not playing out in the field and perhaps Devers experienced some of the same initially, but he regained his offensive form with his potent bat and had a solid batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage of .272/.401/.504 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs through 72 games with the Red Sox. In his own words However, after Red Sox starting 1st baseman, Tristan Casas, went down with a season ending injury in early May, when asked about moving to 1st base, Rafael said, "I know I'm a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can't expect me to play every single position out there. In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove. I wasn't going to play another position other than DH. Right now, I don't think it would be an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position." He further clarified, "Now, they should do their jobs essentially and hit the market and look for another player. I'm not sure why they want me to be an in-between," Devers said. "Next thing you know, someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield. I know the kind of player that I am, and that's where I stand." [1] Devers wants to be respected as a player and not treated as an injury-fill-in whenever the Sox had someone get hurt. Injuries are a fact of any professional sport, and having experienced injuries while playing 3rd base, Devers is possibly worried about getting injured playing an unfamiliar position and not being as capable initially. Protecting himself on Social Media To a degree, Devers wants to protect his reputation and in this age of social media and ubiquitous recording of every action, Devers is perhaps worried about showing up on a highlight or low light clip showing a bad performance. With regards to the mental load on him, Rafael may know himself best and doesn't want to take on learning a new position, while at the same time remaining a topflight hitter. He also wanted the Red Sox to seek a permanent solution versus the uncertainty of moving him around the diamond and field as circumstances demand. Ultimately it is a team that needs to be managed and built into a cohesive whole to win consistently. Rafael Devers in his comments felt that management was treating him like he could be plugged in anywhere without regards to his capabilities or injury risk. Perhaps the issue could have been defused with a longer-term view from both Rafael and the Red Sox management. Players eventually move along the defensive spectrum right to left as they age and lose athleticism in the field. Moving down the Defensive Spectrum The Defensive spectrum idea was introduced by baseball analyst, Bill James in the early 1980s and indicates that defensive skill is more of a premium as you move left to right, and most players move right to left as they age. Designated hitter – First baseman – Left fielder – Right fielder – Third baseman – Center fielder – Second baseman – Shortstop – Catcher [2] For Devers, he was moved immediately from 3rd base to Designated hitter and not offered the chance to try any positions in between during Spring Training. Depth is important for any team and so as the Red Sox planned their depth chart for the season, there should have been anticipation on what to do in the case of injuries and give players reps and opportunities in the Spring to get ready for their roles or potential roles. No Flexibility By locking Devers into a DH role, the Red Sox, were essentially hard coding him into that role with no flexibility until something happened. With the number of moving parts involved in any baseball team from injuries (Alex Bregman went on the IL on May 24), recovery from surgeries (Masataka Yoshida's shoulder is not 100%, thus precluding him from playing in the field and forcing him to DH), slumps, and streaks, a team has to have flexibility to adjust to circumstances. Contract status also plays a role as teams can't not play the star with the large contract. Devers was always going to be playing; the question was where. If the Sox had set him more at ease and perhaps told him that he was so valuable and capable that he would always be in the lineup, rather than saying we're moving you to DH because your bat is so much more valuable than any contribution in the field, perhaps he would still be a Red Sox. What do you think? Sources [1] https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45059014/rafael-devers-tells-red-sox-move-first-base (Originally published May 8, 2025, retrieved July 9, 2025) [2] Defensive spectrum - Wikipedia

Thanks for the comments. Batting ability is much more visible especially as batters often get 4 to 5 chances or more a game to showcase their bat, whereas a great outfielder may only get 2 to 3 chances a game. Throwing ability and accuracy and its prevention of runs scoring on balls hit to the outfield may be less obvious as runners may be reluctant to challenge a strong, accurate arm. Most outfielders end up not being challenged and end up with lower assist totals. Speed works on defense and offense, turning fly balls into outs or when on offense, advancing an extra base or avoiding the double play. It is the rare player that have all five tools Brady Anderson had an interesting career with peaks well on the extreme and none of his most similar players are really truly comparable. With the juiced ball, even Wade Boggs hit 24 home runs in 1987 and never got even half of that total before or after that season,

Who holds the single season record for RBIs for a shortstop? You may think it would be held by a Hall of Famer like Honus Wagner, Ernie Banks or Cal Ripken, or a recent retired star like Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Tejada, or Derek Jeter, but no, the record is held by Red Sox Vern Stephens and was set in 1949. That year, batting behind Ted Williams, Vern Stephens had 159 RBIs and it was the first of two consecutive years when Stephens tied for the league lead in RBIs. This RBI total was the highest in the major leagues for 50 years until Manny Ramirez surpassed it with 165 in 1999. From 1948 to 1949, Vern Stephens had three of highest RBI single season MLB totals for a shortstop. Only one other shortstop, Alex Rodriguez, has 3 seasons in the top ten and Alex was aided by the 162-game schedule. Vern Stephens started his MLB career with the St Louis Browns, leading the league in RBIs in 1944 and the Browns to the pennant that year. However, he would add more offensive and defensive accomplishments with the Red Sox. Top Single Season RBI totals by Shortstops A consistent offensive performer Vern played good defense as well, leading the league in assists 1947-1949, double plays in 1949 and fielding percentage in 1945. His advanced metrics also show that he was one of the top players at the time, with 6 seasons in the top 10 for both offensive and defensive WAR. Traded to the Red Sox before the 1948 season, Vern played 5 years for the Red Sox where he was paired with Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr, but the Sox could not do better than 2nd place twice during his time falling short by a single game in 1948 and 1949. Vern's production tailed off after he turned 30, finishing his career with stints with the St Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox. At 35 he was out of major league baseball and at the age of 48 he died of a heart attack. Based on Similarity Scores | Baseball-Reference.com, Vern's top 5 comparable players include 3 Hall of Famers and one not yet eligible to be elected as of 2025. Similar Batters to Vern Stephens Bobby Doerr (890.7) Hall of Fame Tony Lazzeri (888.2) Hall of Fame Bret Boone (887.5) Chase Utley (879.2) Not yet Eligible as of 2025 Joe Gordon (870.1) Hall of Fame Yrs WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ Vern Stephens (1941-1955) 15 Yrs 46.3 1720 6497 1001 1859 307 42 247 1174 25 22 692 685 .286 .355 .460 .815 119 .379 119 Bobby Doerr (1937-1951) (HOF) 14 Yrs 51.3 1865 7093 1094 2042 381 89 223 1247 54 64 809 608 .288 .362 .461 .823 115 .377 116 Tony Lazzeri (1926-1939) (HOF) 14 Yrs 47.6 1740 6297 986 1840 334 115 178 1194 148 82 869 864 .292 .380 .467 .846 121 .383 121 Brett Boone (1992-2005) 14 Yrs 22.8 1780 6683 927 1775 366 28 252 1021 94 53 552 1295 .266 .325 .442 .767 101 .342 101 Chase Utley (2013-2018) (Not yet eligible) 16 Yrs 64.6 1937 6857 1103 1885 411 58 259 1025 154 22 724 1193 .275 .358 .465 .823 117 .368 120 Joe Gordon (1938-1950) (HOF) 11 Yrs 55.6 1566 5707 914 1530 264 52 253 975 89 60 759 702 .268 .357 .466 .822 120 .372 118 Bill James, the famous baseball historian and analyst, had stated in his 1994 book, Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?, that the Hall of Fame may have erred by inducting only one half of the Yankees double play combination when the voters only elected shortstop Phil Rizzuto, but not second baseman Joe Gordon, and similarly for the Red Sox, when only second baseman Bobby Doerr was elected, but not shortstop Vern Stephens.. Likewise with the 2017 election of Tiger's shortstop Alan Trammell to the Hall of Fame, his infield teammate second baseman Lou Whitaker has also been neglected. Although on the one and only Pre-1943 Veterans Committee Baseball ballot in 2009, Stephens has not been considered since. On that same ballot in 2009, Joe Gordon was elected to the Hall of Fame to join his Yankee teammate Phil Rizzuto. Is it now time to consider Vern Stephens again for election to the Hall of Fame?

Top prospect, Roman Anthony, has been called up by the Red Sox to play in the show. How will he perform? Is he here to stay in the big leagues, or will he need more seasoning again in the minors? Will he stick for the whole season? Roman Anthony: Batting (2022-2025) Year Tm Lev G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB 2022 Salem A 10 43 37 2 7 2 0 0 5 0 0 5 4 .189 .279 .243 .522 9 2022 Red Sox Rk 10 40 35 5 15 2 0 0 7 1 0 4 4 .429 .475 .486 .961 17 2023 Portland AA 10 44 35 10 12 4 0 1 8 3 0 8 6 .343 .477 .543 1.020 19 2023 Greenville A+ 54 245 204 41 60 14 3 12 38 2 1 40 75 .294 .412 .569 .981 116 2023 Salem A 42 202 158 27 36 9 1 1 18 11 6 38 38 .228 .376 .316 .693 50 2024 Worcester AAA 35 164 131 33 45 12 1 3 20 5 2 31 31 .344 .463 .519 .982 68 2024 Portland AA 84 376 323 60 87 20 3 15 45 16 5 48 96 .269 .367 .489 .856 158 2025 Worcester AAA 58 265 212 45 61 9 2 10 29 3 3 51 56 .288 .423 .491 .913 104 Minors (4 seasons) Minors 303 1379 1135 223 323 72 10 42 170 41 17 225 310 .285 .402 .477 .879 541 Just sit right back and hear a tale about two other top outfield prospects, for what might be in store for Roman Anthony. Both of these prospects were highly regarded center fielders with 5 tool ability, but it took 5 seasons for one to reach his potential, while the other is just entering his fifth MLB season. Players with five tool potential are the most complete position players with top tier abilities in these five areas: Hit for Average Hit for Power Speed Fielding Arm Strength and Accuracy The first is former Red Sox Brady Anderson. He was the top AL East Division prospect in 1988 and was the opening day center fielder and Boston lead-off hitter, starting in 41 of Boston’s first 49 games, but only hit .230 before being sent down to the Pawtucket AAA minor league team. In the heat of a pennant race in 1988, Boston traded Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling to the Baltimore Orioles for Mike Boddicker.This was a trade that the Red Sox would regret though not at first. From 1988-1991, Brady Anderson set a record for playing more than 60 games in the field for 4 seasons straight while batting .231 or less, but broke out in 1992 with an All-Star 5.2 WAR season, leading the league in plate appearances as the Baltimore Orioles lead-off hitter, a role he held for the next 9 seasons, while becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs in one season, 1996, and stealing 50 bases in another, 1992. Anderson averaged 3.3 WAR/year, peaking at 6.9 WAR in 1996 with his 50 home run season, during which he became, at the time, only the second major leaguer after Willie Mays to have a 50 HR/20 SB season. Although Mike Boddicker helped bring two AL East Division titles in 1988 and 1990, and Curt Schilling, of course, returned to bring two World Series titles to the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007, the trading away of Brady Anderson lost the Red Sox an all-star center fielder and leadoff hitter. From 1992 to 2001, Brady Anderson was the Orioles lead-off hitter and centerfielder compiling these offensive numbers. We'll never know what he would have brought the Red Sox had he not been traded. Brady Anderson: Batting (1992-2001) Seasons Age Team WAR G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ 1992-2001 28-37 BAL 33.2 1410 6363 5338 919 1411 292 56 199 668 258 83 807 957 .264 .372 .452 .824 116 .374 117 Avg per Season 3.3 141 636 534 92 141 29 6 20 67 26 8 81 96 Avg per 162 Games 3.8 162 731 613 106 162 34 6 23 77 30 10 93 110 In 2025, Jarred Kelenic, the other former prospect, is in his fifth year. Originally with the Mets, Kelenic was part of the 2018 trade between the Mets and the Mariners for veterans Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano. In 4 years, Kelenic has shown some major league ability but not enough. He has averaged 95 games/year over the past four seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves. Kelenic almost matched Brady Anderson’s record of 4 years of a .231 or lower average while playing over 60 games in the field. In his 2nd season, he played only 50 games in the field, and in his 3rd season, he hit .253. However, Kelenic was optioned to the minor leagues on April 28, 2025, potentially derailing his major league career. Below are their stats for their first four years. Brady Anderson took 5 years to mature to become a solid offensive threat. Jarred Kelenic may yet still. So do you think Roman Anthony will be more like Jarred Kelenic or Brady Anderson? Brady Anderson: Batting (1988-1991) Seasons Age Team WAR G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ 1988-1991 24-27 BAL,BOS 2 390 1273 1081 139 237 42 11 10 88 53 17 135 210 .219 .313 .306 .619 77 .300 76 Avg per Season 0.5 98 318 270 35 59 11 3 3 22 13 4 34 53 Avg per 162 Games 0.8 162 529 449 58 98 17 5 4 37 22 7 56 87 Jarred Kelenic: Batting (2021-2024) Seasons Age Team WAR G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ 2021-2024 21-24 ATL,SEA 0.7 383 1423 1284 154 273 61 6 47 154 31 13 125 432 .213 .284 .379 .663 86 .292 85 Avg per Season 0.2 96 356 321 39 68 15 2 12 39 8 3 31 108 Avg per 162 Games 0.3 162 602 543 65 115 26 3 20 65 13 5 53 183

Ted Williams had a great career, but did this 1950 injury hurt him more than the two interruptions for military service during World War 2 and the Korean War? Three full years and close to two more years were cut short from his baseball career, yet a mid-career injury might have affected him more. The missing years often are said to have cost him the chance to have higher career totals and preventing him from getting to 3,000 hits and 600 home runs, In 1950 at the All-Star Break, after 70 games, Ted has 25 home runs and 83 RBIs, well on track for career highs. However, on that summer day, July 11, 1950, in the 1950 All Star Game at Chicago's Comiskey Park, fate intervened. Going after a high drive by Ralph Kiner in the 1st inning, Ted crashed into the wall and scoreboard. Staying in the game, Ted singled in a go-ahead run in the 5th inning, but afterwards, his elbow had swollen up, and it was discovered that it was broken. This sidelined him until mid-September when he was able to return after the Red Sox were well out of contention for the pennant. With the hot summer months still to come, Ted perhaps even had a chance also of challenging for Babe Ruth's then single season home run mark of 60. Also denied was the chance to win back-to-back MVP awards to follow up his 1949 MVP season. This elbow injury lingered on through the next year and had Ted contemplating retirement before the season start. Ted had said that he was never the same hitter after that elbow injury. So if Ted Williams had not gone after that high drive by Ralph Kiner with such alacrity, he may have been even better.