Red Sox Offense: Overrated?

By Evan Marinofsky | May 14, 2015

Prior to the start of the season, the buzz in Boston revolved around the Boston Red Sox’ starting pitching or lack there of. As numerous questions surrounded the team’s pitching, many believed that the Sox had a good enough offense to balance it out and lead the team on a road to contending for playing time in October, despite the shaky pitching.

So how’s it worked out?

Bad. Actually, worse than many thought. Way worse.

As of today, the Red Sox have a 16-18 record which ties them with the Baltimore Orioles for last place in the AL East. Even though it’s only May, it’s not the beginning of the season anymore. May is the start of the bridge to the dog-days of summer: the time in which we really see how things will shape out around the league. A team with a $150 million payroll can’t be struggling this bad.

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So far, everybody has pointed fingers at the starting pitching staff as the main reason for the team’s struggles. But, many haven’t kept a close enough eye on the offense and how they’re producing.

At the beginning of the year, the offense for the Red Sox was winning them games and was the main factor for why they were in first place.

But May has been a different story for the Red Sox offense.

May 9, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox right fielder

Allen Craig

(5) breaks his bat after hitting a ball during the fourth inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Since May 1st, the Red Sox have scored 5 or more runs in only 3 games. Out of those 3 games, the Red Sox only won 2 of them.

The Red Sox also have a batting average that is 3rd worst in the league (.230) to go along with a slugging percentage that is 5th worst (.362). Both numbers represent two different aspects of the game: contact vs. power hitting. For this team, both numbers are among the league’s worst, along with some of the league’s worst teams.

It’s imperative that a team is proficient in at least one of the two categories (power and contact hitting). But this team isn’t.

For the Red Sox, the average isn’t as worrisome as the power hitting is considering the Red Sox lineup consists of mostly power hitters. Also, the guys that take up the most of the $150 million payroll, are power hitters.

And this is where my point lies.

The Red Sox constructed a team in the Winter months that was almost all offense. The Red Sox picked up some starting pitchers over the offseason (Wade Miley, Justin Masterson and Rick Porcello) but none of them were legitimate game changers.

May 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher

Wade Miley

(20) pitches the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The mistake the Red Sox made was having the team rely so heavily on offense, that the pitching wasn’t a worry even if they struggled.

What they didn’t realize was what would happen when the offense started to slack and from what they did over the offseason, it almost feels as though it was never taken into consideration.

If I were now ex-Pitching Coach Juan Nieves, I would have left before the season even started when I saw the hand I was going to be dealt. If the Red Sox had continued their winning ways from April, Nieves probably would not have lost his job due to the offense putting the dismal starting pitching in the shadows.

If the offense continues to struggle, things will have to change in Boston.

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Hitting Coach Chili Davis could find himself in the unemployment line along with Nieves if the batting woes continue. The Red Sox could also find themselves with the term “Sellers” over their head come July and August.

So, can the Red Sox offense turn things around in the next few games?

I’m not sure about that. But I am sure about one thing: this team was poorly constructed from the beginning.

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