The Boston Red Sox are favorites in the American League Division Series as they take on the Cleveland Indians. If the Red Sox are to have success, Chowder and Champions has put together a list of players who can’t afford to buckle under pressure.
The postseason has arrived for the Boston Red Sox. Not only is David Ortiz making his final postseason run, but several Red Sox young players will make their playoff debuts. Those factors alone make the upcoming ALDS matchup against the Cleveland Indians exciting, but there will be some question that will be answered.
Most of those questions surround the pitching staff. Can the bullpen hold up? Will David Price, Rick Porcello and Clay Buchholz be the pitchers that fans know they can be? Furthermore, how will Red Sox manager John Farrell handle the staff? Will one of his decisions cost the team a game or even the series?
Offensively, how will former Red Sox manager Terry Francona pitch David Ortiz? If they take the bat out of his hand, which other player will need to step up? All of these questions have factored into my list of the five players who can’t buckle under pressure for the Red Sox to take the series.
Mookie Betts
An MVP candidate, Mookie Betts has had a breakout season. His .318 batting average along with 31 homers and 113 RBI ranks him as the player with the greatest all-around season on a postseason team this year. The right fielder has done it at the plate and on defense. At just 23 years old, Betts has a bright future with the Red Sox and a big pay day coming. But often times the greatness of a player is measure by how they perform on the big stage.
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As Betts will be making his postseason debut Thursday night against the Cleveland Indians, he will find himself in some pressure situations both offensively and defensively. How he responds could determine how deep the Red Sox go.
Could the Red Sox win without major production out of Betts? Most certainly.
Anytime a player like David Ortiz is in the lineup, the team has a shot. Betts, however, can make life easier for the entire lineup with his ability to get on base, steal bases and deliver power when needed. At times during the season, mainly against the Baltimore Orioles, Betts has single handedly won games with his bat. He may be needed to do that a couple of times during Boston’s playoff run.
Overall, I believe Betts can’t buckle under pressure more because of his individual accomplishments more than the impact that his lack of effectiveness may have on the overall success of the team. In a team sport that may sound selfish, but its important for a player like Betts to get off to a good start, especially with the playoff experience being new to him. Not knowing what to expect, his focus is to have fun.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a little different,” Betts said via csnne.com. “But as much as I control my nerves, I will. But 9 (he goal is to) have fun, primarily.”
Hanley Ramirez
Terry Francona and the Cleveland Indians may focus on taking the bat out of David Ortiz’s hand. That would put quite a bit of pressure on Hanley Ramirez. The slugger has been absolutely dynamite down the stretch. He has hit over 30 home runs, most of those coming after the All-Star break and has driven in 111 RBI.
Following his first season with the Red Sox, Ramirez was on his way to becoming a major bust, but has turned it around both offensively and surprisingly defensively as he has made the transition to first base quite nicely.
Although he has been solid, it is the defense that worries me more than the offense. Any fielding miscues, especially at first base can change the complexion of the game. So Ramirez has to keep his focus.
On offense, Ramirez has to stay hot. When locked in, he is extremely dangerous at the plate and with Big Papi’s influence, this playoff run may be where Ramirez shows the baseball world how clutch he can be.
Speaking of Ortiz, Ramirez credits Big Papi for transforming his career. In a letter to Red Sox Nation published in the Players Tribue he wrote:
“Before I came to Boston, whenever I would go to a dark place, I didn’t have anybody to pick me up,” wrote Hanley. “David changed my career, my life and my personality a little bit, too. He’s like a big bro to me. But it’s not just me. It’s everybody.”
Craig Kimbrel
Can the Red Sox trust Craig Kimbrel? The team is fully standing behind the closer, but he may have Red Sox fans clutching their hearts when he comes to the mound. Kimbrel finished the season on a rocky note. He gave up runs in his last four appearances and has had an issue with control.
That wildness has led to him walking six of the final 13 batters he has faced and that wildness can also lead to the Red Sox losing a game or two they should win. Kimbrel simply has to find his control and fix his mechanics because the Red Sox need him. They do have Koji Uehara who has filled that role before. In fact, he was monumental in the team’s 2013 World Series championship run, but Koji is not the Koji he was back then, which leads back to Kimbrel.
Following an otherwise solid season, the closer says he has fixed his problems before and is confident that he will fix them again entering the best-of-five division series.
“I’m working on little things and working on my momentum toward the plate,” Kimbrel told reporters Wednesday. “Just trying to get my foot down and trust in where the ball is going. I felt like I was cutting it a little bit. Hopefully that’s behind me now. The bullpen has been good the last few days. I felt really good and ready to go.””
Clay Buchholz
Clay Buchholz has been named as the Game 3 starter and he has earned it. Down the stretch of the pennant race the veteran right-hander was sensational, but can he keep it up in the postseason?
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The Red Sox and Boston fans certainly hope so, but let’s face it, Buchholz on the mound is super scary. It would be extra scary if came Game 3 the Red Sox were facing elimination. Buchholz has been there before in the playoffs, but the Red Sox need the pitcher who allowed just two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts and not the Buchholz who got off to a shaky start.
The right hander is definitely taking the right approach with his start and embracing how his season has gone.
g to be a little different,” said Betts, “but as much as I control “I’m glad this year happened the way it did,” Buchholz said via the Providence Journal. “There’s been a lot of ifs and buts, but I still found a way to stick around. I think this postseason run will be fun.”n, primarily.”
If Buchholz can deliver, the Red Sox will be a touch out. Plain and simple.
David Price
Rick Porcello has been given the nod to start Game 1, but that doesn’t take the pressure off of David Price. The $217million dollar man needs to prove now more than ever that he can win the big game.
Though Price has bounced back to have a pretty solid season for the Red Sox, he failed to deliver in his last start. The lefty had a shaky outing against the New York Yankees in a game which the team had an opportunity to clinch the division. As unacceptable as the performance was to Price himself, it put some doubt that Price could come through in the big game.
In the postseason, Price has a 5.12 ERA in 14 appearances. Just a season ago, he lost Game 1 of the Division Series while with the Toronto Blue Jays and Game 2 of the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals. He gave up five runs in each of those games. A repeat of those performances and the Red Sox will have a tough time winning any series.
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If David Price becomes the ace who has dominated in past regular seasons, get the champagne ready.
Honorable mentions: Third Baseman Travis Shaw, center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., Pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, Reliever Koji Uehara and Catcher Sandy Leon.