The Boston Red Sox are in third place in the AL East through April. They’ve had their ups and downs, and now the grind truly begins.
The Boston Red Sox are 13-11 through April, and are just 2.5 games back from the Orioles and Yankees. The O’s are set to visit Fenway for a series that begins today.
Many players hit the DL and some are still on it, but the Red Sox have found contributors. Top to bottom, each man has been asked to contribute at some point. Some have risen to the occasion to begin the yeatr, while others have fallen flat.
For my initial player rankings of the year, I took playing time into account at times. Some players just have not been on the field enough to warrant a higher ranking, though their numbers may suggest otherwise. Relievers can be among the hardest players to gauge, but I think I may have gotten it right.
The Sox power numbers are down, but as the season goes on they should rebound. In fact, Hanley Ramirez seems to be finding his swing right now. He hit homeruns in back to back games against the Cubs this weekend.
Whether you agree or disagree with my rankings, let me know in the comments! I will aim to update these rankings each month.
25. SP, Steven Wright
There’s not much that can be said about Steven Wright in a postivie light in 2017 so far. When David Price returns from the DL, his spot may be on the line.
So far, Wright is 1-3 in five games. In those five games, he has only totalled 24.0 innings pitched with a 8.25 ERA. Wright has given up the most earned runs (22) of any pitcher on the team.
Wright will need to find the command on his knuckleball if he want’s to remain in Boston for the entire season.
24.3B, Pablo Sandoval
Pablo Sandoval begin the season on a positive note. He found a way to stay in the lineup. As the games went by though, Panda still wasn’t producing.
Sandoval has played in 17 games and is battibng .213. He is tied for the Red Sox homerun lead with 3, but that doesn’t say too much for a team that’s last in the longball category in the majors. Sandoval also recorded a couple errors in the field.
Now, once again, Pablo Sandoval is on the DL, and no one knows if or when he’s coming back.
23. RP, Robbie Ross Jr.
Robbie Ross Jr. has made his way back down to Pawtucket, and it’s not due to injury.
Robbie appeared in just four games for the Red Sox, to the tune of a 4.15 ERA. Over four innings of work he gave up four hits and two runs, but he also walked three batters.
22. RP, Ben Taylor
When he’s gotten into the game, Ben Taylor has been pretty good. I think he can actually move a lot further up these rankings as the season goes on. For Taylor, the only reason he’s down here is that playing time.
Taylor has appeared in five games for Boston, pitching 7.2 innings. He has the best ERA for any Red Sox reliever at 1.17.
21. SP, Drew Pomeranz
Drew Pomeranz began the season on the diabled list, but returned in time to make his first start. He’s 2-1 through four games started with a 4.15 ERA. Over 21.2 innings he’s struck out 27 batters, fourth on the Red Sox behind the three top starters.
It seems like Pomeranz has finally figured out how to pitch at Fenway Park, and he’s showing us all why he should remain in the rotation when David Price returns. If he does, and Wright gets the boot, Boston will have a four lefty rotation.
20. OF, Chris Young
Utility outfielder Chris Young has appeared in 17 games for the Red Sox. He hit for a .241 average with two doubles and a stolen base.
With 19 total chances in the field, Young was perfect.
As Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. both spent time on the bench with illness or injury, the Red Sox needed Young to step up. To begin the year, I think he has and we can see the necessity of having a solid outfielder on the bench.
19. INF, Marco Hernandez
Marco Hernandez is another player who has seen some playign time due to players missing time. Though he has 3 errors with his 46 chances, he has been a solid backup.
Hernandez is hitting .288 through 18 games played, which actually puts him ahead of some everydyay players. With Brock Holt on the mend, Hernandez’s time in Boston could be cut short. It is an option though for the Red Sox to keep both on the bench, they’d have to lose a bullpen reliever though.
18. RP, Fernando Abad
Fernando Abad has been nowhere near perfect, and I’m the first to admit this ranking may be a little high. He got a bump due to his improved performance late in the month.
Abad has appeared in 7 games for the Red Sox and has a 5.06 ERA. While that doesn’t sound great, it will get better as the year goes on and he gets more chances. Abad has allowed 1 hit or no hits in 5 of his 7 outings. The ERA will drop.
17. RP, Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes made headlines when he threw behind the head of Manny Machado last week in Baltimore. He returned Sunday nighr against the Cubs from his four game suspension.
Over 10 outings and 11.o innings pitched Barnes has a 3.27 ERA with 11 strikeouts.
Barnes will see a lot of work this year, and if he’s able to stay on pace or slightly improve his numbers, the Red Sox should be happy. He’s a dependable reliever, who clearly sticks up for his teammates, that Boston will rely on in 2017.
16. RP, Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly has been bringing the heat out of the bullpen. Just the other night he recorded a fastball at 102 MPH. His control though has been lost some.
On Sunday night Kelly threw a wild pitch that resulted in the tying run scoring for the Chicago Cubs. While Boston ultimately earned the win, Kelly spoiled a great outing from Eduardo Rodriguez who was in line to earn the win.
Kelly has just a 2.70 ERA so far and Boston of course loves that, but he will need to settle down and find his control for the rest of the season.
15. RP, Robby Scott
In 2017 Robby Scott has been phenomenal with a sub-2.00 ERA. He’s sitting at 1.93 through 10 outings and 4.2 innings pitched.
Scott is clearly a situational, face on batter, type of player. He’s performing extremely well in his role so far.
14. C, Sandy Leon
Sandy Leon began the season on a hot streak. He had the first Boston Red Sox walkoff of the year agaisnt the Pirates, and he was throwing everyone out from home plate. Now though, he’s been surpassed as the top catcher in Boston.
Leon’s offense numbers have been slipping, and he’s hitting just .180. On the flip side, Christian Vazquez has caught fire, so the future isn’t looking good for Leon.
13. RP, Heath Hembree
Heath Hembree has the fourth best ERA in Boston. It’s the third best if you throw out Noe Ramirez’s 1.2 innings like I would. He’s at just 1.42 to begin the year, behind only Ben Taylor and Chris Sale.
Hembree has pitched 12.2 innings for the Red Sox and he’s struck out 13 batters. He has 6 holds, which leads the team and places him at fifth in the majors.
I expect these numbers to continue for Hembree, and he may end up as a top 10 player on the team when all is said and donw if he helps deep into the playoffs. Hembree is Boston’s best reliever, aside from closer Craig Kimbrel.
12. DH, Hanley Ramirez
Hitting .253, Hanley Ramirez is starting to find his swing. It’s well known that Hanley usually requires 100 at bats to begin the year before he starts to turn it on. He’s at 79 plate apperances now.
Ramirez hit homeruns in back to back days this weekend against the Chicago Cubs, so I’d say he’s strating to wake up in 2017. The 33 year old DH is the X-Factor on Boston’s offense, and they’re counting on him for some power.
Over the last week Ramirez has raised his batting average 43 pooints. Look for it to climb over .300 soon.
11. SP, Eduardo Rodriguez
Struggling to begin the year, Eduardo Rodriguez turned it up in his fourth start of the season. He shut down the Chicago Cubs lineup with 9 Ks over 6.0 innings Sunday night. ERod is now 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA, and he seems to have cemented his place in Boston’s rotation.
Rodriguez gave up four and three earned runs in each of his first two starts, but in the last two he has given up 0 and 1. He may be ready for a breakout year in Boston.
10. CF, Jackie Bradley Jr.
JBJ missed some time so far this year, but he’s ack in the lineup now.
Bradley Jr. has appeared in just 12 games and is hitting .209, but his defense as always has been superb. He males difficult catches and long runs look easy.
He’s yet to commit an error on 36 total chances in the field for the Red Sox.
9. SS, Xander Bogaerts
Xander is the underrated star in Boston. Many teams would love to have a shortstop of his caliber, but with Boston’s outfield and starting pitchers it seems like Boagaerts is lost in the shuffle.
Surprisingly, Bogaerts has the third best batting average for the Red Sox at .315 over 73 at bats. He has no homeruns, but he does have 5 RBI on the year. Xander has also shown plate disciplie, with just 10 strikeouts. He’s walked 7 times and has stolen 2 bases.
The Red Sox would love to get this kind of production from their shortstop for the entire 2017 baseball season.
8. CP, Craig Kimbrel
Craig Kimbrel is a star of a closer and he’s already recorded 8 saves on the season, second in the majors behind Colorado’s Greg Holland.
Kimbrel is on pace to record 54 saves, which would shatter the Red Sox franchise record of 46 set by Tom Gordon in 1998.
Over 11.1 innings pitched Kimbrel has already recorded 20 strikeouts. That’s a rate of 15.88 Ks per 9 innings pitched, best in Boston.
7. SP, Rick Porcello
Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello is off to a good start in 2017. Through 5 starts he’s 1-3, but the record doesn’t tell the whole story. Porcello started off slowly, but he’s improved.
Porcello has pitched 30 innings with a 4.75 ERA. He began the year allowing three runs each to the Pirates and the Tigers. In his worst outing, against the Tampa Bay Rays, he lasted just 4.1 innings. Porcello was rocked for8 earned runs in that game, but he bounced back. In his two starts since, Porcello has allowed just 2 runs.
The Red Sox offense hasn’t backed Porcello up, as he earned two straight losses in a 0-3, and a 1-3 ball game.
Porcello’s ERA will lower as the year goes on and he should get some more help from the offense to bump his win total. He’s likely not a Cy Young finalist again, but he is a solid #2 or #3 pitcher for the Red Sox.
6. RF, Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts battled the flu to start the 2017 season. It defeinitely took it’s toll on him but he’s back to producing like he should.
Mookie has yet to put up MVP numbers on the year, but they will come. Currently he’s hitting .293 with 2 homeruns and 11 RBI.
Betts of course can also get it down in right field. He has just one error on his 42 attempts. Mookie will find himself in the top 3 of these rankings when the season is finished.
5. 2B, Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia is the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox without David Ortiz, and that’s not a stat that can be measured. For that reason alone, Pedey will continue to be high on this list.
In 2017, Pedroia is hitting .289 with 9 walks and just 9 strikeouts. He’s also yet to commit an error from his spot on the field at second base.
Pedroia was the center of controversy in the Manny Machado incident, and some think he should have handled the clubhouse differently. Even so, this is Pedey’s team to lead.
4. 1B, Mitch Moreland
Mitch “Two Bags” Moreland! He’s leading the Red Sox with 12 doubles in 2017. The next highest double total in Boston comes from Mookie Betts with 6.
Moreland has also hit two homeruns and driven in 11 runs while hitting .273.
The Red Sox must be extremely pleased with the numbers they’re getting from Moreland. He likely will see a dip in his production, but if Moreland can keep his average around .260 Boston should be in good shape.
3. C, Christian Vazquez
Christian Vazquez, the team’s defensive catcher, has come out of nowhere with ridiculous offensive numbers.
Through the 11 games he’s now played in, Vazquez is hitting .412. He has four doubles, a triple and four runs batted in. There is no way that Vazquez can keep these numbers up, but if he even hovers around just .280 from the plate he will remain Boston’s catcher. Sunday was actually his worst game from the plate as he went 0-3.
Vazquez’s ability while fielding is extremely valuable as well. He has a tremendous arm to throw runners out at any base, and he has the leadership and knowledge to command the pitching staff. He can block the plate, catch, throw, and now he can hit.
He’s certainly surpassed Sandy Leon as the everyday catcher in Boston.
2. LF, Andrew Benintendi
Andrew Benintendi has the chance to be the AL Rookie of the Year in 2017 if he can keep this up. He’s batting .333 with there homers and 14 RBI. He’s also doubled four time already.
The Cincinnati, OH native is on pace to hit 20 homers and bring in 95 RBI. He can still improve by cutting some strikeouts and drawing a few more walks, but Benintendi is having a tremendous 2017.
Benny Biceps, Benny Baseball, whatever you call this kid, he’s got all the tools. He’s also a terrific defender and has yet to commit an error.
1. SP, Chris Sale
Chris Sale is the best pitcher on the Boston Red Sox, and he may end the season as the best in the league.
Sale’s 1.19 ERA is second best in the MLB as he trails only Minnesota’s Ervin Santana. Sadly, Sale can’t get any run support and he’s just 1-2. His two losses came in amazing pitching duels with Detroit’s Justin Verlander and New York’s Masahiro Tanaka.
Chris Sale isn’t just surviving and getting out of jams to maintain his crazy low ERA. He’s going deep into games (37.2 IP in 5 games). Sale is fourth in the majors with those innings pitched, and he’s actually pitched in one less game than the three pitchers ahead of him.
Sale also tops the major league leader board with 52 strikeouts, 8 more than Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom. The Red Sox single season strikeout record is 313 by Pedro Martinez in 19999. Sale is on pace for 366. That’s probably unrealistic, but it will be fun to see how close he comes to Pedro’s record.
Next: Benintendi Reaching Elite Status
The Red Sox will surely improve their standings in the AL East before the season ends. This team has the players to compete for a World Series title, and here they’ve all been ranked. Disagree with my rankings? Let me know!