Boston Red Sox player rankings, Week 7: MLB’s best shortstop on fire
The Boston Red Sox are getting massive contributions from everyone on the roster so far.
There has been no more surprising team in the majors this season than the Red Sox. As of this writing, the Red Sox currently sit at a 25-17 record, already securing more wins this season than they did in the 60-game season in 2020. A lot of that has to do with a continuous showing from their players, some being more stunning than others.
Their superstars are playing like that while the names with question marks coming into the season are now feeling more surefire than ever before. In this article, we begin a look at the player power rankings for the team, looking at the top five on a week-to-week basis for those who continue to shine, play above their expectancy, and simply are showing out to being among the best in the league.
Let’s get started.
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Boston Red Sox Player Power Rankings (Week of May 17)
No. 5. 3B Rafael Devers
The Rafael Devers that fans know and love has returned this season. Not only is he delivering at the plate to the capabilities that he is expected, but he’s also looking more and more solid in the field after a rough start to the season.
On Sunday, Devers hit a three-run home run (his 11th) to give the Red Sox a 5-4 lead. While that lead was ultimately lost in the ninth inning due to the heroics of Shohei Ohtani, it showed that Devers and the Red Sox are never out of the game even when they are down.
Devers’s overall stats are worth appreciating as well. While a team-lead 11 home runs are great, the third baseman also leads the team in RBI with 34, a number that is tops in the entire majors. His strikeout numbers could be better, but with a great OPS of .937, he is doing a lot of things right. By season’s end, Devers could be consistently at the top of this list due to his play. For now, fifth isn’t too bad.
No. 4: SP Nick Pivetta
What’s there to say about Nick Pivetta that hasn’t been said already? The starter has been the best for the Red Sox this season, going into every single start giving the Red Sox a chance to win. He currently sits at an undefeated 5-0 with the numbers to prove that he has been their best starting pitcher all season long.
In 42 and 2/3 innings pitched, Pivetta has a 3.16 ERA to go along with 42 strikeouts and a .189 opponent batting average against him. The righty’s only flaw this season has been his control at times, letting up too many walks to always feel to the utmost confidence every single start. The fastball has been electric when accurate and the breaking stuff is at the best point in his career.
Pivetta has been worth the acquisition last season and will be a part of the rotation for the rest of this year for sure. If he is able to keep this up, he will not only remain at the top for the Red Sox but will be one of Chaim Bloom’s signature moves to really kick off his time with Boston. They’re almost video game numbers right now though, so expect a little regression.