In 12 games since getting called back up by the Boston Red Sox, Mickey Gasper batted .400 with six home runs, 13 RBIs, and a 1.671 OPS. His OPS in August is the third-greatest in a single month in MLB history (Ted Williams - 2.314 OPS in September 1957 in just 33 plate appearances -- Barry Bonds - 1.828).
Chances are that Gasper will probably come back down to earth eventually, but for the Red Sox' sake, they better hope it doesn't happen anytime soon. The 30-year-old is raking right now and has been the hottest hitter in baseball, even if it's not a full sample size.
What this means for him moving forward remains to be seen as there is only a month left of regular-season play, and there's no clear indication that he will or won't be on the playoff roster (he was just sent back down to the minors once Roman Anthony and Trevor Story returned, was called back up after Willson Contreras was placed on the 10-day IL, and then hit another home run on Monday against the Seattle Mariners). But no matter what happens, Gasper is making a huge impact, and fans should be excited about what happens next.
Mickey Gasper can solidify a playoff role with Red Sox
Gasper just had a month comparable to two of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen. If he performs even half as well as that in September, then Boston won't have a choice but to keep him around for the playoffs.
Even once Contreras returns, there could be a spot for Gasper in the Red Sox' lineup as their designated hitter. At the very least, the team needs to keep him on the roster and give him at-bats in some capacity if he can even somewhat keep up this pace in September.
And it's surprising for any player to have a month similar to the one Gasper just had, but it's even more surprising given that it's him specifically. Before this season, he hit a total of two home runs in 58 games. And in his final month this season before getting sent down on June 26, he was hitting .200 with a .559 OPS in 21 games.
The New Hampshire native clearly found something that worked for him in Worcester, because he has been a man possessed since getting another opportunity in Boston. And even if things begin to even out for Gasper soon, it looks like he has what it takes to be a legitimate contributor for the Red Sox.
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