Boston Red Sox fans were beginning to get an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu following the All-Star break. They failed to close out games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, but far worse than that is the debacle against the lowly Colorado Rockies (lost one game in extra innings and another by a score of 20-7). The club faded in the second half of the 2023 season after exceeding expectations. The same cannot happen this year.
While there are plenty of reasons to feel excited about the Sox's future, they have to carve out a path that leads to the 2024 MLB playoffs. Sitting at home for the third October in a row is not a fate that should befall this major market and storied franchise. Furthermore, the team directly above them in the American League Wild Card standings lost 106 games last season and has a considerably smaller payroll.
Boston is coming through, however. Once the MLB trade deadline passed, the train straightened out and got back on track.
Red Sox bounce back in a big way
Alex Cora's gritty and deceptively versatile club is winning the marquee matchups it needs to during this time of year. First, Rafael Devers led the Red Sox to an extra-innings victory versus the Seattle Mariners to clinch the series. Next, they avoided a letdown in Arlington, Texas. And finally, the team rose to the occasion in what was the most important three-game set of the campaign to this point, taking two of three from the Kansas City Royals earlier this week.
Boston now trails KC by one and a half games and is only two short of the Minnesota Twins. No disrespect to either of those clubs, but that is the type of adversity Red Sox Nation would have anxiously signed up for before Opening Day. Falling short of the postseason under these set of circumstances should leave everyone woefully unsatisfied.
Fortunately, such a finish does not have to be in the cards for this group or fan base. Momentum and other intangibles are on their side. But in order to properly cap off this entertaining baseball season, some crucial areas must be fixed.
Cora has brilliantly navigated several potholes thus far, so perhaps he can sidestep these remaining three and stay on course.
Starting pitching needs a boost right away
The Red Sox starting pitching rotation has come crashing down to earth in the second half. They stunningly overachieved for a long stretch, but the staff currently resembles the volatile bunch that worried people ahead of the regular season.
Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford are both struggling over the last month, the latter historically so, and Brayan Bello is still shaky despite making some progress in July. James Paxton is a sensible acquisition who has done well here before, but the Big Maple is not exactly an innings eater. The latest news only compounds these problems.
Nick Pivetta is having is next start skipped due to arm fatigue. The veteran right-hander already avoided a potentially disastrous scenario when he landed on the injured list in April with an elbow flexor strain, so there is bound to be a sense of uneasiness brewing in Boston. When taking all of these red flags into account, I do not think that management has the luxury of just hoping the rotation can sort everything out. Some reinforcements could be necessary. But who?
Although Cora is likely to turn to an opener or a spot starter like Cooper Criswell in Pivetta's place this weekend, should the need for a long-term solution arise, one pitching prospect is worthy of a serious look. Richard Fitts has quickly raised his stock over the last week and should be pushing towards his MLB debut.
The 24-year-old righty, who was one of the three hurlers acquired in the Alex Verdugo trade last offseason, has only allowed three runs while striking out 14 batters in his last 12 innings of work for Triple-A Worcester. He has scuffled at times, but this impressive stretch is definitely encouraging. I will take it further, though. It is evidence that he deserves an opportunity.
Red Sox must find a definitive solution at second base for rest of year
I am a mystery junkie, so Boston's ongoing quandary at second base has been amusing and intriguing for much of the season. But it has also been anxiety-inducing. While the position has seen productive stretches from multiple guys, no one has run away with the job. Hopefully, a regular candidate will emerge for the critical stages of the playoff push.
Romy Gonzalez is probably in the driver's seat after compiling an impressive June and July. He is batting .284 with an .813 OPS in 49 games and is enjoying a recent power surge (three home runs in last five games). His stats against right-handed pitchers are underwhelming, however, which makes it difficult for manager Alex Cora to slot him in an everyday role.
The newly recalled Emmanuel Valdez lumbered through an awful spring but ignited when the calendar flipped to June, reclaiming the scintillating hitting stroke that put him on the organization's radar in the first place. But his brutal fielding is why he was with the WooSox for all this time (-7 outs above average, per Baseball Savant).
Connor Wong is an option because of his steady bat, and there is still a chance Vaughn Grissom breaks out of his funk, but I am putting my faith in another trade acquisition.
While Boston's best talent is Rafael Devers, and its heart and soul is All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran, David Hamilton's growth is undeniably symbolic of that of the entire team. He has worked hard to improve his skill set and survive the MLB guillotine multiple times.
Hamilton continues to learn from his shortcomings. Following a dreadful July (.197 batting average), he is already back to swinging a good bat (two doubles and two multi-hit games in August) Moreover, the 26-year-old is always a threat to steal a base (team-high 28). We shall see if this mix and matching game can end with this young talent.
Triston Casas has to shake off the rust in a hurry
The former first-round draft pick has made Red Sox fans feel an array of emotions this season. He delighted them with his power numbers (.619 slugging percentage in April before suffering torn cartilage in his ribcage), simultaneously charmed and annoyed them with his lengthy interviews and irked many people with the “stabbing/gunshot” comments he made about his injury.
The mood is shifting to a positive one again, however, as Triston Casas gets back in the groove of things in his Triple-A rehab assignment. He has hit safely in six of his seven games with Worcester and is nearing his long-awaited big league return. The first baseman must keep it up, though, since the lineup is in immediate need of another game-changing bat.
Boston owns one of the best offenses in the MLB and remained strong even during the late-July missteps. And offseason pickup Tyler O'Neill is one of the main reasons why. He packs the pop that the club was lacking in 2023, belting 22 homers in only 80 games. Now that he is on the IL with an unforeseen leg infection, a balance issue could occur.
This not the right time or portion of the schedule to be weathering such a critical absence. The Red Sox are welcoming in the always dangerous Houston Astros on Friday and then travel to Camden Yards for a four-game series against the AL East co-leading Baltimore Orioles next weekend. A returning and in-form Casas is the stabilizing force they will probably have to lean on in the coming weeks.
That is substantial pressure to burden the 24-year-old with, but he has the approach and prowess to carry it. If Casas swiftly enters the next stage of his development, Richard Fitts helps out on the mound and David Hamilton locks down second base, a fun group may just become one of six AL teams with a shot to make the World Series.
Follow Us
Subscribe