The Demise of Hitting

MLB hitters are plagued by ineptitude and it's hurting the game. This is exemplified by Yoan Moncada, who whiffed an eye-popping 217 times in 2018.

The ability to make contact has become a lost art in baseball. Players swing for the fences, going for broke, rather than trying to simply put the ball in play. As a result, strikeouts across the majors continue to reach record levels. Major League Baseball set a strikeout record for 11th straight year in 2018, with Ks surpassing 40,000 for the first time. It was also the first season in major league history in which there were more strikeouts than hits.

In fact, three players (Yoan Moncada, Giancarlo Stanton and Joey Gallo) whiffed over 200 times; eight players struck out over 170 times; 16 players fanned at least 160 times; and 27 players struck out at least 150 times.

In 2018, major league hitters, cumulatively, struck out an average of 8.48 times per game, an MLB record. It was the 13th consecutive year with a new record. Sadly, players are shameless about striking out these days; it used to be considered an embarrassment.

Joe DiMaggio only struck out on average of 34 times a season over the course of his 13-year career. More recently, Tony Gwynn struck out just 23 times over 158 games during the 1984 season. Through the course of his career, Gwynn struck out in just 4.7 percent of his at bats.

The explosion of strikeouts has led to plummeting batting averages throughout the game.

Just 16 players across the majors batted at least .300 last season, the fewest since 1978. For comparison, there were 49 qualified batters who hit over .300 in 1998. In 1999 and 2000, more than 50 qualified batters hit at least .300. As recently as 2009, more than 40 qualified batters hit at least .300.

Just three batters hit at least .320 last season. Since 1969, when the mound was lowered from 15 inches to 10 inches, there have only been four other seasons in which just three batters hit at least .320: 1973, 1974, 1978 and 1982.

Additionally, the overall MLB batting average fell to .248, the lowest since the .244 mark in 1972. The American League instituted the designated hitter the very next year in response.

However, 25 players hit at least 30 home runs in 2018 and 43 smacked at least 25.

Making contact has become a matter of luck for far too many players. Most guys are trying to make the ball leave the yard with every swing, and it’s really bad for the game. The increase in strikeouts means fewer balls in play, and fewer balls in play have led to lower batting averages.

I previously wrote about the rise of the Three True Outcomes — strikeouts, walks and home runs. On each of these plate appearances, the ball is not put into play, so the defense is not involved.

As a percentage of plate appearances, the Three True Outcomes in 2018 were the highest in baseball history and a new record has been set each year since 2014. In 2018, 34.2 percent of all plate appearances ended in one of the Three True Outcomes. This has made baseball less interesting because fewer balls are being put into play.

The Three True Outcomes are plaguing baseball, making it boring and slow. The game can’t afford to lose even more young fans/viewers, and the Three True Outcomes are surely part of the declining trend in viewership.

Attendance has dropped league wide for six straight years and for the first time since 2003, baseball failed to bring 70 million fans into ballparks across America. It’s not just declining interest in regular season games either. The ratings for the 2018 World Series were the fourth-lowest ever and were down 25 percent from 2017’s World Series between the Astros and Dodgers.

Hitting matters and it's about more than just belting the ball out of the park. Hitters have always faced a significant disadvantage to pitchers; the best of them get a hit just 30-35 percent of the time. Last year, batters league-wide got a hit just 24.8 percent of the time. While fans certainly enjoy strikeouts, no wants to see that kind of ineptitude. It’s boring and lackluster.

MLB needs to do better, and be far more entertaining, to remain relevant.

Red Sox Should Re-sign Nathan Eovaldi

Nathan Eovaldi watches Max Muncy’s 18th-inning, walk-off home run in Game 3, the longest in World Series history. Eovaldi threw 97 pitches over six innings of relief, just two days after pitching the eighth inning for a second consecutive day.

The Red Sox' 2019 rotation currently consists of lefty Chris Sale, lefty David Price, righty Rick Porcello, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez and possibly knuckleballer Steven Wright.

Lefty Brian Johnson and righty Hector Velazquez are both depth options, but neither is viewed as an every-fifth-day, No. 5 starter.

Expect Boston to be active in the pursuit of righty free agent Nathan Eovaldi, who raised his status -- and price tag -- in the playoffs, particularly the Fall Classic.

At just 28 years of age, Eovaldi (who will be 29 when spring training opens) is one of the most attractive free agents on this winter's market. In fact, he is the youngest available starting pitching option, about six months younger than fellow free agent starter Patrick Corbin.

Additionally, Eovaldi has thrown more than 4,000 fewer pitches than fellow free agent Dallas Keuchel.

Eovaldi proved to be a fearless competitor on baseball's biggest stage, while also showing that he can thrive under the heat of the brightest spotlight.

In the 2018 postseason, the righty compiled a remarkable 1.61 ERA in six appearances. Over 22 1/3 innings, Eovaldi allowed only four earned runs, while fanning 16, walking just three and holding opponents to a paltry .185 batting average.

Yes, there is some risk involved. Eovaldi has endured two Tommy John surgeries and at this time a year ago, he was still recovering from No. 2.

However, Sale and Porcello will both be free agents after the 2019 season, so the Red Sox may prefer to get a free agent starter under a multi-year contract this offseason in the event that they lose one or both next year.

Eovaldi may well be their guy.

As to whether he'd like to return to Boston, Eovaldi made his feelings crystal clear this week.

“I enjoyed my time over there a lot,” Eovaldi said on MLB Network Radio. “When I got traded over there, they made me feel right at home, right away. And then doing everything I did in the postseason, the fans they’ve just showed me so much amount of love and support, it’s definitely going to be hard to leave there if it doesn’t work out.”

Bring him back, Red Sox.

MLB Must Adopt Standardized Rules

If Game 3 of the World Series affirmed anything, it’s that MLB needs to adopt uniform rules for the National and American Leagues.

MLB must compel the NL to finally adopt the designated hitter, which has been used by the AL since 1973. Having two sets of rules is absurd. Can you imagine the two conferences in the NFL, NHL or the NBA playing by two different sets of rules? It’s inconceivable. The separate rules in MLB are archaic and outmoded.

The concept of the Designated Hitter was first proposed in the early 1900s and came fairly close to being initiated in the 1920s. It’s long overdue in the NL. National League teams use a DH in road games during inter-league play, while AL teams have the pitcher bat in road games during inter-league match-ups.

Playing under NL rules is simply unfair to AL clubs, most especially in the World Series. The evidence was never more clear than in Game 3.

A total of 31 players had at least one plate appearance in the game. A total of 46 position players were used, the most in World Series history. Alex Cora had used 23 of the 25 players on his roster by the 9th inning; Drew Pomeranz and Chris Sale were the only ones who didn’t participate. Pomeranz hasn’t pitched in any game since Sept. 30.

The 18 combined pitchers used were also the most in history for a postseason game and a total of 561 pitches were thrown. If the Red Sox had a DH and didn’t have to keep substituting, they wouldn’t have used so many pitchers and the outcome may have been quite different.

Running out of position players in a World Series (due to substituting for the pitchers) is absurd and should never happen. Yes, it was the longest game in World Series history, both in terms of time (7hours, 20 minutes) and innings (18). But the Red Sox constant substitutions and switches (the result of not having a DH) likely contributed to the absurd length of the game, which was essentially two games in one. By the end of the contest, most of the Red Sox most powerful bats — including JD Martinez, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers and Mitch Moreland — were all on the bench. That would never happen in an American League game.

Not a single NL pitcher qualified for the batting title this season, due to a lack of plate appearances, and it wasn’t unusual. A batter must have 3.1 plate appearances per team game played to qualify for league leadership in average, OBP or slugging. Not one pitcher met that threshold.

Just 37 pitchers had at least 50 plate appearances this year. Only 25 pitchers had as many as 50 at bats; 21 of them batted below .200 and 14 batted .100 or below. It’s a travesty and an absurdity. Simply put, pitchers are horrible hitters.

Their lack of success is little surprise. Starting pitchers in the NL may get just two or three plate appearances every fifth day. Who could reasonably expect them to be decent hitters? Batting is a skill that needs to be practiced daily. AL pitchers face even worse odds since teams play just 20 inter-league games each season; they get even fewer at bats. This is why so many high-profile AL pitchers through the years have been injured either batting or running the bases.

I don’t say any of this because the Red Sox lost Game 3. I’ve always felt this way and I’d be saying the same thing if Boston had won.

At the least, the current rules give the NL clubs an unfair advantage in World Series’ contests played in their parks. Most fans don’t look forward to seeing pitchers bat or to so many substitutions that a team ends up with some of its best hitters on the bench in crucial late-game situations.

At the least, the NL should be compelled to play under AL rules in all World Series games, regardless of which stadium the games are played.

It's Red Sox vs Dodgers in Dream World Series

The Red Sox and Dodgers will square off tonight in the opening game of the Fall Classic. There isn’t that much history between the two clubs. In fact, they have opposed each other in the World Series just once before.

The Dodgers and Red Sox squared off in the Fall Classic way back in 1916. That was 102 years ago, making this the longest gap between World Series meetings in MLB history. The Dodgers played in Brooklyn back then and were known as the Robins.

The Brooklyn games were played at Ebbets Field and the Boston games were played at Braves Field, a larger venue than Fenway Park, which was just four years old at the time.

The Red Sox beat the Robins, 4 games to 1, to win the World Series. Brooklyn didn’t win a single game in Boston.

The two teams would not play again for 86 years, when the Red Sox visited Los Angeles from June 21-23, 2002, for a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. I was there for all three contests. Unfortunately, Los Angeles swept the series.

Since inter-league play began in 1997, the Red Sox are 8-7 against the Dodgers. Boston hasn’t hosted LA since 2010, and the teams haven’t faced each other since 2016.

The Dodgers have beaten the Red Sox in Boston just once, on June 12, 2004. Interestingly, Alex Cora scored and drove in a run for the Dodgers during a 14-5 pummeling of the Red Sox.

Los Angeles is aiming for its first championship since 1988. The Red Sox are vying for their fourth championship in the past 15 years.

Not surprisingly, Boston is the favorite. The Red Sox were the best team in baseball this season, winning a franchise-record 108 games. LA finished with a 92-71 record and needed 163 games to make the playoffs.

This is the Series that MLB wanted. Both cities are top-10 US media markets; Los Angeles is No. 2, while Boston is No. 9, according to Nielsen.

These are also two of the most-storied franchises in all sports.

The Red Sox inaugural season was 1901, while the Dodgers can trace their history all the way back to 1884, as the Brooklyn Atlantics. The team would not be known as the Dodgers until the 1932 season.

In between, the team from Brooklyn was known as: the Bridegrooms (1888–1890); the Grooms (1891–1895), the Bridegrooms (1896–1898); the Superbas (1899–1910); the Trolley Dodgers (1911–1912); the Superbas (1913) and the Robins (1914–1931). In 1958, the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles.

The Dodgers won the World Series in 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981 and 1988 (six times) and they've won the National League pennant a remarkable 23 times.

The Boston franchise was a baseball powerhouse a century ago. The team won its first World Series in 1903, just two years after its inception. Back then, the club was known as the Americans. At the time, there were just eight teams in each league and the only time the opposing leagues played each other was in the World Series.

Boston again won the World Series in 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916 and 1918, giving the franchise four championships in seven years and six in a span of 16 seasons. The team was baseball’s first juggernaut, before the Yankees reimagined what it was to be a dynasty.

Here we are, 100 years later, and the Red Sox are again vying to be the preeminent team of this century. Since the start of the millennium, Boston has won three World Series crowns (2004, 2007, 2013), while the Giants have also won three titles (2010, 2012, 2014). The Cardinals (2006, 2011) and the Yankees (2000, 2009) have each won two championships this century.

The Red Sox greatest strength this season may be its offense, which led the majors in virtually every major statistical category.

When the playoffs began, the biggest question the Red Sox faced was their bullpen. How would manager Alex Cora bridge the gap from the five or six innings his starters might give him to get to closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth. However, it turned out that Kimbrel was the biggest concern.

The usually reliable closer gave up at least one run in each of his first four postseason appearances against the Yankees and Astros, which was a first in his career. In that span, Kimbrel yielded six hits, five earned runs and five walks in 5⅓ innings.

Former Dodgers’ and Red Sox’ closer Eric Gagne informed Cora, his close friend, that Kimbrel was tipping his pitches. After making some corrections, Cora believes that Kimbrel will now be back to his usual, brilliant self.

“I’m sorry Boston that I gave quite a few of you heart attacks the last few days," Kimbrel said. “But we’re all good now."

We’ll know if that’s true by the end of this week.

Predication: Red Sox in six games.

The Red Sox Desperately Need a Reliable Craig Kimbrel Right Now

Whether the Red Sox still want Kimbrel next year and beyond is yet to be determined. His performance in the ALCS and, potentially, the World Series could determine his future in Boston.

Craig Kimbrel had a sterling reputation as an elite closer when the Red Sox acquired him from the Padres before the 2016 season. As a rookie in 2011, he was an All Star and ultimately set the rookie record with 46 saves. Kimbrel led the National League in saves for four consecutive seasons, 2011 through 2014, and was an All Star in each of those years.

In his six seasons before arriving in Boston, Kimbrel has a 1.49 career ERA. Five of those years were spent in Atlanta and one in San Diego, both National League clubs. That gave him a bit of an advantage, but no one doubted that Kimbrel could be successful, even dominant, in the American League.

However, while Kimbrel has been outstanding at times with the Red Sox, he has also struggled at times.

After collecting four consecutive 40-plus save seasons prior to arriving in Boston, the closer posted 31 in 33 opportunities in 2016, his first year with the Sox. Though that amounted to a 93.9% save percentage, Kimbrel’s ERA leapt to 3.40, which is not the stuff of an elite closer. Kimbrel only surrendered 28 hits that year, but he also walked 30 batters and hit four, all in just 53 innings. That’s why his ERA was so uncharacteristically high. He did, however, strike out 83 batters. Kimbrel was good enough to make the All Star team that year.

The next year, 2017, Kimbrel undoubtedly had his best season in Boston, posting a 1.43 ERA and a minuscule 0.681 WHIP. The closer was an All Star once again and had 35 saves in 39 opportunities. He pitched 69 innings, allowing 33 hits, 14 walks and hit four batters. Most remarkably, he fanned a whopping 126 hitters that year, resulting in an eye-popping 16.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

This year, Kimbrel’s ERA jumped up to 2.74, the second highest of his career, after 2016. In other words, the two years in which he posted his highest ERAs have come in the three years that he’s been with the Red Sox. Kimbrel had 42 saves in 47 appearances, an 89.4% save percentage. Over 62.1 innings, he gave up just 31 hits, but also walked 31 batters, the second-highest total of his nine-year career. Kimbrel still had 96 punch outs, which was again excellent, though well below the stellar total he amassed in 2017. However, he also allowed a career-high seven home runs this season.

While Kimbrel can usually be relied upon to safely close out games, his nail-biter of a performance against the Yankees in Game 4 of the ALDS wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary. Kimbrel can at times lose command and fail to consistently find the strike zone, as evidenced by the fact that he walked at least 30 batters in two of the past three years.

On Tuesday night, Kimbrel created some unnecessary drama while trying to finish Game 4 and the series. The closer gave up one hit, allowed two walks and hit one batter, putting four men on base in the ninth. Yes, the Red Sox closer put four men on base in the ninth of a closeout game! As a result, he allowed two runs (hitting a batter with the bases-loaded and a sacrifice fly), making the situation much more difficult and challenging than it should have been. It didn't need to be that kind of adventure. Kimbrel nearly gave Red Sox Nation a collective heart attack.

Kimbrel will have to be much more reliable moving forward. The Astros will make him pay in the ALCS. He’s often too erratic and doesn’t throw strikes when he needs to. Walks are unacceptable in October. They will eventually come back to haunt him and the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have a big decision to make regrading Kimbrel this offseason, when he becomes a free agent. The 30-year-old, who will turn 31 in May, is still relatively young and is coming off a four-year, $42 million contract that had a fifth year option, which paid him $13 million this season.

Kimbrel seems to have enjoyed his time in Boston and knows he will be pitching for a contender most years. He also seemed to genuinely appreciate the support the organization gave him when his infant daughter, Lydia Joy, underwent two heart surgeries last winter. According to the closer, the baby girl is recovering well after the operations.

“I’ve loved my last three years here,” Kimbrel said in July. "The city's provided me and my family a lot. And we're very grateful for that. And we'd love to stay. And we love the city.”

He will be the top free agent closer on the market this winter and a five-year deal seems likely, given his age. Perhaps the Red Sox could get him for just four years, but at what cost? Again, he made $13 million this year and will surely be expecting a sizable bump up from that.

Old friend Andrew Miller will also be available this winter, but he has been injured and far less effective than in years past. Can he fully recover? Has he already peaked at age 33? Miller endured three DL stints this season due to troubles with his left hamstring, right knee and left (pitching) shoulder.

Miller made just 37 appearances this year for Cleveland, after making 73 in 2014, 60 in 2015, 70 in 2016 and 57 in 2017. That heavy workload seems to have finally worn him down. Elite relievers are always great... until they aren't.

Cody Allen, also of the Indians, Adam Ottavino of the Rockies, Kelvin Herrera of the Nationals and Zach Britton of the Yankees will also be available. Yet, Kimbrel is the clear leader in a very thin class of relievers with closing experience or ability.

Matt Barnes could potentially give the Red Sox an in-house replacement for Kimbrel. The 28-year-old would certainly be a cheaper option than Kimbrel since he’s arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason. Moreover, he had comparable numbers this year:

Barnes: 14.01 K/9, 4.52 BB/9, 53 GB%
Kimbrel: 13.85 K/9, 4.48 BB/9, 28.2 GB%

Before making any decisions about the future, however, the Red Sox will have to see how far Kimbrel can take them in the ALCS and, hopefully, the World Series. As vital as Chris Sale is to this team’s fortunes, Kimbrel will be equally critical in playoff games that are typically low-scoring affairs won by shut-down pitching.

Red Sox Embark on Quest for 9th World Series Title

The Red Sox and the Yankees are set to square off in the American League Divisional Series, which starts on Friday night at Fenway.

It will be the first playoff matchup between the storied rivals since 2004. That year, the Red Sox famously came from behind, down games three games to none, and stunned New York by winning four straight and earning a berth into the World Series, which they won in historic fashion for the first time since 1918.

Only three times in MLB history have two 100-win teams met before the World Series. The last time it happened was when the Yankees and Royals met in the 1977 American League Championship Series. This is rare stuff.

The Red Sox and Yankees have made the postseason in the same year 10 times, beginning in 1995. Of course, the Wild Card was first instituted by MLB in 1994, so such a meeting between division rivals was not previously possible. The two teams have met in the postseason just three times — the 1999 ALCS, 2003 ALCS and 2004 ALCS — with the Yankees prevailing twice. Boston would like to even the score this year.

The Red Sox won a franchise record 108 games, including 57 at home and 51 on the road. Winning 50-plus games at home and on the road is a sign of balance. The Red Sox seem to have home-field advantage even in other teams’ ballparks.

However, the Yankees also won 100 games, including 53 at home and 47 on the road. They too are a balanced ball club. But the home field advantage should favor Boston. They’ll need any and every advantage to win this series.

Despite winning 100 games, the Yankees still finished second in the AL East and had to win the AL Wild Card Game. Only 10 times in MLB history has a 100-win team not finished in first place. It's only happened four times in MLB's divisional era, which began in 1969. Before that, going back to 1903, the year of the inaugural World Series, only six other 100-win teams finished second in a pennant race.

Head-to-head in 2018, Boston won the series, going 10-9 against the Yankees, winning seven of 10 at Fenway. The latter will matter in the ALDS.

This is the series that baseball wants. The Red Sox/Yankees may be the best rivalry in all sports. Very few teams — in any sport — have a 118-year rivalry.

The Red Sox were inarguably the best team in baseball this season. Their 108 wins were tops in the sport; Houston was second best, with 103 wins.

The Red Sox were the first team in baseball to reach 30 wins, 40 wins, 50 wins (tied with Yankees and Astros), 60 wins, 70 wins, 80 wins, 90 wins and 100 wins.

Boston led the AL East for 173 days and had an 11 1/2-game lead on Sept. 16. The farthest the Red Sox fell behind all season was two games on June 21. Their longest losing streak was just three games, which occurred only three times.

From April through August, the Red Sox won at least 17 games in every month, including 19 in April and July. Their worst month was September, when they won 15 games. However, early in the month they had already secured a playoff spot and eventually the AL East title. In other words, they weren’t playing with any sense of desperation. They could afford to rest players.

Despite all of this, there is a nagging sense that the Red Sox could lose this series to their arch rivals.

The Yankees’ potent offense is a modern-day Murderers’ Row. New York set a major league record with 267 homers this season. Six Yankees hit at least 20 home runs and five of them hit at least 25.

However, the Red Sox have a more balanced attack. Boston led the majors in batting average (.268), on-base percentage (.339), slugging (.453), OPS (.792), RBI (829), hits (1,509), doubles (355) and runs (876).

Despite all those runs and that powerful slugging percentage, Boston was just ninth in baseball with 208 home runs. In other words, the Red Sox have many ways to score, other than simply belting home runs. The can play small ball, steal bases (third in the majors with 125) and manufacture runs in the process.

Yet, playoff baseball usually comes down to pitching.

Here’s how the two team’s pitching staffs fared this season:

Red Sox / Yankees

Team ERA: 3.75 3.78
Hits: 1,311 1,305
Home Runs: 176 177
Strikeouts: 1,558 1,634
Average: .237 .237
WHIP: 1.25 1.24

As you can see, the numbers are remarkably similar — nearly identical, in fact.

Yet, Red Sox’ pitchers Chris Sale (one playoff start), David Price (nine starts) and Rick Porcello (four starts) are a combined 0-11 with a 6.18 ERA as postseason starters. There's genuine reason for concern, Red Sox fans.

Then there’s the matter that, due to two stints on the disabled list, Sale has thrown just 17 innings since July 31. He displayed significantly decreased velocity in his final start of the regular season, when he averaged 90.2-mph with his four-seamer and topped out at 94.5. The lefty is unquestionably Boston’s best starter — their ace. As Sale goes, so go the Red Sox. Yet, what the Red Sox will get out of him on Friday is anyone’s guess. But if he falters, no one should be surprised.

Price has been an unmitigated disaster in the postseason. He is winless in nine starts and, overall, has a 2-8 record with a 5.03 ERA. He seems to wilt under the glare of the spotlight.

Over 11 games (four starts), Porcello is 0-3 with a 5.47 ERA. That's not encouraging either.

Yes, any one of them could turn it around and perform at his best, but their histories don’t suggest such a rebound.

Nathan Eovaldi is likely to pitch Game 4, if the series extends that far.

The Yankees will counter with starters J.A. Happ (17-6, 3.65 ERA), Masahiro Tanaka (12-6, 3.75) and Luis Severino (19-8, 3.39).

New York may have the edge in the bullpen; it has the superior setup men leading to closer Aroldis Chapman, including Dellin Betances, David Robertson, Zach Britton and Chad Green.

Though Craig Kimbrel is an elite closer, it remains to be seen how manager Alex Cora will get to him. Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Steven Wright, Joe Kelly and Brandon Workman will fill out Boston's bullpen. Though there are reasonable concerns about the Sox’ pen (other than Kimbrel), the relief crew finished with a 3.72 ERA, which was fourth-best in the AL.

Kelly was a total mess in the last few months of the season. Over his last 15 appearances he posted a 6.17 ERA and 1.71 WHIP; over his last seven those numbers rose to 8.31 and 2.54, respectively. Why would Cora or anyone else trust him? Overall, Kelly has a 4.39 ERA and 1.36 WHIP this year. He simply puts too many batters on base.

Barnes missed much of September with inflammation in his left hip. Is he fully healed? We’re about to find out.

Brasier pitched in Japan last year and has never been in the postseason before. Before this season, he had made just seven appearances in the majors, all with the Angels in 2013. However, he emerged into a key bullpen piece for Boston this year, notching a 1.60 ERA in 34 outings.

Wright could give the Sox three or four relief innings, should one of the starters continue his postseason woes. Eduardo Rodriguez could serve as a key lefty out of the pen. That will be critical since every single member of the Boston bullpen in the ALDS is a righty. That's not good.

The Red Sox had a magical season this year. This is the best regular-season Red Sox team that any of us has ever witnessed. But the World Series title isn’t handed to the team with the best regular-season record.

The 2001 Seattle Mariners finished with a 116–46 record, tying the major league record for wins set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. Yet, they were swiftly eliminated by the Yankees in five games in the American League Championship Series. That outcome serves as the ultimate precautionary tale about regular season exploits. It’s the postseason that counts.

If the Red Sox are to suffer a similar fate, it would hardly be surprising. After all, the Yankees won 100 games this year. They are a dangerous team. And even if the Red Sox prevail in the ALDS, they would then have to face either the defending World Series Champion Houston Astros (103 wins) or the Cleveland Indians (91 wins), both of whom beat Boston in four of seven regular season contests this year.

One club needs to win 11 games to be crowned World Series Champions. This is going to a tough battle. The competition is fierce. Boston’s first hurdle will be the Yankees, and they will present a significant challenge.

For Red Sox fans, there is nothing sweeter than beating the Yankees — except for winning the World Series, of course (though for many fans, beating the Yankees in 2004 was the World Series).

However, there is nothing worse than losing to the Yankees in the playoffs — not even losing the World Series.

Lefties Comprise Bulk of Career Batting Leaders

Ted Williams' .344 career batting average is the seventh highest in Major League history

The list of Major League Baseball’s career batting average leaders is heavily weighted with left-handed hitters.

Historically, left-handed hitters have the highest lifetime batting averages, which is uncanny. Take a look at the 20 greatest hitters in Major League history.

1. Ty Cobb, L, .3664
2. Rogers Hornsby, R, .3585
3. Joe Jackson, L, .3558
4. Lefty O’Doul, L, .3493
5. Ed Delahanty, R, .3458
6. Tris Speaker, L, .3447
7. Billy Hamilton, L, .3444
7. Ted Williams, L, .3444
9. Dan Brouthers, L, .3424
9. Babe Ruth, L, .3421
11. Dave Orr, R, .3420
12. Harry Heilmann, R, .3416
13. Pete Browning, R, .3415
14. Willie Keeler, L, .3413
15. Bill Terry, L, .3412
16. Lou Gehrig, L, .3401
16. George Sisler, L, .3401
18. Jesse Burkett, L, .3382
18. Tony Gwynn, L, .3382
18. Nap Lajoie, R, .3382

Quite remarkably, eight of the top 10 and 14 out of the 20 highest career batting averages belong to left-handed hitters.

Yet, lefties comprise roughly 10 percent of the population. That means the vast majority of hitters and pitchers are right-handed. It also makes the presence of all these lefties among the career batting average leaders all the more amazing.

Over the last 60 years, 61 of the 120 batting titles — more than half — have been won by left-handed hitters. Yet, lefties aren’t even close to constituting half the overall population. Again, lefties represent about 1 in 10 people.

Left-handed hitters have a better chance against right-handed pitchers, who are the majority. Conversely, right-handed hitters have a better chance against lefties, of which there are fewer.

From Little League through high school, college and even the minors, hitters are much more likely to face a right-handed pitcher, which gives left-handed hitters an advantage. When left-handed hitters reach the majors, they have a much better chance against righty pitchers, who comprise the majority.

That’s why lefty hitters are historically so successful, and the record books bear this out.

Yaz Wasn't the Slugger You Think He Was, But He's Still One of the Game's Greatest Players

Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski is third in Red Sox history with 452 career home runs, trailing only Ted Williams (521) and David Ortiz (483). Yaz was in second place for nearly five decades, until being passed by Ortiz in Big Papi's final season.

Yet, Yaz didn’t begin as his career as a slugger and, aside from a few freak seasons, he never really was one. Yaz's career home run total was the product of consistency and longevity.

In 1961, his rookie season, Yaz hit just 11 homers. He didn't reach the 20-homer mark until 1965, his fifth season. But Yaz regressed the very next year, falling back to 16 home runs.

Look at his home run total by year:

1961 - 11
1962 - 19
1963 - 14
1964 - 15
1965 - 20
1966 - 16

There was nothing remarkable or auspicious about those yearly totals. Actually, for the first six years of his career, Yaz looked like a pretty ordinary home run hitter. He was a line-drive hitter, who hit the ball into the gaps.

That all changed in 1967, when Yaz blasted a career-high 44 homers, while knocking in 121 runs and batting .326, which earned him the rare and illustrious Triple Crown. That year, Yaz also led the American League in runs, hits, OBP, slugging and OPS. It was a season for the ages; Yaz was the total package.

The winter before that famed season, he trained like a fighter, hitting a speed bag and skipping rope. He lifted weights attached to pulleys and swung a lead bat. “It was the first time I really worked out hard during the off-season,” he later said. By sheer force of will and with a purposeful approach, Yaz became a power-hitting pull hitter by putting more of his hips into his swing.

Officially listed at 5-11, 175lb, Yaz was not a big man. He had to employ perfect technique in order to launch 40 homers into the stands. Once he reached that mark, he felt tremendous pressure to keep clearing fences around the league. Such feats didn’t come naturally and the stress of it ate at him.

“I wish I could have played for 23 years at Ted Williams’ size [6’3”, 205 pounds],” he told Sports Illustrated 1983, at the end of his final season. "I was 5'11½", about 185 pounds. When I went to hitting home runs in 1967, it took a whole change. It got to a point where I had to be a perfectionist at the game, where I couldn't make a mistake because of my size. Everything had to be perfect. Absolutely perfect. I wish I’d had Williams' ability."

Yaz’s home run total fell back to 23 in 1968, before surging up to 40 in both the 1969 and 1970 seasons. But that was his last hurrah as a raw, home run hitter. Yaz never again reached the 30-homer plateau for the rest of his career, which stretched through 1983, a span of 13 additional seasons.

In fact, Yaz only reached the 20-home-run threshold three times in that span, hitting 21 in 1976, 28 in 1977 and 21 in 1979.

The pursuit of perfection, or at least home runs, seemed to burden him after his historic ’67 season. Sadly, the game was often a joyless pursuit for Yastrzemski, as he lamented in his autobiography, "Yaz: Baseball, the Wall, and Me."

"I never had any fun at the game... I had to work so hard. It's a funny thing to say. I loved the game. I loved the competition. But I never had any fun. I never enjoyed it. All hard work all the time. I let the game dominate me. It ate me up inside. I could never leave it at the ball park. I thought, as I got older, it would be easier, but it got harder as I got older because then I had more to prove...."

First and foremost, Yaz was a true hitter — not a power hitter. The Red Sox famed left fielder won three batting titles (’62, '67, '68), while also leading the league in OBP five times, OPS four times and slugging three times.

Yaz is often perceived as a slugger due to his 452 career homers and the fact that from 1970 until 2016, when he was surpassed by Ortiz, he was second only to The Splendid Splinter on Boston’s career home runs list. However, the 18-time All Star hit as many as 20 home runs just eight times in his 23 seasons. Captain Carl himself admitted that he wasn’t an elite home run hitter, despite his career total.

“I would say as a hitter, [David Ortiz] is next to Ted,” Yastrzemski told The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy in 2014. “…I would put him ahead of me. He had more power than I had.”

However, Yaz is a member of the 3,000-hit club and is the first American League player in that club to also accumulate over 400 home runs. He is second in MLB history for games played and third for total at-bats. However, it’s the combination of his home run and hit totals that makes him most satisfied.

“I'm very pleased and very proud of my accomplishments, but I'm most proud of that (hitting 400 home runs and 3,000 hits). Not (Ted) Williams, not (Lou) Gehrig, not (Joe) DiMaggio did that. They were Cadillacs and I’m a Chevrolet,” Yaz once said, quite humbly.

One of Yastrzemski’s greatest attributes was his ability, or sheer will, to play through injuries.

“You see, I was a guy who always played with injuries,” Yaz recounted in his autobiography. “When I retired I had played in more games than anyone in baseball history, with the most 100-game seasons… It had always seemed to me that not playing, whatever the reason, was a signal that you didn’t care… All in all, I was on the disabled list only once. I don't know whether it was luck that had kept me off or that I just refused to yield to the pain and injury."

That is the definition of a “gamer.”

Yaz's place in Red Sox history is secure. He the club’s all-time leader in career RBI, runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases and games played. He was also an excellent defender, as evidenced by his seven Gold Gloves.

The reality is that Carl Yastrzemski was a complete player. He was so much more than just a home run hitter, and that’s how he should be remembered.

Hanley Ramirez Was DFA'd Because He Never Lived up to His Contract

At first glance, the designation of Hanley Ramirez by the Red Sox seemed surprising. After all, he is under contract for $22 million this season and had belted 23 homers last year and 30 in 2016.

However, upon further review, Ramirez simply wasn’t living up to his contract or giving the Red Sox consistent production from the N0. 3 spot in the lineup.

The 34-year-old slashed .254/.313/.395, with six home runs and 29 RBI, in 44 games for the Red Sox this year. Boston has played 50 games so far and had given him significant playing time and plenty of opportunities. That’s just not enough production to warrant $22 million.

Yet, there were additional financial considerations for next season as well.

Ramirez’s four-year, $88 million contract (2015-2018) has a fifth-year option that automatically vests if he amasses 1,050 total plate appearances in 2017-2018. Hanley only needed 497 PAs this season for the Red Sox to be on the hook for $22 million in 2019. Ramirez had already compiled 195 plate appearances this season and was well on his way to 497.

Hanley was signed as a free agent to be an offensive spark and a run producer. However, he had mixed results in Boston over parts of four seasons.

2015: 105 games, .249 AVG/.291 OBP/.426 SLG/.717 OPS, 19 HR, 53 RBI, 12 2B, 59 runs
2016: 147 games, .286 AVG/.361 OBP/.505 SLG/.866 OPS, 30 HR, 111 RBI, 28 2B, 81 runs
2017: 133 games, .242 AVG/.320 OBP/.429 SLG/.750 OPS, 23 HR, 62 RBI, 24 2B, 58 runs
2018: 44 games, .254 AVG/.313 OBP/.395 SLG/.708 OPS, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 7 2B, 25 runs

As you can see, the only year in which Ramirez gave the Red Sox what they were expecting, and what they were paying for, was 2016. Last year, Ramirez, a former batting crown winner, posted his lowest batting average ever.

Hanley had surgery on his left shoulder in October and the Red Sox hoped it would help him rediscover the swing that had made him one of the game's premier hitters earlier in his career. That hope never materialized.

Consider what the Red Sox are getting from JD Martinez, at a similar cost:

48 games, .328 AVG/.383 OBP/.645 SLG/1.029 OPS, 15 HR, 41 RBI, 12 2B, 32 runs

Martinez is making $23.75 million this season and next. If there’s a such thing as “earning” $23 million in baseball, Martinez is doing it.

Ramirez certainly isn't earning $22 million this season and there was no way the Red Sox were willing to pay him the same amount again next season at age 35.

Clearly, Ramirez doesn’t come close to Martinez's value and the only way to rectify that was to cut bait now.

This move will make Gold Glove winner Mitch Moreland the full-time first baseman and give him regular at-bats. That's a good thing. The left-handed slugger is slashing a remarkable .311/.390/.612/1.001 this season. That's the second-best OBP, third-best batting average (min. 100 at-bats) and third-best slugging percentage on the team.

In short, Moreland needs to play everyday and this roster was already jammed.

That’s what this DFA is all about. The Red Sox had to make room for Dustin Pedroia and Ramirez was the odd man out. Given his outsized cost and limited production, Hanley did nothing to prevent that.

Ramirez should never have been expected to be a middle-of-the-order presence because he was never that type of hitter. This failed experiment can be laid at the feet of former Boston GM Ben Cherington.

In the end, the Red Sox are still haunted by Cherington's horrible legacy, which includes Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, both of whom the Red Sox are paying or will pay to play for other teams.

That's nothing short of disastrous.

While Many Pitching Hallmarks are in Decline, Strikeouts are Rising

With five-man rotations, seven-man bullpens and strict 100-pitch limits, many observers have lamented that pitching has forever changed.

Just 40 big-league pitchers made as many at 30 starts last season. Consider that there are 30 major league teams, each of which has a five-man rotation, and that adds up to 150 starters league wide. This means just 27 percent of major league pitchers made at least 30 starts last year. Yet, most teams use additional starters during the season due to injury or ineffectiveness, so there were even more than 150 starters in 2017.

More alarmingly, just 15 pitchers threw at least 200 innings across the majors last year.

Complete games are largely a thing of the past. Last season, Cleveland’s Corey Kluber and and Minnesota’s Ervin Santana led the majors with five complete games apiece — five.

Many observers have concluded that we may never again see another 300-game winner. For perspective, 45-year-old Bartolo Colon, now in his 21st season, leads all active pitchers with 242 wins. He doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of reaching 300. CC Sabaathia, at age 37 and in his 18h season, is second at 239. He, too, will fall short of 300. Lastly, Justin Verlander, at age 35 and in his 14th season, has 193 wins, which is presently third most. It's unlikely that he will reach the mark either.

While those pitchers have all amassed commendable totals, in past decades they likely wouldn’t have merited Hall of Fame consideration since they’re all well below the much vaunted 300-win plateau.

That said, wins are an absurd measure of a pitcher’s merit and, thankfully, modern statistical analysis recognizes this.

However, most of the game’s current pitchers are unable to measure up to other traditional hallmarks of a pitcher’s quality — such as innings pitched, which not only indicate durability but also effectiveness.

If a pitcher is able to compile 200 innings a year for 15 seasons — which seems like the stuff of fiction today — he would amass 3,000 career innings. There are 54 pitchers in the Hall of Fame who threw at least 3,000 innings and a total of 136 in MLB history have reached the mark. Moreover, there are 30 pitchers in Cooperstown who threw at least 4,000 innings and a total of 40 pitchers have reached that plateau.

However, one traditional measure of a pitcher’s greatness, strikeouts, is actually on the rise.

Major League batters compiled 6,656 strikeouts compared with 6,360 hits in April, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That had never happened in any calendar month in the history of baseball. It is the continuation of an ongoing trend.

Last year, batters struck out in 21.6 percent of their plate appearances, a major league record. This season, it has risen to 22.6 percent, which, if sustained, would be the 11th straight year in which the strikeout rate has increased.

Strikeouts have become an epidemic; they plague today’s game. Too many batters swing for the fences in every at -bat and can’t even make contact anymore. A new strikeout-rate record has been set each season since 2008.

A total of 16 major league pitchers posted at least 200 strikeouts last season and four more notched at least 194. Remember, just 15 pitchers threw at least 200 innings. This year, at the quarter mark of the 2018 season, 38 pitchers have at last 50 Ks, which puts them on pace for 200. Not all will get there, but the trend is clear.

Ten active pitchers have at least 2,000 career strikeouts and most of them have a clear shot at 3,000. Here’s where they rank, followed by how many seasons they have played and their age:

1. CC Sabathia (18, 37) 2,874 L
2. Justin Verlander (14, 35) 2,500 R
3. Bartolo Colon (21, 45) 2,486 R
4. Felix Hernandez (14, 32) 2,387 R
5. Zack Greinke (15, 34) 2,294 R
6. Cole Hamels (13, 34) 2,284 L
7. Max Scherzer (11, 33) 2,240 R
8. Clayton Kershaw (11, 30) 2,168 L
9. James Shields (13, 36) 2,116 R
10. Jon Lester (13, 34) 2,077 L

A decade or so from now, a whole new batch of today’s hurlers will have joined the 3,000K club. It’s fairly easy to predict.

Pitchers are overwhelming hitters, who seem content with striking out in a way that would have been embarrassing to past generations of hitters. Batters are no longer satisfied with hitting singles, sacrificing and moving up baserunners. Now, it’s all or nothing — home runs or bust. These days, it’s all about launch angle.

Consequently, batting averages have dropped from .269 in 2006 (the first year of strict PED testing) to .246 heading into Friday night’s games. That would be the lowest in a season since 1972.

A long as hitters (and organizations) emphasize home runs at the exclusion of everything else, and as long as pitchers continue to consistently throw in the mid to upper-90s, this soaring strikeout trend will continue.

Consequently, the 3,000-strikeout club will also continue to grow. Unlike some other pitching categories — such as starts, innings and complete games — strikeouts are surging.

Someday, when we look back on this era, it will likely be remembered for some of the greatest punch out artists in history. However, those pitchers will also be plagued by historic home-runs-allowed totals.

Such is the state of today’s game.

It's Time to Let Blake Swihart Play

When it comes to the catching position, defense usually trump’s offense. Pitch calling, pitch framing and the comfort level of pitchers matter a lot. Additionally, blocking and throwing skills are highly valued. That’s why the offensively challenged Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon keep getting run out there by Alex Cora, day after day.

Meanwhile, Blake Swihart has caught a single inning this season.

But how impactful have Vazquez and Leon been this year?

Chris Sale has a 2.17 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. However, that’s because he is Chris Sale, not because of the catcher he is throwing to.

Rick Porcello has a 3.28 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Maybe it could be argued that Vazquez and Leon are helping him be that good. Then again, they both caught Porcello last season, when he was awful (4.65 ERA, 1.40 WHIP).

On the other hand, all of the other Red Sox starters are struggling.

- Eduardo Rodriguez has a 4.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.
- David Price has a 4.89 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP.
- Drew Pomeranz has a 5.47 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP.

Are we to believe that Vazquez and Leon's game calling and defensive skills are aiding those pitchers or making any sort of meaningful difference?

I, for one, don't buy it.

Yet, Alex Cora insists those are the reasons that Vazquez and Leon must press on as starters, while Swihart continues to languish on the bench.

Then there’s the matter of the anemic offense the Red Sox are getting from their backstops. Boston's catchers have a major league-worst .224 slugging percentage and a .178 batting average, which is the third worst in the majors.

Vazquez is slashing .179/.230/.217 (yes, his on base is actually higher than his slugging), with 0 homers, 5 RBI and just 4 doubles.

Leon is slashing .170/.220/.234, with 1 homer, 5 RBI and 0 doubles. Yes, he has exactly 1 extra-base hit this season.

Swihart, one of the most physically gifted players on the Red Sox roster, has long been touted for his offense. He played shortstop in high school, but the Red Sox converted him into a catcher because of his athleticism and strong throwing arm.

Yet, he can’t find playing time right now. The 26-year-old has played in only 15 of the Red Sox’ 41 games this season and has just 29 at bats.

The Red Sox will have to make a roster move when Dustin Pedroia returns in the next couple of weeks. Either Eduardo Nunez, Brock Holt or Swihart will have to go; the club will be unable to keep all of them as reserves. Swihart seems like the obvious choice, but that would leave Boston without a solid backup if Vazquez or Leon ends up on the DL.

Swihart is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors without first passing through waivers. Another club would surely claim the 2011 first round draft pick (No. 26), which is why Boston has been hanging onto him and stashing him on the bench.

Yet, something has to give.

The Red Sox have kept Swihart on the roster because they don’t have any viable alternatives within the organization, if Vazquez or Leon sustain an injury. However, Swihart needs at bats and he is withering while waiting to play. Over his mere 29 at-bats this season, Swihart is slashing .138/.219/.172. He has too much potential to be wasting on Boston’s bench.

Swihart played first base, third base, catcher and left field during spring training. This season he has appeared, quite limitedly, at first base, left field and designated hitter.

The Red Sox have everything to gain and little to lose by playing Swihart at catcher. To this point, Vazquez and Leon have given them little to nothing.

It’s time to let Swihart play.

Projecting the 2018 Red Sox Roster

With spring training games officially underway, it’s a good time to begin projecting the Red Sox Opening Day roster. Of course, a significant injury could change things between now and then, but otherwise Boston’s staring lineup and rotation are in place.

There are a couple of questions in the bullpen -- such as whether the team can really break camp with just one lefty -- and on the bench, but much of the roster is set. That said, some very interesting decisions remain. Let's take a look.

Starters (five spots)

Chris Sale (L)
David Price (L)
Drew Pomeranz (L)
Rick Porcello (R)
Brian Johnson? (L)

Johnson is out of options. That means he can’t be sent to the minors without first passing through waivers, where he would likely be claimed by another team.

Though the 27-year-old has just 31 1/3 innings of big league action under his belt, he was a first-round pick of the Red Sox in 2012 and is a former top-100 prospect. The team would rather not lose him.

Eduardo Rodriguez is still recovering from major offseason knee surgery and will begin the year on the DL. The lefty underwent reconstruction of the patellofemoral ligament in his right knee in October. At the time, the club said he would not be able to resume pitching for around six months, which would put him on course to begin throwing by mid-April. That means he won’t be ready to join the Red Sox until at least May.

Knuckleballer Steven Wright also had knee surgery last May, in which cartilage from a cadaver was transplanted into his left knee. He is also expected to start the season on the DL. It should not be forgotten that he was an All Star in 2016.

Bullpen (seven spots)

Craig Kimbrel (R)
Carson Smith (R)
Joe Kelly (R)
Matt Barnes (R)
Heath Hembree (R)
Brandon Workman (R)
Robby Scott (L)

This is a pretty solid, young bunch. The Boston bullpen posted a collective 3.15 ERA last season, the second-best in the majors, after Cleveland (2.89). The group's .226 batting average against was sixth-best in the majors. The question is whether or not they need another lefty.

Righty Tyler Thornburg could be a great help, but it's unrealistic to expect much from him after undergoing thoracic-outlet surgery last June. The 29-year-old faces a long road back and may never again be the same. The procedure has derailed other pitchers in the past.

Position players (13 spots)

C - Christian Vazquez/Sandy Leon
1B - Hanley Ramirez/Mitch Moreland
2B - Eduardo Nunez
SS - Xander Bogaerts
3B - Rafael Devers
LF - Andrew Benintendi
CF - Jackie Bradley Jr.
RF - Mookie Betts
DH - JD Martinez

It’s a good bet that Vazquez and Leon will split games 60/40 behind the plate, and that Moreland will play a significant amount of games at first base in a platoon with Ramirez. Marinez will serve as the fourth outfielder, which is a primary reason why the team traded Bryce Brentz to Pittsburgh (the team also needed to open a 40-man roster spot).

So, that accounts for 11 spots, leaving two bench positions up for grabs. Here’s where it gets really interesting.

Brock Holt agreed to a $2.2 million salary in arbitration. Though he still has options remaining, his salary and versatility make him a likely roster addition. However, arbitration contracts aren’t guaranteed until the player makes the 25-man roster out of spring training. That means Holt’s spring performance could decide his future with the team. This will be a time to prove that last year's concussion symptoms are a thing of the past.

Deven Marerro and Blake Swihart are both out of options. Each would have to pass through waivers to be reassigned to the minors and the latter would likely be claimed.

Swihart is finally healthy after colliding with the outfield wall in June, 2016, which required subsequent ankle surgery. The 25-year-old was able to catch back-to-back games in the Dominican winter league, where he hit .407 over 18 games. Though Swihart still sees himself as a catcher, there is a logjam at the position and he has said that he is wiling to play wherever the Red Sox need him. Given his great athleticism, Swihart likely has enough versatility to be a solid utility player, until a spot behind the plate opens once again.

Marerro is a slick fielder, who can play both shortstop and third base. However, he can’t hit a lick. The 27-year-old has slashed .208/.259/.309 through 236 at-bats over the past three seasons. At this point, he probably isn’t going to get much better offensively. This is who he is.

With all of that in mind, it seems likely that Holt and Swihart, if healthy, will get the final two roster spots.

Dustin Pedroia will return some time in May -- barring re-injury to his surgically-repaired left knee -- which will create another roster logjam that will need to be resolved at that time. That’s a good problem to have.

Fenway's Dimensions Will Pose Challenge for JD Martinez

Fenway Park’s left field wall is just 310 feet from home plate. Due to that short distance, the Green Monster was built 37.2 feet tall to keep at least some of the balls coming off right-handed hitters bats in the park.

Yet, that close proximity has always made "the wall" a popular target for right-handed hitters. In fact, Fenway has historically been viewed as a right-handed slugger's paradise.

However, the three greatest home run hitters in Red Sox history — Ted Williams (521 HR), David Ortiz (483 HR) and Carl Yastrzemski (452 HR) — were all left-handed batters. In reality, Fenway could be actually viewed as a left-handed slugger’s paradise. That’s something the Red Sox surely keep in mind when drafting players, and when constructing their roster via trades and free agent signings.

However, Fenway Park can be a challenging environment for a right-handed hitter who goes the other way.

For example, right-handed-hitting JD Martinez hits many of his homers to the opposite field, particularly to right center -- the deepest part of Fenway Park. In fact, over the last three seasons, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Martinez hit the most opposite field home runs in baseball — 45. Khris Davis, the next closest player, hit 39.

Fenway measures 310 feet down the left field line; 379 feet in left center field; 390 feet in center field; 420 feet in deep center field; 380 feet in deep right field; and 302 feet down the right field line.

As noted, Martinez drives the ball the other way a lot — 43.2 percent of his home runs were to right field last year. In fact, Martinez hit 19 opposite-field home runs last season, the most of any hitter in the Majors.

Consider this: Only nine left-handed hitters in all of baseball hit more homers to right field than Martinez did in 2017. He had more opposite-field home runs than nearly every lefty had pulled home runs.

Martinez’s ability to hit the ball all over the park should be viewed as a strength. However, he has to be able to consistently hit balls over, and off, the Green Monster to be truly successful in Boston.

While his all-field ability is desirable, right-center is the deepest part of Fenway, which will present a challenge to Martinez’s outstanding home-run hitting ability. What worked for him in Detroit and Arizona might not work as well in Boston.

Here is MLB.com's analysis of how Martinez might fare at Fenway:

"Despite the enticing 302 feet to Pesky's Pole in the right-field corner, Fenway Park might present some trouble to a hitter with Martinez's spray profile because the fence quickly moves out to 380 feet. A few of Martinez's 2017 homers might have trouble getting out to right at Fenway. As far as the Green Monster, Martinez’s average home run launch angle was a middle-of-the-pack 29 degrees.”

Martinez has gradually morphed from a pull hitter into one who uses the entire field.

In 2014, he knocked 45 percent of his batted balls to left field and only 22 percent to right. However, last season, Martinez hit 38 percent of his balls to left, 33 percent to center and 29 percent to right field.

It will interesting to see what sort of adjustments Martinez makes to hitting at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox play at least 81 games each season. That will be a critical factor in whether or not he is ultimately successful in Boston.

Even in Good Health, Hanley Ramirez Can't Carry Red Sox Offense

Hanley Ramirez was never a true power hitter, so don't expect him to become one this season.

Hanley Ramirez eschewed heavy-weight training this offseason in favor of using bands. As a result, Ramirez has dropped 15 pounds and says he has much greater flexibility.

Now 34 years old and coming off shoulder surgery, Ramirez hopes he can return to the player he was in 2016, when he hit 30 homers and had a career-high 111 RBI with Boston.

The Red Sox also hope the first baseman/designated hitter can help carry the offense this season. But here's the thing: Ramirez was never a true power hitter. Before joining the Red Sox, Ramirez had hit as many as 30 homers just once in nine seasons.

Hanley's game was built around speed and hitting. He led the majors with 125 runs in 2008 and won the National League batting title in 2009 with a .342 average. He also stole 51 bags in back-to-back seasons (2006, 2007).

That player is long gone.

After scoring at least 100 runs in four consecutive seasons, 2006-2009, Ramirez has never done it again. The closest he's come in the last seven years was in 2016, when he scored 81 runs for Boston.

Ramirez batted at least .300 in four consecutive seasons (2007-2010) and he hit a stellar .345 in 2013. However, sandwiched around that outstanding season, Ramirez has posted batting averages of .243, .257, .249 and .242. Having your batting average decline by 100 points is like falling off a cliff.

Lastly, while Ramirez was once a genuine stolen base threat, he has't swiped more than 14 bags in the last five seasons. Hanley's speed has gone away, as it generally does for most players as they age.

However, his on-base skills have also declined measurably, right along with his batting average. Hanley has posted an on-base percentage of at least .350 just once in his three seasons with Boston and just three times over the last seven years. Players who don't get on base a good clip don't score regularly.

Power is usually the last thing to go for a big league hitter, yet Hanley has never been a genuine power hitter. Since 2011, he's gone entire seasons with just 10, 13 and 19 homers.

This is the reality the Red Sox are facing as Ramirez is set to begin his fourth season in Boston. All of the 34-year-old's greatest skills have severely declined and the one skill the Red Sox want from him, power, is something that was never his strong suit from the beginning.

Unless band work proves to be the fountain of youth for Ramirez, the Red Sox will do all they can to make sure that he doesn't make 497 plate appearances this season.

That's the magic number that automatically vests his $22 million contract for 2019.

Will the Red Sox Make a Buy-Low Bid for Miguel Cabrera?

JD Martinez is said to be “fed up" with the Red Sox and their skimpy, little $125 million, five-year offer. At this point, it’s likely that the Sox are equally fed up with Martinez. The club has reportedly been looking into alternatives all winter long.

Could Miguel Cabrera be one of them?

Dave Dombrowski used to be the General Manager of the Detroit Tigers and was at the helm when the club signed Cabrera to a massive extension in March, 2014.

Cabrera's eight-year, $248 million contract with the Tigers runs through 2023. The pact has an annual average salary of $31 million. There are still six years and $184 million remaining on that deal, plus options in 2024 and 2025. Those options vest with a top-10 finish in the MVP voting the year prior, but include an $8 million buyout.

The terms of the contract stipulate that Cabrera enjoys full no-trade protection. However, being part of a non-competitive team that will be engaging in a long-term rebuild may not be all that palatable to the two-time MVP. Over the past seven months, Cabrera has watched the Tigers trade away J.D. Martinez, Justin Verlander, Justin Upton and Ian Kinsler.

With the bulk of the team’s veteran leadership having left town, Cabrera might not need all that much coaxing to accept a trade to a highly competitive team. The Red Sox might fit the bill.

But would Boston be interested in trading for the 11-time All Star if Detroit made him available?

At age 34, Cabrera has likely peaked and begun his inevitable decline. Last season was undoubtedly the worst of his 15-year career. Playing in only 130 games, Cabrera slashed just .249/.329/.399, numbers that were way off his stellar career averages. After all, he won the Triple Crown in 2012, becoming the first player to achieve the illustrious feat since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

Furthermore, the first baseman has topped 30 home runs just once in the last four seasons. That said, Cabrera won a batting title as recently as 2015, when he hit .338, and he batted .316 just two seasons ago. In fact, excluding his disastrous 2017 campaign, when he posted a -0.8 WAR, Cabrera batted at least .300 for eight consecutive seasons and 11 of the previous 12. In that span, Cabrera won four batting titles.

Cabrera will turn 35 in April, yet it is unlikely that he's suddenly washed up. The careers of great players don’t usually go off a cliff; they suffer a more gradual, prolonged decline.

Still, having a 35-year-old under contract for at least six more seasons is a very bad business decision. Having that player under contract for six more years at the cost of $184 is a nightmare.

Listed at six feet, four inches and 240 pounds, Cabrera has a body that already isn't aging well. Have you seen him run? He looks like he’s 60.

There is not a GM in baseball that would sign Cabrera this winter to a six-year, $184 million deal. That would blow away what JD Martinez will eventually get and Martinez is more than four years younger. In short, former Tigers’ owner Mike Ilitch made an emotional, and regretable, decision when he extended Cabrera four years ago. Ilitich is now deceased and doesn’t have to live with the aftermath of that ill-advised choice.

Few players should be under contract at age 38; Cabrera will be under contract through at least age 40, even if his two option years do not vest.

That’s the Tigers’ problem right now, despite the fact that Cabrera is a fan favorite and has been a franchise cornerstone. The question is whether they can make his albatross contract someone else’s problem.

Quite clearly, Detroit would have to kick in a substantial amount of money to move Cabrera off their payroll. How much? A lot. Last season, Cabrera literally had negative value. The Tigers could have found a replacement player at league-minimum salary. That’s a bitter pill.

As I’ve said repeatedly, the problem with long-term contracts is that they are backward looking, rewarding players for they did in the past. While Cabrera may have been worth $30 million per season from ages 26-31, he is certainly not worth that much today and he surely won’t be at any time over the next six seasons.

Cabrera may, perhaps, be worth half that much. At this point, he can only play first base and his range there already more limited than it used to be. His slipping defense will eventually relegate him to a DH spot, and that time is likely sooner than later. Yet, Cabrera is already so slow that he can clog up the base paths and that will only worsen in the coming years.

So, would the Tigers kick in half of Cabrera’s salary to get the Red Sox to take him off their hands? To be sure, there are few teams that would be able, much less willing, to take Cabrera even at that price. Would the Red Sox be willing? They surely have the resources, but would such a move make sense?

Boston seems unwilling to offer Cabrera’s former teammate, JD Martinez, a six-year deal and he’s just 30. Based on that alone, it seems unlikely that Dombrowski has reached out, or would reach out, to his former team to swing a deal for Cabrera.

The reality is that the Tigers never should have offered Cabrera the deal he gladly accepted and now they are living with the regrettable aftermath. It’s a cautionary tale for all teams considering long term contracts that would take players into their late 30s, much less age 40 — even if they are superstars and the face of their franchise.

Though JD Martinez Would Aid Red Sox Lineup, He Still Has Flaws

The Red Sox won 93 games in each of the last two seasons and back-to-back AL East crowns for the first time in club history. Yet, they won just a single playoff game in that span. Most of the blame for the team’s playoff struggles last year was placed on the offense; Boston was outscored 24-18 and bounced in the first round.

The retirement of David Ortiz after the 2016 season left a gaping hole in the middle of their order. Yet, even though the Sox didn’t replace Big Papi, they still scored the sixth-most runs in the AL with Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez all having less productive seasons than they did in 2016.

Those five players combined for 41 fewer home runs last year than in 2016. We can only hope that offseason shoulder surgery will make Ramirez productive and consistent once again. The same can be said for Pedroia’s offseason knee surgery.

It’s likely that most, if not all, of the above hitters will perform better this season. However, Boston would really benefit from a genuine middle-of-the-order threat in its lineup. How much do the Red Sox need to secure a power hitter this offseason? Consider this: Boston’s cleanup spot was No. 25 in the majors in OPS last season and their No. 5 spot had the lowest OPS in baseball.

Though the Boston offense should still be potent this year, it would certainly benefit from the presence of JD Martinez.

Martinez mashed 45 home runs last season, despite playing in only 119 games. The 30-year-old outfielder also hit .303, while adding 104 RBI. But here's the weird part: Martinez hit just 26 doubles last season. That's really odd for a guy with so much outfield power. The vast majority of Martinez’s extra-base hits are home runs, which is strange.

Not every swing will clear the fences. A batter needs to not only knock in runs, but consistently put himself in scoring position and then score. Oddly, Martinez doesn’t do that nearly as much as I had imagined. He has never scored 100 runs and over the last two seasons has scored just 38 and 47, respectively.

There are legitimate concerns about Martinez, who missed significant time in five of his first six seasons, including 85 games the past two seasons. That raises reasonable apprehension about his ability to stay on the field. Over seven seasons, Martinez has played in more than 123 games just once.

Martinez is by far the best hitter available in this free agent class, but there are major flaws in his game.

Due to his poor defense and base running, which both rank negatively in terms of metrics, Martinez has a career 14.6 WAR, which puts him in line with Todd Frazier (14.8 WAR) and Edwin Encarnacion (14.5 WAR).

Frazier, 32, just signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Mets. That deal surely has fewer years and dollars than the third baseman was expecting. However, the free market determines a player’s worth.

Last offseason, the then 34-year-old Encarnacion saw his market plummet and he eventually settled for a three-year, $60 million deal, with a $5 million buyout on a fourth-year option worth $25 million.

The 30-year-old Martinez has a reported five-year, $125 million offer from Boston awaiting his signature, yet he won’t budge from his demands, reportedly for a seven-year contract in the neighborhood of $30 million per season.

Though Martinez has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past four years, his poor base running and below average defense are dragging down his value. Martinez’s WAR is not nearly as high as one would expect from a player with his hitting capabilities.

That's because baseball is about more than just hitting or slugging. Defense really matters, as does base running. Martinez’s overall value, as represented by his 14.6 WAR, is comparable to players like Frazier and Encarnacion, who got significantly less money in free agency.

With all of this in mind, the Red Sox reported five-year, $125 million offer to Martinez seems quite fair, even generous. If the Red Sox can get him at that price, it would be worth their while. He could certainly help lift the offense.

The Yankees finished one game shy of the World Series and they responded by beefing up their potent offense even further by trading for National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton.

Last season, the Red Sox were last in the American League, with 168 home runs.

Meanwhile, four current Yankees -- Stanton (59), Aaron Judge (52), Gary Sanchez (33) and Didi Gregorius (25) -- combined for 169 homers.

The Bronx Bombers’ offense got a whole lot better on paper this offseason, but the battle for first place should still be a dogfight.

Martinez would help, but this shouldn’t be a ransom negotiation.

Dave Dombrowski is playing it smart. If some other team wanted Martinez at his asking price, he would already be a member of that team. Dombrowski is wise not to bid against himself.

This Free Agent Market is Slow Due to Greed and Delusion

Much has been made about the glacial pace of free agent signings this offseason. Some observers have even wondered aloud if team owners are engaged in collusion, actively deciding not to sign players in an effort to drive down their price tags. It makes for a good conspiracy theory, but the facts tell a different story.

In fact, eight of MLB Trade Rumors top-10 free agents this winter have either signed or been offered generous contracts. The same can be said for 12 of the top-14 and 16 of the top-20 free agents.

Clearly, large offers have been made and many of the top free agents have, in fact, signed contracts.

The most interesting aspect of this slow free agency period is the number of top free agents who have declined lucrative offers. For example:

The Red Sox have reportedly offered JD Martinez a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $125M. To this point, no other offers have been reported. The number of teams that both need and can afford a $125M hitter this offseason is quite limited.

Despite this, Martinez thinks Boston’s offer is not good enough and refuses to accept it. He is said to be “fed up” with the very team that has offered him the highest annual value of any player this offseason. Go figure.

Eric Hosmer reportedly has a seven-year, $147M offer from the Royals and a seven-year, $140M offer from the Padres on the table. Apparently, neither offer is good enough for Hosmer, who has so far refused to sign.

Yu Darvish has been given a formal offer by the Twins, reportedly 4-5 years in length. According to various reports, Darvish has received multiple offers worth $100M-plus, including several five-year offers. Still, Darvish refuses to sign because none of them are good enough for him.

The 31-year-old is believed to be seeking a deal in the range of $150M-$175M. That would necessitate a contract of at least six years, which is unjustifiable.

Reliever Greg Holland reportedly rejected the Rockies' offer of three years and $52 million. He also rejected the Rockies' $17.4M qualifying offer at the start of the offseason.

Righty Alex Cobb reportedly rejected a three-year, $42 million contract from the Chicago Cubs. He also rejected the Rays' $17.4M qualifying offer at the start of the offseason.

The Cubs are reportedly willing to bring back Jake Arrieta on a four-year, $110 million deal and the Brewers are believed to have made a similar offer in length. Arrieta also rejected the Cubs’ $17.4M qualifying offer at the start of the offseason.

The other remaining top free agents, Lance Lynn and Mike Moustakas, also rejected $17.4M qualifying offers.

Are we supposed to feel bad for these guys?

What do Martinez, Hosmer, Moustakas and Arrieta all have in common? Scott Boras is their agent. This log jam, then, is little surprise. Boras likes to drag negotiations late into the offseason, extracting every last million.

Boras has a history of getting his clients long-term contracts, spanning seven or eight years, which those players almost never live up to. The thinking seems to be: Pay these players for their past accomplishments and don’t be concerned if they can’t perform well enough to justify their rich, long term deals.

However, team owners and GMs have finally come to their senses and realized that long term pacts are horrible business decisions that clog up rosters and leave them searching for replacements when the players cannot fulfill their long-term deals.

If players truly believe they are worth seven and eight-year contracts, they should sign four-year deals this winter and then seek new three or four-year deals when their contracts expire. Inflation will have only driven up the annual value of their future contracts. Why won’t the players do this? It’s because even they don’t believe in themselves over that length of time. They know they are likely to become injured or otherwise decline. So, if the players don’t even believe in themselves, why should the owners and GMs?

The problem with this free agent market is that the top players have lost touch with reality and become deluded by greed. It’s not that there aren’t good offers out there for the top talent available; it’s that those players think the existing offers just aren’t good enough.

This market is slow because the top free agents refuse to accept generous offers. They keep waiting for some mystery team to come out of nowhere and blow them away with an even bigger, longer offer. It’s a combination of greed and overvaluing themselves. A free market will always tell you what you or your product is really worth.

If these players would just get over their delusions of grandeur and accept reality (as well as some very generous offers), this market would quickly thaw and get moving for the mid-level players.

Spring training opens next week.

Stop Expecting Rick Porcello to Repeat His 2016 Season

Coming into last season, the Red Sox were widely viewed as having perhaps the best rotation in baseball. They had just obtained Chris Sale in a big, offseason trade with the White Sox; former Cy Young Award winner David Price was approaching his second year with the club (meaning his assimilation and adjustment period to Boston was supposedly over); and Rick Porcello was the reigning AL Cy Young winner.

Sale was almost other worldly for most of the 2017 season. Price, injured for much of the year, was shifted to the bullpen to lessen the burden on his left elbow. Porcello, however, remained healthy, but still took a huge step backward.

In 2016, the righty had posted a league-best 22-4 record, with a 3.15 ERA and a miniscule 1.00 WHIP. Over 223 innings, Porcello gave up just 193 hits while striking out 189 batters. He also led the AL with a 5.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The performance earned Porcello the Cy Young Award, for which he beat Justin Verlander by just five votes.

It was an odd season for a pitcher who had posted a 4.92 ERA just the year before and who had posted an ERA well above 4.00 in five of the previous six years. In fact, over seven seasons, Porcello had a career 4.41 ERA. That made 2016 a freak year for him and, unfortunately, gravity (or reality) pulled him back to earth in 2017.

In 2016, Porcello had an OPS against of .635; in 2017 it was .826. In virtually every way, Porcello’s 2016 season was a statistical outlier; the rest of his career has been marked by mediocrity.

The veteran finished the 2017 season with an 11-17 record (the most losses in the AL and the most of his career) and a 4.65 ERA. Porcello also gave up 38 homers last season, tying the club record set by Tim Wakefield in 1996.

In short, Porcello went from being the best starter in the American League to one of the worst in the span of just one year.

So, who is the real Rick Porcello? Well, he’s a lot closer to the pitcher we saw in 2017 than the one who shined in 2016. The career stats prove it.

Prior to 2016, Porcello had thrown 200 innings just once in his seven-year career. His ERA had also been below league average in five of those seven seasons. Furthermore, in an era dominated by strikeouts, Porcello still hasn't fanned 200 batters in any season.

The Red Sox were persuaded by Porcello’s age (26) and his potential when they obtained him from Detroit in exchange for Yoenis Céspedes in Dec. 2014. They thought the righty was just coming into his own and still had tremendous upside. Boston liked him so much that they gave him a four-year, $82.5 million extension in April, 2015, before he had even thrown a single pitch for the team.

Quite simply, Porcello didn’t earn his $12.5 million salary (from his Detroit contract) in 2015, a season in which he went 9-15 with a 4.92 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Wins have certainly fallen out of favor in modern statistical analysis, but they’re quite revealing when a pitcher has an ERA nearing 5.00.

However, in 2016 Porcello earned every dollar of $20 million salary. The Red Sox won 93 games and the AL East, which earned them a playoff spot.

However, Porcello was shelled in his lone start against Cleveland in the ALDS and took the loss. He set the tone in Game 1, when he surrendered 5 runs (which included 3 homers) on 6 hits in just 4.1 innings. Boston lost the next two games as well and were summarily bounced in the first round.

The poor performance was an omen of what was to come for Porcello in 2017.

So, what should we expect from him this season?

Well, at the least, most of us have wisely tempered our expectations. It’s likely that we will never again see the pitcher that Porcello was in 2016. That was a unicorn performance. It’s not likely that he will earn his $21 million salary this season or next.

Porcello has a career 4.25 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. He pitches to contact and puts a lot of guys on base. When that happens, a pitcher relies heavily on his defense to keep those baserunners from scoring. That’s a gamble and it’s usually a losing proposition, as we saw last season.

The reality is that Porcello is among the worst starting pitchers to have ever won the Cy Young Award and he’s really a No. 3 pitcher, at best. We have to look past the $21 million salary and the Cy Young Award and just accept that.

Tempering our expectations is the best way to avoid any further frustration and disappointment.

The Curious Case of Richie Ashburn and the Hall of Fame

There are a number of borderline members in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Many times, these players have been inducted by the Veteran’s Committee because they could not get the requisite 75 percent of the votes to be elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Less than 2 percent of the 19,000 players who have ever played in the big leagues have a plaque in Cooperstown. That’s how it should be. The Hall of Fame should be reserved for the best of the best — the very greatest players to have ever taken the field.

Unfortunately, that standard is not always maintained. When borderline candidates are granted induction into the Hall, they lower the bar for entry to other borderline or marginal candidates.

No one should ever be able to argue, “Well, he’s as good as that guy and he got in,” as an excuse for a borderline candidate’s entry.

One of those borderline candidates who still managed to become immortalized in the HOF is Richie Ashburn.

Ashburn had a fifteen-year career in the majors, spent largely with the Phillies, though he also played two years with the Cubs and spent his final season with the Mets. Ashburn was named to the All-Star Game six times in that span.

The left-handed hitter collected 2,574 hits in 8,365 at-bats. However, he had at just three 200-hit seasons and averaged 172 hits per season, the vast majority of which were singles. In fact, Ashburn led the NL in singles four times. All of that is nice, but not particularly remarkable.

Ashburn hit a grand total of 29 homers in his career (that's not a typo) and amassed a total of 317 doubles, an average of just 21 per season. He notched a career-high 32 doubles in 1955. It’s safe to say that Ashburn was not an extra-base machine. In fact, he had a career-best 274 total bases in 1951 and averaged just 213 per season. All of that is quite pedestrian and not Hall-of-Fame-like.

The Nebraska native totaled a mere 586 RBI in his career and scored 100 runs just twice in 15 seasons. In fact, Ashburn averaged just 88 runs per season and, while nice, that's not the stuff of a Hall of Famer whose strong suit was getting on base.

In short, Ashburn didn’t create many runs. The whole point of an at-bat is to either drive in a run or to get on base and score. Starting in scoring position helps a lot with the latter. But Ashburn didn’t do either very often. It’s hard to score from first or to drive in a run with a single, which represented a disproportionate number of his hits.

Ashburn stole 234 bases over the course of his career, with a career high of 32 in 1948, his rookie season. However, he averaged less than 16 steals per season. Oddly, Ashburn was considered a very fast player, yet he was not a big stolen base threat. So, the issue isn't just that he didn’t generate many extra-base hits; he didn’t steal many bases to get himself into scoring position either.

The center fielder did post a very healthy .308 career batting average (highlighted by NL batting titles in 1955 & 1958) and had an impressive .396 career on-base percentage, finishing first in four seasons. However, his career slugging percentage was a meager .382, which is really weak.

Ashburn never won an MVP Award and he finished in the top-10 just twice in fifteen seasons. He had a career WAR of 63.6, while the average career WAR of a Hall of Famer is 69.

Yet, somehow, the Veteran’s Committee still elected Ashburn to the Hall of Fame in 1995. It’s really puzzling.

Ashburn had a nice career, but in most respects he was pretty average to slightly above average. There is nothing about his career that befits the Hall of Fame. Yet, he has been immortalized in Cooperstown anyway.

If it seems that I’m picking on Ashburn, I’m not. He had a fine career and was a very good hitter. But he just isn’t worthy of the Hall of Fame and neither are 98 percent of the players who have ever put on a uniform. It’s not an insult; it’s the norm.

There are dozens of players not enshrined in the Hall of Fame who had better, in some cases much better, careers than Richie Ashburn. They have a right to feel confused or even bitter.

Richie Ashburn epitomizes the problem with putting borderline candidates in to the Hall; they lower the bar for everyone and make marginal candidates seem like reasonable candidates.

In reality, Ashburn wasn’t even borderline or marginal. He had a good, solid career, but never did anything to warrant a place in Cooperstown. The fact that he has a plaque there just isn’t right.