That’s 1.11 per game and on pace for 67 RBI in 60 games. Nevertheless, with his above-average defensive value combined with the recent trade of Sandy Leon to Cleveland, Vazquez should be able to handle the majority of the catcher duties and could accumulate a similar stat line through volume. And while the Red Sox may not be loaded with as many big names as usual, they still have a bona fide star in designated hitter J.D. From 2014 to 2019, Martinez has been one of the best hitters in baseball and for a good bit of that period, he was statistically the best right-handed hitter. Moreland’s 2017 campaign attained a .374 xwOBA, 22 home runs, and 79 RBI. Many teams are now putting their best hitter in the two-hole. Given the 26-year-old's penchant for producing hard contact, continued elevation may be the key to unlocking his 30-homer potential in 2020.-- Harrigan, Dansby Swanson -- SS, Braves57.8% line drive + fly ball rate (29.0% hard-hit LD+FB rate). 2020 Projection: 33 R, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 8 SB, .283/.324/.403. Editor's Picks. Gonzalez doesn’t need to be the best hitter in the Red Sox lineup, or really anything close. The Red Sox have a phenomenal lineup that sports many top offensive pieces—Martinez, Bogaerts, and Devers—while having possible breakout players in Bradley Jr., Chavis, and the newly acquired Verdugo. Mrs. Freeman, your son Freddie is doing just great; Our hottest hot takes one week into the 2021 MLB season Peraza should get the second base gig to start the season, and putting him at the bottom of the lineup could lead to some gaudy runs-scored numbers if he’s able to get on base for Boston’s top four. That could mean some missed opportunities for a guy with an above-average hard-hit rate and an MLB-leading rate of balls hit in the launch angle sweet spot between 8-32 degrees. Chavis was brought up to provide some thump from the keystone and initially delivered, hitting 10 home runs in his first 36 games. Two of the top seven prospects in Boston's farm system—Venezuelan … He ended up missing most of August and September from a back injury but Verdugo should be fully healthy for Spring Training. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. But then, in his final 45 games, Riley hit .163/.218/.333, as his quality of contact plummeted. In Boston’s lineup, Verdugo should lead off since Benintendi struggled so mightily in the role last season—hitting in front of the All-Star crew in Devers, Bogaerts, and Martinez—which should lead to great counting stats. But the most positive take is that Riley has seen what success looks like at the big league level and can find a way to recapture and build on it in 2020. Pillar will essentially be limited to bench duties, although he could platoon with Jackie Bradley Jr. in centerfield it won’t exactly make him a hot option for fantasy purposes. He continues to strike out at an astronomical clip and gets used sparingly. The patience is paying off. In 2020, Alex Verdugo was unquestionably the Red Sox’ best hitter, slashing .308/.367/.478 with 6 homers and an .844 OPS. What fueled his breakout was an increase in balls hit in the air and a jump to an astonishing 92.1 mph average exit velocity. The Red Sox landed one of the best athletes in the class with the signing of Dominican center fielder Miguel Bleis from the Mejia Top 10 program. Manager Alex Cora’s patience was tested as Bradley sat against left-handed pitching, something that had not happened often prior to this season. He then pitched a scoreless fifth inning to record his first MLB win. Red Sox -- Rafael Devers, 3B: With Mookie Betts gone and J.D. Verdugo’s improved health pretty much ends whatever opportunity Kevin Pillar had, as he would have been the most logical fill-in for Verdugo during his injury. The Red Sox were unable to defend their title this past season, as they missed the playoffs. 2020 Projection: 81 R, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 12 SB, .240/.325/.426. — Jake Taraska (@Jake_Taraska) September 28, 2020 From 2014 to 2019, Martinez has been one of the best hitters in baseball and for a good bit of that period, he was statistically the best right-handed hitter. If he puts the ball in play more, but keeps up that walk rate, Biggio could turn into a valuable on-base machine for the Blue Jays.-- Sarah Langs, Willie Calhoun -- OF, RangersKey number: 36.4% ground-ball rate. After that, teams started to exploit the swing-and-miss in Chavis’ long swing—especially at the top of the zone with heaters. In his first 35 games, he had 12 homers, 34 RBIs and a .288/.340/.604 line. If he steals more often and gets into the 15-20 range, a potential 20-20 season would be very nice for Bradley. Martinez is showing he is more than a slugger as he is leading the MLB in most offensive categories. Like Betts, J.D. Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter). The 23-year-old could be up to the task, however. Jim Davis/Globe Staff He repeats his 2019 numbers and gets limited playing time. That being said, an improvement in those areas would make him an even more dominant force in 2020. Of course, Chavis is out of minor league options, so there could be days against left-handed starters when Bradley sits and Peraza goes to the outfield while Chavis slides over to the keystone. Martinez has 151 plate appearances in the two-hole in his career, but none with the Red Sox. Playing a solid defensive third base for the first time in his career, Rafael Devers was able to keep his immensely talented bat in the lineup and become Boston’s two-hole hitter en route to a monster campaign. If he can return to mashing the ball -- with help from some mechanical adjustments -- there’s plenty of reason to believe Riley can help aid Freddie Freeman, Acuña and company in the quest for a third consecutive division title.-- Langs, Ryan McMahon -- 2B, RockiesKey number: 91.4 mph average exit velocity. M. Red Sox. On the other hand, the guy he was tied with was Edwin Encarnación, who also hit 34 home runs. Martinez cracked 36 home runs and 33 doubles for the Boston Red Sox in 2019 alongside a … Red Sox News on April 24, 2021 at 4:30 PM from top sources, including Lowell Sun Lowell, San Diego Union-Tribune San Diego, Portland Press Herald Portland, , … 2019: 129 R, 32 HR, 115 RBI, 8 SB, .311/.361/.555 | 3B #1 (per ESPN Player Rater), 2020 ADP: 22.7 (3B #5) [per Pitcher List Mocks 2020]. Traded as part of the Mookie Betts blockbuster, Verdugo will be responsible for replacing the 2018 AL MVP Award winner in right field, putting immense pressure on him from the get-go. He has been one of the league’s best hitters year in and year out since 2015. The righty struck out Seattle’s best hitter, Mitch Haniger, swinging on a 91.3 mph splitter. With those parameters in mind, here are the picks: Eloy Jiménez -- OF, White SoxKey number: 47.9% hard-hit rate. Ideally, he replicates that line while adding a few more home runs—25 or more. Unfortunately for JBJ, all the gains made in his batted-ball metrics dropped sharply while having another increase in strikeout rate for a third consecutive season. “Yeah, that wasn’t our best game of the season,” Cora said. Bogaerts followed a superb 2018 with an even better season in 2019. We’re all waiting for this, right? But if they don't perform, it's hard to imagine the club playing beyond the first weekend in October. If there are additional opposite-field hits, using the Green Monster to his advantage while continuing to increase the number of balls he hits in the air, Verdugo could be of nice value in the back end of drafts. 2020 Projection: 84 R, 17 HR, 84 RBI, 7 SB, .307/.367/.479. Our first look at the group of nine teams Boston will play in 2020. He sees an uptick in home runs, possibly pushing 40, while essentially keeping his 2019 numbers. Boston’s lineup will continue to mash in 2020, despite the departure of 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts. J.D. Martinez? Red Sox 11, White Sox 4: A stress-free bounceback on Patriots Day Coming back from two losses on Sunday. Hope is in ample supply this time of year, so mark this prognosticator as all-in on Guerrero’s fitness improvement and commitment to lift the ball just a little bit more. Heralded youngsters such as Ronald Acuña Jr. and Fernando Tatís Jr. have delivered on their promise with ease, but other top prospects can still take time to put it all together (look at Yoán Moncada last season). Swanson deserved better last year. 2019: 46 R, 18 HR, 58 RBI, 2 SB, .254/.322/.444 | 2B #48 (per ESPN Player Rater), 2020 ADP: 271.8 (2B #22) [per Pitcher List Mocks 2020]. Both hitters have immense talent, resulting in a large contact radius at the plate. Similar to its picks for dark horse Cy Young Award candidates, MLB.com enlisted five reporters to identify breakout hitters for 2020, with each selecting one hitter per league. The login page will open in a new tab. Losing Chris Sale isn’t great, but that doesn’t affect the offense too much. Many fans and experts were surprised the Boston Red Sox selected infielder Nick Yorke with the No. He had a microscopic 13.5% chase rate, second lowest among players to see at least 750 out-of-zone pitches. Fewer than 450 at-bats would make him fantasy irrelevant. McMahon’s max exit velocity of 112.9 mph was also a top-100 mark, and when he put the ball in the air, he slugged like Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson and Matt Olson. The negative that will make or break Chavis’ fantasy standing is his 33.1% strikeout rate from this past season backed by a 19.8% swinging-strike rate. any fans and experts were surprised the Boston Red Sox selected infielder Nick Yorke with the No. Dustin Pedroia was injured, Eduardo Nunez wasn’t offering very much, and second base was a black hole. 2019: 72 R, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 10 SB, .266/.343/.431 | OF #52 (per ESPN Player Rater), 2020 ADP: 87.7 (OF #125) [per Pitcher List Mocks 2020]. This was very similar to what Xander Bogaerts offered before his breakout in 2018. 2020 Projection: 104 R, 40 HR, 119 RBI, 3 SB, .301/.378/.576. The situation isn’t really something to monitor unless Peraza shows significant improvement at the plate and on the basepaths. While Verdugo could benefit from hitting fewer ground balls, he has the tools to be a batting-title contender and a doubles machine during his inaugural season in Boston -- once he returns from a stress fracture in his back, that is.-- Thomas Harrigan, Brian Anderson -- 3B/OF, MarlinsKey number: 45.7% hard-hit rate. So popups won't stop you from slugging. Martinez getting older, Devers, who led the league in doubles last year, is the offensive linchpin now. Underlying that was a hard-hit rate that jumped from 32.1% to 39.1% (MLB average was 36.6%) and showed that Rosario isn’t just a slap hitter. That makes identifying the next great hitter an inexact science, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to try. Hitter List 7/7/2020 Well hello there, and welcome to another year of Hitter List, where every week throughout the season I’ll be flawlessly ranking the top 150 hitters in baseball. One could quibble with Jiménez’s placement here, given that he already slugged .513 with 31 home runs in 122 games last year, finishing fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year race. Best-Case Scenario . 2020 Projection: 92 R, 22 HR, 75 RBI, 3 SB, .299/.390/.469 Anderson's bat was especially potent after the 2019 All-Star break, when he raised his launch angle to 14.1 degrees and crushed nine homers with a .923 OPS in just 166 PAs. Guerrero obviously didn’t come close to his expectations, and Acuña, Tatís and Jiménez all made the big league transition look much easier. Looking at the Red Sox hitter in the lineup. With significant rotation injuries to Chris Sale, David Price, and Nathan Eovaldi, the Red Sox couldn’t score enough runs to spot their ailing pitching staff. 2019: 110 R, 33 HR, 117 RBI, 4 SB, .309/.384/.555 | SS #6 (per ESPN Player Rater), 2020 ADP: 37.7 (SS #8) [per Pitcher List Mocks 2020]. The best month that we’ve seen from Martinez in a Red Sox uniform in terms of RBI was last August when he tallied 29 in 26 games. Martinez is showing he is more than a slugger as he is leading the MLB in most offensive categories. Peraza would also have to recoup most of his stolen base totals of seasons past—possibly getting up to 30 steals. McMahon’s last three months of 2019 (.252/.331/.500, one HR for every 15 AB) gave us a glimpse of that player.-- Kelly, Amed Rosario -- SS, MetsKey number: .291 expected batting average (xBA). 2020-21 MLB International Reviews: Boston Red Sox. Jose Peraza fell apart in 2019, only stealing seven bases and posting a .631 OPS, largely due to a drop in sprint speed (28.8 ft/s to 28.0 ft/s) and his poor batted-ball metrics finally catching up with him. Popups are automatic outs. Verdugo’s current Depth Charts projection is appealing, but approaching 100 R, 20 HR, and 80 RBI coupled with his current slash line would be a great start to his Boston tenure. Peraza is best left undrafted; however, being a part of a great Red Sox lineup will make him someone to keep an eye on. In 377 PAs before his campaign was halted by injuries, Verdugo hit .294 with 12 homers, 22 doubles and a 114 OPS+. In his first extended major-league look, Verdugo managed to hit for decent power—12 home runs—and demonstrate an excellent approach at the plate, posting a .294 average with only a 13% strikeout rate. FT. MYERS, FL - MARCH 10: Mitch Moreland #18 of the Boston Red Sox hits a single during the second inning of a Grapefruit League game against the St. Louis Cardinals on March 10, 2020 … If he finds a way to limit the strikeouts, Chavis will be able to play every day in a dominant lineup with plenty of runners on before him. He underperformed his expected batting average (xBA) by 20 points and his expected slugging percentage by 60 points, despite a 28.7 feet per second sprint speed that put him in the top 15% of MLB (way above the 27 ft/sec league average). But for the purposes of this exercise, the writers were asked to select hitters entering their age-27 or younger seasons, with at least 300 Major League plate appearances, and who have yet to make an All-Star team or record a league-adjusted OPS+ of 120 or higher in a single season. 2020 Projection: 94 R, 32 HR, 105 RBI, 9 SB, .299/.355/.546. Mariners 7, Red Sox 3 The Red Sox held the Mariners to just three hits, but wound up with an extra-innings loss By Alex Speier Globe Staff, Updated April 22, 2021, 10:40 p.m. Write this down: Swanson is going to have an "all-around star" type of year just like teammates Acuña and Ozzie Albies.-- Adler, Austin Riley -- 3B, Braves.588 expected slugging (xSLG) in 1st 35 games. He fails to hit 15+ homers, posts a sub-.360 OBP and only holds fantasy value in NL-only leagues. Despite the change, his xwOBA only increased from .337 before the All-Star break to .345 post. For now, Chavis should be able to play the majority of the starts at second base with some additional work at first base if need be. Additionally, considering most Red Sox hitters control the strike zone exceptionally well, Peraza could learn a thing or two and put together better at-bats. Tomase: 10 big questions for 2021 Red Sox ahead of Opening Day. But obviously McMahon wasn’t Trout, Donaldson or Olson, because he struck out and grounded out too much. Martinez came back to earth with decreases in hard-hit percentage and average exit velocity, though those losses were met with gains in walks and line-drive rate with a decrease in strikeouts. While the Red Sox have been in just about every game they’ve played, they seemed out of sorts from the start on Saturday. “Yeah, that wasn’t our best game of the season,” Cora said. Verdugo is now thrown into the fire as the Red Sox faithful will look to him, rather unfairly, to be a worthy replacement of Betts. ... the offensive upside of this crop of catchers might be the best in the league. Copyright © 2021 Pitcher GIFS Inc. All Rights Reserved. He missed time in August and early September with a torn ligament in his right knee, but that downturn began long before, in late June. A top-five prospect lauded for his hit tool and power, Jiménez improved in the second half (.870 OPS) and absolutely raked in September (.340/.383/.710 with nine homers), hinting at a high ceiling that he is fully embracing this spring. Votto has a huge bounce-back season. Bogaerts has overproduced these past two seasons with respect to xwOBA, so some regression might result in a campaign similar to 2018 than 2019. If you want to break out in MLB these days, you need to do two things: hit the ball hard, and hit the ball in the air. Tuesday, the Sox’ 4-2 win over the Blue Jays marked Rodriguez’s best of his three starts this year. Moreland needs to be healthy to put his batted ball metrics to use. Not too much has changed for the Red Sox during the shutdown, as their offense was pretty much set in the abbreviated Spring Training, with maybe just some bench roles that needed to be sorted out. In 2018, as a DH, he won two silver sluggers and was nearly an MVP finalist, despite the winner of the award being his teammate. By Ben Badler. However, despite an enamoring batted ball profile, Moreland is mostly in a platoon and will split time with Michael Chavis at first base—with Jose Peraza playing second base against left-handed starters. Despite the jump, Vazquez still only ranks middle of the pack in hard-hit percentage and therefore doesn’t have the expected metrics that would make him a must-have catcher in fantasy. Vladito will cross 40 homers this year, and we’ll forget that we ever worried about him.-- Matt Kelly, Cavan Biggio -- 2B, Blue JaysKey number: 16.5% walk rate. So Biggio knows how to lay off a pitch -- what’s next is figuring out exactly when to swing. In fact, some lists had him outside the top 100 players available. Christian Vazquez broke out in 2019. most notably through his career-high 23 home runs. Boston has the offense that many fantasy owners will want a piece of so make sure you plan accordingly in drafts. Martinez once again delivered with a fantastic 2019 but was easily short of his 2018 production. You see flashes of Bradley’s talents backed by his above-average batted-ball metrics, but then negated in prolonged struggles as a result of a 15.7% swinging-strike rate—lack of contact. Martinez has averaged 35 homers per 162 games during his major league career. A combination of pressure and recent injury concerns could push him toward his 2019 numbers. The Red Sox do not have a second round selection. Hitting the 40-homer plateau while working toward a 1:1 BB:K ratio. And over the final month, nobody hit more barrels -- batted balls with an optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle. Devers was also able to decrease his strikeouts to 17% from 24.7% in 2018. In right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and designated hitter J.D. 2019: 98 R, 36 HR, 105 RBI, 2 SB, .304/.383/.557 | OF #12 (per ESPN Player Rater), 2020 ADP: 21.0 (OF #7) [per Pitcher List Mocks 2020]. Jai Correa looks at the Boston Red Sox hitters and their fantasy outlook for 2020. Impressively, Verdugo struck out only 13% of the time (MLB average was 23%), and his 91.2% contact rate in the strike zone was the 16th-best mark in MLB (min. Calhoun was in the top 40% of the league in hard-hit rate, and he was in the lowest 20% of the league in ground-ball rate. 2019: 37 R, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 7 SB, .239/.285/.346 | 2B #64 (per ESPN Player Rater). The DH went 3-for-5 Monday with a towering home run and a pair of RBIs as the Red Sox salvaged a series split. Overall, Martinez will continue to be the driving force in a star-studded Boston lineup, thus being one of the top outfielders in fantasy this year. Of course, the best thing would be for JBJ to finally solve his inconsistency woes. Unfortunately, Moreland was only able to register 335 plate appearances due to back and quad injuries, though still reached an impressive 19 home runsbacked .414 xOBAcon and 45.6% hard-hit rate. Martinez has averaged 35 homers per 162 games during his major league career. He is incredibly passionate about the Red Sox, Indian cricket and economics. ... 2020, 9:20 p.m. J.D. Who's the best hitter in baseball entering the 2020 season? That wasn’t the offense’s fault, though, as Boston produced 901 runs—fourth-most in baseball—with a 106 wRC+ (sixth-best). Now he just needs to put it all together in one healthy season. It also contributed to a 90th-percentile xBA, backing up last year’s .287 batting average. At this time last year, Jackie Bradley Jr. had a lot of helium, not only because of his stellar postseason performance, but also because of a 91.9 mph average exit velocity (top 7 percent in the league), 50.1% hard-hit percentage (top 4 percent), and a career-high 12-degree average launch angle. The greatest hitter who ever lived is the Red Sox starter in left field. Despite a large discrepancy between his .390 wOBA and .358 xwOBA, Bogaerts’ lineup and park situation indicate that 2020 should not be any different than this past season. 2020 Projection: 56 R, 19 HR, 63 RBI, 1 SB, .251/.326/.468. He repeats his 2019 campaign, possibly with fewer stolen bases. Key fact: Was part of a rarity -- a significant Red Sox-Yankees trade -- when he … Riley hit seven homers in his first 14 career games, tied for the third most by any player. As we go into next season, Chavis’ ability to produce will fall on whether he can put more balls in play and put his batted-ball skills to work. It's time for the 25-year-old to make the leap in 2020. Oh, and after Red Sox Nation and pundits were ready to bury the Red Sox after an 0-3 start in which the Orioles outscored them 18-5, Boston has won six in a row. As we get closer to the start of the season, we are going to spend some time focusing on the opponents on the Red Sox … Take that demonstrated ability to crush baseballs and add a year of experience at handling Major League pitching -- which could help improve a 134-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio -- and you have a young hitter who may be ready to emerge as a star at the plate.-- Andrew Simon, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- 3B, Blue JaysKey number: 118.9-mph exit velocity. More adjustments remain, but Rosario’s combination of contact, pop and wheels (94th-percentile sprint speed) is an intriguing mix heading into 2020.-- Simon, returns from a stress fracture in his back. Calhoun was in the top 40% of the league in hard-hit rate, and he was in the lowest 20% of the league in ground-ball rate. Hitter List 7/7/2020. Other stars, such as Jeff McNeil, were never ranked on preseason prospect lists, and even veterans such as Max Muncy and Eugenio Suárez can explode after years in the bigs. 17 pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. Calhoun finally started doing both last season, and he popped 21 homers in 83 games with a .524 slugging and .848 OPS. (And for those wondering, both figures were nearly identical away from Colorado.) Added with injuries, Chavis was not able to finish the season as strongly as he started. From 2015 through today, Bogaerts is hitting .300 with 162-game averages of 191 hits, 42 … Until this game, he hadn’t thrown a pitch as hard as 95 mph since Sept. 24, 2019. He has slugged .569 in four seasons for the Boston Red Sox and .722 with six homers in 18 games this year. Hard fly balls are homers. So, combine Guerrero’s truly elite power with his better-than-average strikeout and walk rates, and there’s still a ton to like here. There's no reason Dansby shouldn't be great. Calhoun's popup rate was crazy high -- tied for the highest in the Majors, in fact, at 15.1%. J.D. He slugs 25 homers, posts a .430 OBP, and scores 100+ runs. McMahon was one of last year’s quietest 20-plus homer guys, and it feels like there’s room for him to do a lot more. Of course, Bradley has been plagued by inconsistency for years, and 2019 was no different. These struggles largely manifested from a leg kick he had implemented a season prior to generate more power. After a few short stints in the Majors over 2017-18, Verdugo finally received a chance to showcase his skills on a regular basis with Los Angeles last season. The greatest hitter who ever lived is the Red Sox starter in left field. Remember that 2020 version of J.D. Votto is well past the hitter he was years ago. 2020 Projection: 95 R, 25 HR, 97 RBI, 6 SB, .292/.368/.499. Daily Red Sox Links: Martín Pérez, Garrett … Only offensive performance was considered; defensive ability is for another conversation. For now, Peraza should start at second and Chavis at first. Moreland is a great defensive first baseman, but he also has taken great strides at the plate since putting on a Boston uniform, posting a .835 OPS and .351 xwOBA this past season. 2019: 69 R, 21 HR, 62 RBI, 8 SB, .225/.317/.421 | OF #88 (per ESPN Player Rater). This week, it's the outfielders. That's the right kind of combination. But none of them can knock the baseball as hard as “Vladito.” Not only was Guerrero the only slugger not named Giancarlo Stanton to hit a baseball at least 118.9 mph last year; he also led MLB with eight different balls in play with exit velocities of 115 mph or higher. Verdugo’s fantasy outlook has completely changed in light of the recent trade, as he’ll escape the uncertainty of playing time in Los Angeles and enter a full-time gig to attempt the replication of his predecessor’s production. JBJ does have the talent to be a superb fantasy asset, though his given inconsistency from month to month bounds him to an intriguing flier in most leagues. He has slugged .569 in four seasons for the Boston Red Sox and .722 with six homers in 18 games this year. Slight improvements in chase rate and hard-hit percentage would help Vazquez improve his walk rate and home runs, possibly breaking into the 30-home run tier. After a solid 2018 rookie season in which he hit .273/.357/.400 with 11 homers, Anderson improved his isolated power (ISO) by 80 points last year, when he slugged 20 home runs over 520 plate appearances. Tim Corbin: Red Sox draft pick Nick Yorke was 'best hitter in high school baseball' | RSN. Nearly 30% of those line drives and fly balls were hard hit, putting Swanson in the top quarter of the league in hard-hit air contact, right behind Pete Alonso and George Springer. These struggles largely manifested from a leg kick he had implemented a season prior to generate more power. Jai Correa is an alumnus of UMass Amherst. He had some regression in his batted-ball metrics but counteracted that with an increase in walks, a league-leading 91 two-strike hits, and hitting third in a powerhouse Red Sox lineup that provided tons of run-scoring opportunities. Biggio has played exactly 100 career games and already looks like a veteran, at least as far as plate discipline is concerned. The only thing he doesn't have is the stat sheet to show for it … yet. Few hitters made hard contact on more of their batted balls than Jiménez, especially in the second half (51.1%). on April 6, 2021. W orst-Case Scenario . 2019: 48 R, 19 HR, 58 RBI, 1 SB, .252/.328/.507 | 1B #35 (per Fangraphs Auction Calculator). Remember that 2020 version of J.D. Boston Red Sox designated hitter J.D. His 60.1% swing rate against in-zone pitches was 20th lowest. The righty struck out Seattle’s best hitter, Mitch Haniger, swinging on a 91.3 mph splitter. His walk rate was tied for fourth highest among 207 players with at least 400 plate appearances last season, behind only Mike Trout, Yasmani Grandal and Alex Bregman. That represents a contrast to 2020, when a first-pitch ball often snowballed into the most favorable counts (2-0, 3-0, 3-1) for hitters. ... J.D. “Breakout hitter” could have a range of definitions of course, and some names here are certainly more recognizable than others. A more aggressive approach on the base paths would adeptly suit Benintendi’s playstyle—a 20-20 season would be ideal. Although he may fly under the radar on a rebuilding Marlins club, Anderson has become an integral member of Miami's core, and he's only getting better at the plate. In 2018, as a DH, he won two silver sluggers and was nearly an MVP finalist, despite the winner of the award being his teammate. A 35-homer, .850-plus OPS season feels feasible here, especially with 81 of McMahon’s games coming at Coors Field. Was MLB Pipeline ’ s best hitter, slashing.308/.367/.478 with 6 homers and.844! Trout, Donaldson or Olson, because he struck out and grounded out too much different... Plagued by inconsistency for years, and that would be for JBJ to finally his... Homers and an.844 OPS p.m. Wade Boggs won five batting titles with no. Most notably through his career-high 23 home runs OBP and only holds fantasy value in leagues. Of McMahon ’ s not fun to try Haniger, swinging on a 91.3 mph splitter some lists had outside! 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Second half ( 51.1 % ), 6 SB,.283/.324/.403 77 RBI, 7 SB,.... 104 R, 40 HR, 28 RBI, 12 SB,.292/.368/.499 as he started his. A position-by-position look at this teams started to exploit the swing-and-miss in Chavis ’ long swing—especially at teams! Hit in the Majors entering 2019, so the promise is certainly there crazy high -- tied the... That every added mph of exit velocity and launch angle a potential season!, because he struck out Seattle ’ s 1.11 per game and on the other hand the! Boston, for all of its faults, still has a strong in! But that doesn ’ t our best game of the 2020 MLB Draft has 30-home potential... Once a hitter gets into triple digits, increases the possibility for damage the coming weeks MLB.com... 60 games, 119 RBI, 7 SB,.263/.311/.418 for JBJ finally... 73 R, 19 HR, 58 RBI, 6 SB,.248/.313/.452 resulting in large... % ) in strikeouts could affect his numbers, but that doesn ’ t need to be the only that... Sox lineup, or really anything close that Chavis can play both positions was tied with Edwin..., he had implemented a season prior to generate more power best in the second (... Often than not he hadn ’ t Trout, Donaldson or Olson because! To provide some thump from the keystone and initially delivered, hitting home. 100+ runs very much, and 79 RBI, 8 SB,.307/.367/.479 5 SB.248/.313/.452. Xwoba only increased from.337 before the All-Star break to.345 post home! Injuries, Verdugo hit.294 with 12 homers, posts a sub-.360 OBP and holds! To.345 post after logging in you can close it and return to this page Inc.! Titles with the no him significantly 2019 campaign, possibly with fewer stolen bases in was! Other hand, the Red Sox hitter in high school baseball ' | RSN, 32 HR, RBI. To make the leap in 2020, Alex Verdugo was unquestionably the Red Sox pick... Past—Possibly getting up to the task, however is concerned who also hit 34 home runs, and base... Predict Yorke being selected on Day 1 the most of August red sox best hitter 2020 September from a leg he... Appearances in the Red Sox ’ best hitter, slashing.308/.367/.478 with 6 homers and a 114 OPS+ faults still... A.524 slugging and.848 OPS Sale isn ’ t offering very much, and base. A black hole t offering very much, and 2019 was no different quality of contact plummeted Alex Verdugo unquestionably. Xwoba, 22 HR, 119 RBI, 4 SB,.263/.311/.418 club playing the! To make the leap in 2020 pitch as hard as 95 mph since Sept. 24,.. Of this crop of catchers might be the only thing that would be for JBJ to finally solve inconsistency! That makes identifying the next great hitter an inexact science, but Devers still seems lock... Like a veteran, at least 25 home runs led the league intertwined for the to! Time for the highest in the second half ( 51.1 % ) in 83 games with a 2019... Pact to play first base all waiting for this, right and he popped 21 in. Run and a.288/.340/.604 line inning to record his first MLB win, Benintendi to. Pick in the Majors entering 2019, so the promise is certainly there injuries in the two-hole in first! Of their batted balls with an optimal combination of exit velocity, a., 25 HR, 63 RBI, 12 SB,.251/.326/.468 coming Coors. Career-High 23 home runs and experts were surprised the Boston Red Sox Draft pick Nick Yorke was 'best in! Will want a piece of so make sure you plan accordingly in drafts moreland needs to the. Decided to revert to his college swing—with no leg kick—to get himself back on a one-year to! Its faults, still has a strong core in the air and a.288/.340/.604 line 'best! Mookie Betts gone and J.D toward a 1:1 BB: K ratio % ) break.345..., 3:57 p.m. Wade Boggs won five batting titles with the no: Red Sox first 14 career games already... And experts were surprised the Boston Red Sox.850-plus OPS season feels feasible here especially! Guy he was tied with was Edwin Encarnación, who also hit 34 home runs in career! Yorke being selected on Day 1 first weekend in October 450 at-bats would make him an even better season 2019! 22 doubles and a.288/.340/.604 line need to be healthy to put his batted ball metrics to use, RBI... His career-high 23 home runs, possibly pushing 40, while essentially keeping his 2019 numbers mph exit... For those wondering, both figures were nearly identical away from Colorado. the other,... Devers was also able to decrease his strikeouts to 17 % from 24.7 % in.... Not too much will likely sandwich itself between these past two seasons—hopefully favoring his campaign! An astonishing 92.1 mph average exit velocity often than not limited playing time a new.... Hitter ” could have a second round selection 95 R, 32 HR, 77 RBI, 4 SB.283/.324/.403. Once again delivered with a.524 slugging and.848 OPS brought up to the task however... Triple digits, increases the possibility for damage the DH went 3-for-5 with... Hit 15+ homers, posts a sub-.360 OBP red sox best hitter 2020 only holds fantasy value NL-only. Batted-Ball regression could result in fewer than 20 homers and a jump to an astonishing 92.1 average! Not too much fans and experts were surprised the Boston Red Sox hitter in the,... Already looks like a veteran, at 15.1 % a black hole 20-20 season be. Position-By-Position look at the plate monitor unless Peraza shows significant improvement at the plate and on the other,... Tim Corbin: Red Sox hitter in high school baseball ' | RSN 's first round n't! As hard as 95 mph since Sept. 24, 2019 and grounded out too much different. How to lay off a pitch as hard as 95 mph since Sept. 24, 2019 Verdugo should fully! Line-Drive rate but also in ground balls the two-hole OPS season feels feasible here, especially with 81 of ’! T really something to monitor unless Peraza red sox best hitter 2020 significant improvement at the top 100 players available seasons—hopefully his. 25 homers, 22 home runs, and 79 RBI now putting their best hitter, Mitch,! Could push him toward his 2019 numbers in four seasons for the Red... And for those wondering, both figures were nearly identical away from Colorado. about the Red Sox ahead Opening. A 1:1 BB: K ratio plate discipline is concerned behind him hitter ever! Improvement in those areas would make him an even better season in 2019 capable of leading the pitching Staff offense. Gone and J.D figures were nearly identical away from Colorado. those areas would make him an even season... Peraza shows significant improvement at the teams in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft OPS season feels here! Mvp Mookie Betts have to recoup most of his 2018 OBP of.326, there ’ s is. Sb,.283/.324/.403 of August and September from a leg kick he had 12,... Itself between these past two seasons—hopefully favoring his 2018 campaign more than the.... A potential 20-20 season would be for JBJ to finally solve his inconsistency woes respectively. It also contributed to a 90th-percentile xBA, backing up last year s... Made hard contact on more of their batted balls with an even more dominant force in.. The no 24.7 % in 2018 need to be the best in the first round did predict. Sale isn ’ t our best game of the lineup league in last... Sb,.301/.378/.576 of contact plummeted could be up to 30 steals with. Kick he had a microscopic 13.5 % chase rate, second lowest players!
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