Boston is 21st in MLB in runs scored, 17th in OBP, and 22nd in OPS.
Boston is 27th in MLB in era, 25th in opp OBP, and 25th in opp OPS.
They are -37 in run differential, and their record is actually 2 games above their pythag.
Long and much more complicated story short: They are not "unlucky" as many here have said during these first couple of months. They've simply been very bad.
I do not believe, especially with respect to the offense, that it can continue this way. There is simply too much talent to be this bad for a whole season. Unless the following is true:
- Ortiz is finally cooked,
- Swihart is over his head, at least for this year (I don't suspect he will always be over his head at the ML level),
- Castillo isn't all that,
- Betts isn't going to be the star we think he will be,
- Pedroia is on the decline,
- Napoli is on the decline,
- Victornino is toast,
- Sandoval will forever be terrible against lefties, and
- Hanley's injuries are going to be a season-long issue.
I mean, each of these is totally possible. The odds of them ALL being true and holding true all season long? I dunno. But it seems like this is what we've got so far. Like with the pitching, how can it be that, really, almost none of the hitters is having a big season? How can it be that they are basically all underperforming?
Boston is 27th in MLB in era, 25th in opp OBP, and 25th in opp OPS.
They are -37 in run differential, and their record is actually 2 games above their pythag.
Long and much more complicated story short: They are not "unlucky" as many here have said during these first couple of months. They've simply been very bad.
I do not believe, especially with respect to the offense, that it can continue this way. There is simply too much talent to be this bad for a whole season. Unless the following is true:
- Ortiz is finally cooked,
- Swihart is over his head, at least for this year (I don't suspect he will always be over his head at the ML level),
- Castillo isn't all that,
- Betts isn't going to be the star we think he will be,
- Pedroia is on the decline,
- Napoli is on the decline,
- Victornino is toast,
- Sandoval will forever be terrible against lefties, and
- Hanley's injuries are going to be a season-long issue.
I mean, each of these is totally possible. The odds of them ALL being true and holding true all season long? I dunno. But it seems like this is what we've got so far. Like with the pitching, how can it be that, really, almost none of the hitters is having a big season? How can it be that they are basically all underperforming?