I think that’s nice in theory, but really hard to do in reality, when you’ve already got a bunch of other lefties in the lineup who don’t hit lefties well. Only so many at bats you want to give up.
This has become a big talking point and while I think it’s something, I kind of question its significance.
Team wide, Sox LHBs put up a .278 weighted on-base average vs. LHP in 2024. That mark was 20th in MLB.
But it looks like they were unlucky, some. Their expected wOBA, which measures quality of contact, was .291, good for 9th in MLB. Pretty decent.
Casas (.340 xwOBA) and Duran (.313) were above average (.294) in that department. Devers was also slightly above average at .299, and Yoshida a tick below at .285.
The real laggards were Abreu (.261), Hamilton (.245), Dominic Smith (.243) and Reese McGuire (.190). At least two of those guys are assuredly gone.
In 2023, there was no such gap in the team’s wOBA vs. xwOBA vs. LHP, and the Sox were 9th overall in wOBA (10th in xwOBA). Casas (.356), Devers (.352) and Yoshida (.328) posted weighted on-base averages were all substantially better than average LHB vs. LHP situations leaguewide.
IIRC, the microscope came out last August about Sox hitters vs. same-handed pitching, while we puzzled about Tyler O’Neill’s pronounced splits. That was weird, and he's also not our concern anymore.
Overall, it’s something to keep an eye on, but I don’t think it’s as bad as every LHB needing serious help against same-handed hurlers. Casas, Devers and Yoshida were each hurt last year, which to me seems like the best explanation for why their numbers dragged from 2023’s good-to-great marks. Duran is not really a problem against them at all relative to his peers — his .313 xwOBA last year was 30th among 95 lefty hitters with >50 PAs against LHP. Abreu and Hamilton were not good, but their usage was consistent with Cora’s pattern of acclimating rookies to everyday roles with platoon partners. Maybe they’ll improve like Duran and Casas have?
Meanwhile, we’ve got two excellent lefty masher bench guys in Ref and Romy, a healthy Grissom and Story should help, and maybe Narvaez (over McGuire) as a pinch-hit option who plays a little first base could help too.