The Boston Red Sox are nearing an offseason of change.
New president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is tasked with trying to fix a team that has missed the playoffs in five of its last six seasons, despite having one of the game’s biggest payrolls.
How Dombrowksi goes about fixing that is, as mentioned, uncertain. It has become crystal clear, however, that he can’t afford to part with certain players this winter, and atop that list is Mookie Betts.
Betts entered 2015 with high expectations. Coming off a 2014 campaign in which he flashed potential, Betts looked to take the next step of his progression and build off a season in which he posted an impressive .812 OPS in 52 big league games.
He picked up right where he left off, winning the Opening Day center fielder job. He opened the season by going 2-for-4 with a home run off Cole Hamels on April 6, back when there actually was hope for the 2015 Red Sox.
There’s no longer hope for this year’s version of the Red Sox. Instead of selling playoff tickets, they’re now selling hope — hope that 2016 and beyond will see a return to glory. If that does happen, Betts will be a big reason why.
Wednesday night in the Bronx was a perfect example of how Betts appears to be evolving into a franchise player. With the Yankees leading the Red Sox 5-4 in the top of the seventh, New York manager Joe Giardi called on Delin Betances. The flame-throwing reliever had dominated the Red Sox this season, allowing no runs on six hits in nine innings and striking out a ridiculous 17 batters.
Betts came to the plate hoping to start something for Boston. He worked himself into a 2-0 hitter’s count versus Betances and looked for his pitch. He got that pitch, too, when Betances let a 96-mph fastball run back over the inside half of the plate. Betts, despite his relatively unimposing 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame, apparently was born to hit inside fastballs. He turned on the pitch, launching a home run that went about 425 feet.
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It’s the combination of everything that makes this especially impressive. It’s looking for (and getting) the pitch. It’s having the hands and bat speed to turn it around. It’s being able to clear through the baseball and generate sneaky power, despite a seemingly diminutive frame.
“It’s hard to believe that 160 pounds can generate that type of bat speed and that torque on a baseball, but he does and there’s some strength in there, there’s a balanced swing and he’s not missing his pitch right now,” Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo told reporters after the game, per MassLive.com.
Betts’ potential extends beyond just his ability with a bat in his hands. He has become so good as an outfielder that there’s an actual debate as to whether the Red Sox should permanently move Jackie Bradley Jr. — whom some consider be the best defensive center fielder in baseball — to a corner spot. At the very least, Betts’ defensive prowess gives the Red Sox roster flexibility now and moving ahead.
This seems like a good time to remind you, of course, that Betts was drafted as a second baseman and didn’t move to the outfield until last season. Now he’s doing incredible things out there, as we saw last week when he made this crazy catch to save Rich Hill’s shutout.
The web gems are great, but Betts’ defense probably is best exhibited on more routine plays. Take this catch in Baltimore a couple of weeks ago, for example.
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Nice catch, huh? Now go back and rewatch the video. Pause it at the 22-second mark. Look where Betts is standing, shading Manny Machado toward right field. Now watch how quickly he reacts to the ball off the bat, and how fast he moves to the gap. Keep in mind that the ball is tailing away from Betts as he chases it down.
It might not look as impressive because he didn’t have to dive or leap to make the catch, but that’s what makes it so impressive. He didn’t need to dive or leap because the read, plus the closing speed, are so damn good.
When you consider the multi-faceted impact Betts can have on a game (we haven’t even talked about his base-running, his 20 stolen bases), it’s easy to see why he’s among MLB leaders in wins above replacement.
The most encouraging thing for Red Sox fans centers around the most important Mookie Betts stat: 22. He’s just 22 years old, and he’s only going to get better. Hey, he’s even a nice guy and all that.
Betts has the potential to be the face of a franchise. So of all the changes Dombrowski and Co. make this winter, maybe their biggest move should be to ensure Betts stays in Boston for a long time.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
