He’s an excellent leadoff hitter, as he hits for a high average and racks up stolen bases. He’s also one of the most talented defensive outfielders in the game, with an almost laughable .997 career fielding percentage and nearly endless range.
But which of these voids have the Sox struggled to fill in his absence?
Though missing Ellsbury at the top of the lineup has forced Terry Francona to jumble things up, it’s hard to argue with the fact that only New York has scored more runs than the Sox this season. Boston even leads the league in OPS.
Defensively, Boston was supposed to be an elite team. They have been far from bad, but being slightly above average won’t cut it when the team is built to win on “pitching and defense.” Boston ranks 12th in fielding percentage and 11th in defensive UZR, a metric of how many runs a team’s defense has prevented.
On the base path, the Red Sox currently rank dead last in stolen bases with 34. Ellsbury, last season, swiped 70 himself. Basically, he is the team’s only consistent stealing threat.
So, what are the Sox missing most about Jacoby Ellsbury? For his hitting, text “SOX1”
to 542542. If you think it’s his defense, text “SOX2” to 542542. Or if
you believe it is his speed, text “SOX3” to 542542.
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