Good luck placing your finger on the real Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox entered 2015 as a team with so much upside yet so many questions. Boston answered a few of those questions in April, but the team’s true potential remains very much a mystery.
Let’s face facts. The Red Sox ended the first month of the regular season with a 12-10 record, tying them for second in the American League East with the Tampa Bay Rays behind the New York Yankees (13-9).
Scoreboard watching over the first few months is dumb, admittedly, but Boston should feel OK about finishing April with a record above .500. Their flaws were exposed as frequently as their strengths, yet they lived to tell about it, creating a classic glass half-empty or half-full scenario.
It seems like yesterday we rolled out our Spring Training Review and took stock of Boston’s mostly productive month and a half down in Fort Myers, Fla. Let’s embark on a similar exercise roughly one month later and assess the highs and lows of the Red Sox’s entertaining April.
Most disappointing development: The starting rotation.
It’s hard to believe the Red Sox went 12-10 in April mostly because their pitching, specifically the starting rotation, was so horrendous at times. Sure, there were some good starts mixed in, but Boston’s rotation enters May with a major league-worst 5.75 ERA.
Is it a shocking development? Not entirely. The Red Sox’s rotation repeatedly was questioned throughout the offseason after the team failed to lure back Jon Lester. But Boston’s hope was that the five starters in tow — Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Justin Masterson, Wade Miley and Joe Kelly — would establish enough consistency to give the Red Sox a chance to win every night.
Inconsistency has been the name of the game. And while everyone certainly deserves blame, Buchholz’s up-and-down tendencies have been the most discouraging given his status as Boston’s de facto No. 1.
Most encouraging development: Dustin Pedroia’s laser show is back on.
Pedroia told anyone who would listen over the offseason and in spring training that he was 100 percent healthy and therefore was primed for a big bounce-back campaign. The thought was that the second baseman’s power would return with his hand/wrist injuries in the rearview mirror.
So far, so good. Pedroia enters May with four home runs, a .291 average and a team-high 25 hits. He’s getting around on pitches he probably wouldn’t have the last two seasons, especially in 2014, and he’s looking every bit like the four-time All-Star who’s long been considered a franchise cornerstone.
Three things we learned
1. Hanley Ramirez is indeed a beast.
Ramirez showed up to spring training looking huge and it turns out the gun show is legit. The 31-year-old leads the Red Sox with 10 homers and 22 RBIs, putting him on pace for a monster season.
The only drawback is that being a beast at the plate doesn’t guarantee success in the field. Ramirez’s defense in left field remains a work in progress, though the Red Sox will accept that part of his game as long as he continues to hit baseballs with incredible force in the middle of the order.
2. Pablo Sandoval is fitting in well.
The Panda compensated for struggles against left-handers (1-for-19) by hitting .397 (23-for-58) with a 1.054 OPS versus right-handers. He’s also playing an excellent third base and providing a ton of energy.
Sandoval has made his money by stepping up in the playoffs. But he’s taking care of business early this season, which is reassuring for a team that spent almost $200 million to land him and Ramirez.
3. Shane Victorino still isn’t right.
Victorino, who appeared in only 30 major league games in 2014 before undergoing season-ending back surgery, has been limited to 12 underwhelming contests so far in 2015. The 34-year-old outfielder enters May on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring.
Perhaps Victorino will make an impact upon returning, but it’s hard to have much faith in the 12-year veteran given his injury history. It might not be long before Rusney Castillo is patrolling right field on a full-time basis, though Castillo is coming off a shoulder injury that forced him to the Triple-A DL.
Best moment: Red Sox defeat New York Yankees in 19 innings on April 10.
Boston had a couple of walk-off wins, but losing the longest game in franchise history (six hours, 49 minutes) at Yankee Stadium would have sucked. Disaster averted.
Prospect of the month: Blake Swihart, C (Pawtucket)
It was an encouraging month for several Red Sox farmhands, but Major League Baseball’s top catching prospect continued to do his thing. Swihart hit .338 (23-for-68) with 11 RBIs and a .392 on-base percentage in 18 games with the PawSox.
The 23-year-old continues to hone his defense, but he’s knocking loudly on the big league door.
Pitcher of the month: Junichi Tazawa (0-0, 11 appearances, 10 2/3 innings, 1.69 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 9.28 K/9)
No one in the starting rotation emerged, so let’s turn to the bullpen. Craig Breslow had a very strong April, but Taz receives the nod based on how lights-out he was through his first eight appearances.
Player of the month: Hanley Ramirez (10 homers, 22 RBIs, .293/.341/.659)
Ramirez has the look of an MVP candidate. And with David Ortiz and Mike Napoli struggling in the middle of Boston’s order, his work at the dish has been of the utmost importance in the early going.
April grade: C+
The pitching was bad. The offense was good. The record (12-10) was somewhere in the middle.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
