The Boston Red Sox reached the 60-game mark Monday night, which normally would be an insignificant milestone during a 162-game Major League Baseball season.
However, we’re coming off a 2020 campaign that was limited to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, now seems like a good time to assess where the Red Sox stand in 2021 relative to last season.
To say it’s night and day would be an understatement.
Most importantly, the Red Sox own a 37-23 record through 60 games, a 13-game improvement over their 24-36 record from last season. Boston currently sits a half game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East — and owns the AL’s top wild-card spot — after finishing in last place in 2020 (16 games behind first-place Tampa).
What’s the biggest reason for Boston’s turnaround? Starting pitching.
The Red Sox have received consistent mound work one year after struggling to piece together a rotation and relying far too much on bullpen games. It’s alleviated some of the pressure on Boston’s offense, which remains among MLB’s elite.
Credit to chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom for quietly and effectively augmenting the Red Sox’s roster this offseason. And credit to manager Alex Cora, who has pushed all the right buttons upon returning to the dugout following a one-year hiatus.
The further highlight the Red Sox’s year-over-year jump, let’s dive into the team numbers through 60 games, beginning with the pitching staff and then moving on to the bats.
RED SOX PITCHING
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| ERA | 5.58 (28th) | 3.83 (12th) |
| FIP | 5.19 (30th) | 3.42 (2nd) |
| WHIP | 1.60 (30th) | 1.34 (22nd) |
| AVG | .279 (30th) | .247 (24th) |
| K/9 | 9.22 (11th) | 9.78 (9th) |
| BB/9 | 4.33 (29th) | 3.56 (21st) |
| HR/9 | 1.68 (30th) | 0.75 (2nd) |
RED SOX BATTING
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| Runs | 292 (11th) | 299 (4th) |
| HR | 81 (13th) | 74 (10th) |
| SB | 31 (11th) | 23 (20th) |
| AVG | .265 (3rd) | .258 (3rd) |
| OBP | .330 (10th) | .317 (9th) |
| SLG | .445 (8th) | .438 (2nd) |
| wRC+ | 106 (11th) | 106 (8th) |
It’s important to note offense is down across the league, so one should focus on the rankings more than the raw numbers, as that offers better context as to how the Red Sox are performing this season relative to their peers.
All told, it’s obvious the Red Sox still are producing at an extremely high level in the batter’s box while also keeping opposing offenses in check. And as such, they’re seeing much greater results in terms of wins and losses, which, of course, is all that ultimately matters at the end of the day.
Just for fun, let’s hone in on some key contributors. For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll focus on the Red Sox’s top sources of pitching starts each season plus their five notable holdovers on offense (ranked according to 2021 fWAR).
RED SOX PITCHERS
| GS | IP | W | L | ERA | FIP | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 | |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 12 | 66.2 | 7 | 2 | 3.78 | 2.39 | 1.19 | 8.78 | 1.89 |
| Nick Pivetta | 12 | 64.1 | 6 | 1 | 3.78 | 3.39 | 1.29 | 10.35 | 4.34 |
| Garrett Richards | 12 | 65 | 4 | 4 | 3.88 | 3.88 | 1.52 | 8.03 | 4.43 |
| MartÃn Pérez | 11 | 58.1 | 4 | 2 | 3.09 | 3.49 | 1.23 | 8.02 | 2.78 |
| Eduardo Rodriguez | 11 | 58 | 5 | 4 | 5.59 | 3.70 | 1.41 | 10.09 | 2.17 |
| GS | IP | W | L | ERA | FIP | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 | |
| MartÃn Pérez | 12 | 62 | 3 | 5 | 4.50 | 4.88 | 1.34 | 6.68 | 4.06 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 9 | 48.1 | 4 | 2 | 3.72 | 3.87 | 1.20 | 9.68 | 1.30 |
| Zack Godley | 7 | 28.2 | 0 | 4 | 8.16 | 7.10 | 1.95 | 8.79 | 4.40 |
| Chris Mazza | 6 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 4.80 | 4.26 | 1.63 | 8.70 | 4.50 |
| Ryan Weber | 5 | 43 | 1 | 3 | 4.40 | 5.54 | 1.35 | 5.65 | 2.93 |
RED SOX BATTERS
| fWAR | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP | SLG | SB | wRC+ | |
| Xander Bogaerts | 2.8 | 238 | 10 | 36 | .321 | .378 | .535 | 4 | 148 |
| J.D. Martinez | 2.0 | 234 | 12 | 39 | .321 | .389 | .569 | 0 | 160 |
| Rafael Devers | 2.0 | 240 | 15 | 48 | .274 | .342 | .567 | 3 | 141 |
| Alex Verdugo | 1.3 | 231 | 8 | 26 | .292 | .351 | .469 | 4 | 124 |
| Christian Vázquez | 0.6 | 192 | 3 | 24 | .251 | .292 | .358 | 5 | 77 |
| fWAR | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP | SLG | SB | wRC+ | |
| Xander Bogaerts | 1.9 | 225 | 11 | 28 | .300 | .364 | .502 | 8 | 130 |
| J.D. Martinez | -1.0 | 237 | 7 | 27 | .213 | .291 | .389 | 1 | 77 |
| Rafael Devers | 0.5 | 248 | 11 | 43 | .263 | .310 | .483 | 0 | 109 |
| Alex Verdugo | 1.6 | 221 | 6 | 15 | .308 | .367 | .478 | 4 | 126 |
| Christian Vázquez | 1.4 | 189 | 7 | 23 | .283 | .344 | .457 | 4 | 115 |
So, yeah, having a healthy, fully operational starting rotation definitely helps.
The additions of Nick Pivetta (acquired at last season’s trade deadline) and Garrett Richards (signed over the offseason as a free agent) have proven important, while Eduardo Rodriguez’s return after missing 2020 due to myocarditis obviously has been a welcome sight, as well, despite some recent struggles.
Just think: The unit also is expected to add Chris Sale before long, as all indications are he’s progressing well in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.
And then offensively, J.D. Martinez has been the major story, with his bounce-back performance really lengthening the lineup as the rest of the core group continues to thrive.
There’s a long way to go this season, as MLB has returned to a full 162-game schedule after last season’s 60-game, pandemic-induced sprint. The Red Sox clearly are in a much better place than they were just months ago, however, and so far they’re looking like legitimate World Series contenders.
