MLB Insider Snubs Red Sox While Ranking Top Rookie Classes

This one is a bit of a head-scratcher for Boston Red Sox fans. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman appeared Thursday on MLB Network and ranked teams based on who is getting the most contribution out of their rookies this season.

His list included the Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox. But not the Red Sox.

Huh?

First, both the A’s and White Sox are last-place teams. So how much of an impact are the rookies really having on those ballclubs?

Second, it’s hard to find a playoff-contending team that’s relying on rookies more than the Red Sox.

Consider the players who’ve made their MLB debuts this year for Boston: Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, Jhostynxon Garcia, Hunter Dobbins, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early.

Heck, Anthony would have been a prime Rookie of the Year candidate had he not landed on the injured list last week with a left oblique strain.

Mayer is done for the season after having wrist surgery. Same goes for Dobbins, who suffered a torn ACL. Yes, Campbell is back in Triple-A after hitting .223 for Boston and Garcia (AKA The Password) had a short run with the club. However each rookie contributed to the overall success the Red Sox have enjoyed this season.

And then there are Tolle and Early, who are in the Red Sox rotation during the stretch run. Following Early’s historic MLB debut this week (five shutout innings, 11 strikeouts), Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged the farm system being a pipeline to the majors.

“I tip my hat to the organization, to player development, because they’ve done an outstanding job producing players,” Cora said. “When they get here, they’re ready to go and they have contributed.”

Thanks to Boston’s next generation of impact players, the Red Sox woke up Thursday tied with the New York Yankees for second place in the American League East, just three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays with 15 games remaining on the schedule. Boston is tied with New York atop the AL Wild Card standings.

FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 95.4% chance of making the playoffs.