Post by Admin on Oct 5, 2018 17:23:14 GMT -5
Red Sox vs. Yankees: Positional matchups
By Justin Pelletier
Photo By Nancy Lane/Boston Herald
Seeing how well the Red Sox did this season overall — amassing 108 wins and running roughshod over the rest of the American League — it’s hard to imagine many offensive lineups with as much depth and dependability as the Sox. But that’s exactly what they’ll face in the Yankees. The teams took different paths to tonight’s opener, with the Sox winning the division to earn nearly a week off to rest. The Yankees had to play in Wednesday’s wild card game in the Bronx, and waste some pitching and some energy in the process. That said, it’s hard to find much difference between the two. Even the season series was 10-9 in favor of the Sox. Given their respective paths, let’s take a look at how they match up in this ALDS.
Outfield
Red Sox:
Andrew Benintendi, LF
.290, 41 2B, 16 HR, 87 RBI
241 PO, 12 A, 4 E
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
.234, 33 2B, 13 HR, 59 RBI
326 PO, 9 A, 6 E
Mookie Betts, RF
.346, 47 2B, 32 HR, 80 RBI
272 PO, 7 A, 1 E
Yankees:
Andrew McCutchen, LF
.253, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB
34 PO, 0 A, 0 E
Aaron Hicks, CF
.248, 27 HR, 18 2B, 79 RBI
268 PO, 2 A, 2 E
Aaron Judge, RF
.278, 27 HR, 22 2B, 67 RBI
171 PO, 9 A, 3 E
Brett Gardner, OF
.236, 12 HR, 20 2B, 45 RBI
265 PO, 6 A, 3 E
The rundown: The Red Sox outfield has been solid all season defensively. Bradley Jr. wows with his catches, and collectively they’ve made just 11 errors, Offensively, Betts is a favorite for the league MVP award, Benintendi was solid all season and the two of them are threats to steal every time they’re on base. Bradley Jr. has batted .275 since the All-Star Game, as well. This Yankees outfield, led by a healthy Judge, can mash. Defensively, and from a consistency standpoint, the Sox have the advantage.
EDGE: Red Sox
Infield
Red Sox:
Rafael Devers, 3B
.240, 21 HR, 24 2B, 66 RBI
57 PO, 245 A, 24 E, 14 DP
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
.265, 10 HR, 23 2B, 44 RBI
122 PO, 192 A, 7 E, 28 DP
Ian Kinsler, 2B
.242, 1 HR, 6 2B, 6 RBI
59 PO, 67 A, 2 E, 16 DP
Brock Holt, IF
.277, 7 HR, 18 2B, 46 RBI
152 PO, 133 A, 1 E, 31 DP
Mitch Moreland, 1B
.245, 15 HR, 23 2B, 68 RBI
739 PO, 68 A, 2 E, 52 DP
Steve Pearce, 1B
.279, 7 HR, 8 2B, 26 RBI
161 PO, 14 A, 1 E, 12 DP
Xander Bogaerts, SS
.288, 23 HR, 45 2B, 103 RBI
163 PO, 336 A, 10 E, 65 DP
Yankees:
Miguel Andujar, 3B
.297, 27 HR, 47 2B, 92 RBI
93 PO, 178 A, 15 E, 6 DP
Didi Gregorius, SS
.268, 27 HR, 23 2B, 86 RBI
160 PO, 309 A, 6 E, 54 DP
Gleyber Torres, 2B
.271, 24 HR, 16 2B, 77 RBI
185 PO, 272 A, 17 E, 48 DP
Luke Voit, 1B
.333, 14 HR, 5 2B, 33 RBI
219 PO, 11 A, 2 E, 16 DP
Neil Walker, IF
.219, 11 HR, 12 2B, 46 RBI
Adeiny Hechavarria, IF
.194, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Tyler Wade, IF
.167, 1 HR, 5 RBI
The rundown: The Red Sox have so many options in the infield, but the hard part is figuring out which of the group will be effective in any given game, particularly at the plate. Adding Kinsler and Pearce and the return of Devers have made this a very deep group, and they can play to pitching and defensive matchups. On the other side, the Yankees have two of the most electric young players in the game in Torres and Andujar. Voit has been as hot as they come lately, and the return of Gregorius from an injury has given this group a needed boost.
EDGE: Yankees
Catcher
Red Sox:
Sandy Leon
.177, 5 HR, 12 2B, 22 RBI
26 SB, 9 CS, 13 PB
Christian Vazquez
.207, 3 HR, 10 2B, 16 RBI
22 SB, 13 CS, 11 PB
Blake Swihart
.229, 3 HR, 10 2B, 18 RBI
14 SB, 5 CS, 0 PB
Yankees:
Gary Sanchez
.186, 18 HR, 17 2B, 53 RBI
28 SB, 12 CS, 18 PB
Austin Romine
.244, 10 HR, 12 2B, 42 RBI
45 SB, 16 CS, 5 PB
Kyle Higashioka
.167, 3 HR, 2 2B, 6 RBI
15 SB, 3 CS, 2 PB
The rundown: Neither team has catching to write home about in terms of offense. In fact, both teams are pretty pitiful overall in that department. The Yankees do have Sanchez, who hits the Red Sox well. The Red Sox counter with Swihart, who has been swinging the bat well, can play almost anywhere and has a solid arm. The Sox seem to have the perfect catcher split three ways — Leon with the game-calling, Vazquez with the defense and Swihart with the hitting and speed. On offense, though, Sanchez has the pop, particularly against the Sox.
EDGE: Yankees
DH
Red Sox:
JD Martinez
.330, 43 HR, 37 2B, 130 RBI, 69 BB
Seeing how well the Red Sox did this season overall — amassing 108 wins and running roughshod over the rest of the American League — it’s hard to imagine many offensive lineups with as much depth and dependability as the Sox. But that’s exactly what they’ll face in the Yankees. The teams took different paths to tonight’s opener, with the Sox winning the division to earn nearly a week off to rest. The Yankees had to play in Wednesday’s wild card game in the Bronx, and waste some pitching and some energy in the process. That said, it’s hard to find much difference between the two. Even the season series was 10-9 in favor of the Sox. Given their respective paths, let’s take a look at how they match up in this ALDS.
Outfield
Red Sox:
Andrew Benintendi, LF
.290, 41 2B, 16 HR, 87 RBI
241 PO, 12 A, 4 E
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
.234, 33 2B, 13 HR, 59 RBI
326 PO, 9 A, 6 E
Mookie Betts, RF
.346, 47 2B, 32 HR, 80 RBI
272 PO, 7 A, 1 E
Yankees:
Andrew McCutchen, LF
.253, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB
34 PO, 0 A, 0 E
Aaron Hicks, CF
.248, 27 HR, 18 2B, 79 RBI
268 PO, 2 A, 2 E
Aaron Judge, RF
.278, 27 HR, 22 2B, 67 RBI
171 PO, 9 A, 3 E
Brett Gardner, OF
.236, 12 HR, 20 2B, 45 RBI
265 PO, 6 A, 3 E
The rundown: The Red Sox outfield has been solid all season defensively. Bradley Jr. wows with his catches, and collectively they’ve made just 11 errors, Offensively, Betts is a favorite for the league MVP award, Benintendi was solid all season and the two of them are threats to steal every time they’re on base. Bradley Jr. has batted .275 since the All-Star Game, as well. This Yankees outfield, led by a healthy Judge, can mash. Defensively, and from a consistency standpoint, the Sox have the advantage.
EDGE: Red Sox
Infield
Red Sox:
Rafael Devers, 3B
.240, 21 HR, 24 2B, 66 RBI
57 PO, 245 A, 24 E, 14 DP
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
.265, 10 HR, 23 2B, 44 RBI
122 PO, 192 A, 7 E, 28 DP
Ian Kinsler, 2B
.242, 1 HR, 6 2B, 6 RBI
59 PO, 67 A, 2 E, 16 DP
Brock Holt, IF
.277, 7 HR, 18 2B, 46 RBI
152 PO, 133 A, 1 E, 31 DP
Mitch Moreland, 1B
.245, 15 HR, 23 2B, 68 RBI
739 PO, 68 A, 2 E, 52 DP
Steve Pearce, 1B
.279, 7 HR, 8 2B, 26 RBI
161 PO, 14 A, 1 E, 12 DP
Xander Bogaerts, SS
.288, 23 HR, 45 2B, 103 RBI
163 PO, 336 A, 10 E, 65 DP
Yankees:
Miguel Andujar, 3B
.297, 27 HR, 47 2B, 92 RBI
93 PO, 178 A, 15 E, 6 DP
Didi Gregorius, SS
.268, 27 HR, 23 2B, 86 RBI
160 PO, 309 A, 6 E, 54 DP
Gleyber Torres, 2B
.271, 24 HR, 16 2B, 77 RBI
185 PO, 272 A, 17 E, 48 DP
Luke Voit, 1B
.333, 14 HR, 5 2B, 33 RBI
219 PO, 11 A, 2 E, 16 DP
Neil Walker, IF
.219, 11 HR, 12 2B, 46 RBI
Adeiny Hechavarria, IF
.194, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Tyler Wade, IF
.167, 1 HR, 5 RBI
The rundown: The Red Sox have so many options in the infield, but the hard part is figuring out which of the group will be effective in any given game, particularly at the plate. Adding Kinsler and Pearce and the return of Devers have made this a very deep group, and they can play to pitching and defensive matchups. On the other side, the Yankees have two of the most electric young players in the game in Torres and Andujar. Voit has been as hot as they come lately, and the return of Gregorius from an injury has given this group a needed boost.
EDGE: Yankees
Catcher
Red Sox:
Sandy Leon
.177, 5 HR, 12 2B, 22 RBI
26 SB, 9 CS, 13 PB
Christian Vazquez
.207, 3 HR, 10 2B, 16 RBI
22 SB, 13 CS, 11 PB
Blake Swihart
.229, 3 HR, 10 2B, 18 RBI
14 SB, 5 CS, 0 PB
Yankees:
Gary Sanchez
.186, 18 HR, 17 2B, 53 RBI
28 SB, 12 CS, 18 PB
Austin Romine
.244, 10 HR, 12 2B, 42 RBI
45 SB, 16 CS, 5 PB
Kyle Higashioka
.167, 3 HR, 2 2B, 6 RBI
15 SB, 3 CS, 2 PB
The rundown: Neither team has catching to write home about in terms of offense. In fact, both teams are pretty pitiful overall in that department. The Yankees do have Sanchez, who hits the Red Sox well. The Red Sox counter with Swihart, who has been swinging the bat well, can play almost anywhere and has a solid arm. The Sox seem to have the perfect catcher split three ways — Leon with the game-calling, Vazquez with the defense and Swihart with the hitting and speed. On offense, though, Sanchez has the pop, particularly against the Sox.
EDGE: Yankees
DH
Red Sox:
JD Martinez
.330, 43 HR, 37 2B, 130 RBI, 69 BB
Yankees:
Giancarlo Stanton
.266, 38 HR, 34 2B, 100 RBI, 70 BB
The rundown: This is intriguing because after the Red Sox didn’t get Stanton in the offseason, GM Dave Dombrowski instead went after Martinez. Martinez has proven to be the best possible fit with the Sox, acting as an offensive catalyst while helping other hitters on the team improve. He’s also proven he can play the field when needed. Stanton’s average is lower, but as he showed Wednesday night, he can crush the ball. He just can’t do it as consistently as Martinez.
EDGE: Red Sox
Starters
Red Sox:
Chris Sale
158 IP, 12-4, 2.11 ERA, 237 K, 34 BB
David Price
176 IP, 16-7, 3.58 ERA, 177 K, 50 BB
Rick Porcello
191.1 IP, 17-7, 4.28 ERA, 190 K, 48 BB
Nathan Eovaldi
54 IP, 3-3, 3.33 ERA, 48 K, 12 BB
Eduardo Rodriguez
129.2 IP, 13-5, 3.82 ERA, 146 K, 45 BB
Yankees:
Luis Severino
191.1 IP, 19-8, 3.39 ERA, 220 K, 46 BB
Masahiro Tanaka
156 IP, 12-6, 3.75 ERA, 159 K, 35 BB
J.A. Happ
63.2 IP, 7-0, 2.69 ERA, 63 K, 16 BB
CC Sabathia
153 IP, 9-7, 3.65 ERA, 140 K, 51 BB
Sonny Gray
130.1 IP, 11-9, 4.90 ERA, 123 K, 57 BB
The rundown: When healthy, the Red Sox have one of the scariest top-ends in all of baseball. This assumes health of body, and of mind, for Sale, Price and Porcello. Sale has been a big question mark since the Sox shut him down in August, and Price had one of the best stretches in baseball through early September, but hasn’t been quite as sharp of late. Eovaldi could be an X-factor. Meanwhile, after Severino, there are a lot of question marks for the Yankees. Can they match the Boston arms? Yes. On a consistent basis? Likely not. One X-factor for New York may be Happ, who this season has been a Sox killer. Which Happ, Sabathia and Tanaka show up will go a long way in determining this series.
EDGE: Red Sox
Bullpen
Red Sox:
Craig Kimbrel
62.1 IP, 5-1, 2.74 ERA, 42 SV, 96 K, 31 BB
Ryan Brasier
33.2 IP, 2-0, 1.60 ERA, 29 K, 7 BB
Matt Barnes
61.2 IP, 6-4, 3.65 ERA, 96 K, 31 BB
Steven Wright
53.2 IP, 3-1, 2.68 ERA, 42 K, 26 BB
Joe Kelly
65.2 IP, 4-2, 4.39 ERA, 68 K, 32 BB
Brandon Workman
41.1 IP, 6-1, 3.27 ERA, 37 K, 16 BB
Yankees:
Aroldis Chapman
51.1 IP, 3-0, 2.45 ERA, 93 K, 30 BB
David Robertson
69.2 IP, 8-3, 3.23 ERA, 91 K, 26 BB
Dellin Betances
66.2 IP, 4-6, 2.70 ERA, 115 K, 26 BB
Zach Britton
25.0 IP, 1-0, 2.88 ERA, 21 K, 11 BB
Jonathan Holder
66 IP, 1-3 3.14 ERA, 60 K, 19 BB
Chad Green
75.2 IP, 8-3, 2.50 ERA, 94 K, 15 BB
The rundown: This has been the most maligned Sox bullpen in a long time, and much of it has been justified. The most glaring numbers across the board are the number of walks issued by the Sox staff. Runners on base for cheap make bigger innings more likely with one miss in the strike zone, which is what has been happening. The likely addition of Rodriguez from the starting group should help. The Yankees, meanwhile, have what is widely considered one of the best bullpens in baseball, and they have the numbers to back it up. With Betances, Britton and Chapman lined up in the final three innings, and Robertson able to play any of those roles, this is a position of strength for the Yanks.
EDGE: Yankees
Managers
Red Sox: Alex Cora
Yankees: Aaron Boone
The rundown: It’s hard to think of Cora as a first-year manager. For one, his name resonates here as having been a World Series champion with the Sox, and he added another title as a bench coach a year ago with the Astros. Every button he’s pushed this season has seemed to work the way he intended. In contrast, Boone has been panned in New York, which is hard to believe given his club won 100 games in the regular season. Decision-making seems to be the biggest difference here, and Cora has proven he knows what he’s doing in a pinch.
EDGE: Red Sox
Prediction
This has all the makings of a classic series, and it’s one that begs to be contested over seven games — nine, or 11, even, if they’d allow us the drama. The matchups at every position are nearly a wash, save for the bullpen. But even there, the Sox have frustrated the Yankees bullpen more than any other team. The Yankees appear to have gotten healthy and hot at the same time, and at the right time. But the Red Sox are still at home. They still have two elite pitchers off the top. And they still have Alex Cora.
Red Sox in 5 scintillating games