Catching up with the Red Sox after an impressive first half of the season

Although the All-Star break is often used as the unofficial ‘halfway point’ of the MLB season, the Red Sox crossed their official halfway point on Wednesday night, beating the Kansas City Royals 6-2 in their 81st game of the year.

It was a surprisingly dominant first three months of the season for the Red Sox, especially considering they got off to an 0-3 start. They’ve bounced back to a 50-31 record, and lead the AL East by three games.

How did the Red Sox manage such an impressive start? Here’s a look at their top performers from the first 81 games.

• Xander Bogaerts

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  Through 81 games, Xander Bogaerts is the MVP of the team with the best record in the American League. He’s slashing .330/.391/.551 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs. With 24 doubles, he’s tied for the AL lead in that category. The 28-year-old also has the sixth-best fielding percentage among AL shortstops.

• Rafael Devers

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  Who is tied with Bogaerts for the AL doubles lead? That would be Rafael Devers. Like many of the Red Sox hitters, Devers took a step back in 2020. However, he’s quickly proving that last year was an anomaly. His 24 doubles combined with a team-high 19 home runs give him the second-most extra base hits in the AL. It hasn’t just been a power surge for Devers either - his average is up almost 20 points from a year ago, and he has an OPS over .900.

• J.D. Martinez

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  Like Devers, J.D. Martinez has made it clear last year’s dip in production was a fluke. He’s second on the team in most major offensive categories including batting average (.302), home runs (16), and RBIs (54).
• Alex Verdugo

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  For better or worse, Alex Verdugo’s career in Boston will always be linked to Mookie Betts. So far this year, that’s been good news for the 25-year-old. His batting average is 20 points higher, and most advanced metrics lean his way as well.

• Christian Arroyo

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  Christian Arroyo was a sneaky good find by Chaim Bloom, who claimed him off waivers at the end of the 2020 season. A former first-round pick who bounced around with three teams in four years before coming to Boston, the 26-year-old seems to be finding his stride despite a pair of stints on the DL. His .264 average would be among the best for a major league second baseman if he had enough at-bats to qualify, and he had a couple of clutch hits in mid-June that helped the Sox out of a slump.

• Hunter Renfroe

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  After a slow start, Hunter Renfroe has quickly turned things around and is proving to be another key Bloom acquisition. Since the last week of May he’s hitting .343 with an OPS over 1.000. Just over the last two weeks, he has a hit in 12 of 14 games, with 18 total hits including five home runs and 16 RBIs in that span. He’s flashed the leather quite a bit as well, with some impressive plays in right field.
• Nathan Eovaldi

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  While the majority of the Red Sox rotation has spent the season in a state of wild fluctuation, Nathan Eovaldi has been the closest thing the team has had to a consistent presence. His 3.67 ERA is the lowest among the team’s starters, and his eight wins are tied for the third most in baseball. His last start was perhaps his best so far, allowing just one earned run in 7.2 innings on the road against the Yankees.

• Matt Barnes

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  Matt Barnes had been the 7th or 8th inning guy for the Red Sox for most of his tenure in Boston, but he has stepped into the closer role full time in 2021 and is having a career year. His 18 saves are the second most in the AL, with his 2.57 ERA and 0.829 WHIP among the best in the league as well.

• Adam Ottavino

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  What’s a good closer without a good setup man? Adam Ottavino has slid into that role ahead of Barnes and performed well, especially considering the Yankees paid the Red Sox to take him off their hands over the winter. His 1.303 WHIP is the second-best in the bullpen, behind only Barnes, and his 15 holds are the most by an AL pitcher.
• The rest of the bullpen

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  So the point of this post is to highlight the Red Sox best players through the first half of the season. However, that list would run long if it included every member of the bullpen that has pitched well, because they all pretty much have. Garrett Whitlock, Hirokazu Sawamura, Josh Taylor, and Darwinzon Hernandez all finished the first half with sub-3.00 ERAs. As a team, the Red Sox have a 3.44 bullpen ERA, good for third in the AL.

For more on the Red Sox first half, check out the latest edition of Hardcore Baseball with Matt McCarthy below.

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Red Sox.