On Sunday afternoon the Boston Red Sox officially wrapped up the first half of their 2023 season with a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics. That win capped a weekend sweep at Fenway Park, and has the Red Sox heading into the All-Star break with wins in eight of their last nine games.
That stretch leaves the Red Sox at 48-43 at the break – one game better than their record heading into the break last year. They sit in fifth place in the American League East, just a game back of the New York Yankees and two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays.
While their nine game deficit behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays leaves a division title a longshot at best, the Wild Card picture looks much more favorable – as long as they can continue with the momentum they built leading into the break. They sit two games out of a Wild Card spot, with the Blue Jays and Houston Astros currently tied for the second and third spots behind the Baltimore Orioles. Only the Yankees sit between the Red Sox and that Toronto and Houston tie.
That positioning in the standings – not quite in the mix officially but certainly not out of things – feels appropriate for what the Red Sox have been in the first half. They’ve been consistently inconsistent, with high highs matched by low lows. That’s both the roster as a whole, and on a player-by-player basis for some key guys. Mounting injuries have bit the team at times as well.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JULY 06: Adam Duvall #18 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates scoring on a two-run single by Enrique Hernandez (not seen) with Christian Arroyo #39 and Rafael Devers #11 in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on July 06, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Which players have kept the Red Sox in ‘contention’ through the first half? And who does the team need more from if they’re going to make a serious push in the dog days of summer? Let’s take a look with some mid-season awards…
MVP: Masataka Yoshida
Mar 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida (7) makes a hit against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Yoshida has looked like a hit for Bloom in his short time in the Majors. He leads all everyday players hitting .313, and is top three on the team with his nine home runs and 43 runs driven in. This all comes after a slow start in the month of April – since May 1 he’s hitting .329. He’s currently among the favorites to win AL Rookie of the Year.
Runner up: Justin Turner
Best pitcher: James Paxton
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 12: James Paxton #65 of the Boston Red Sox throws against the Colorado Rockies during the second inning at Fenway Park on June 12, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
For all of the misses Chaim Bloom has added to the Red Sox starting rotation the last few years (and we’ll get to some of those in a bit), Paxton has been an example of a veteran signing gone right. In 10 starts he’s 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA and a WHIP of just .0982. If the Red Sox do make a playoff push he’ll be a big part of it, and if they don’t he should hold some relatively significant value at the trade deadline. That’s a win-win.
Runner up: Brayan Bello
Breakout star: Jarren Duran
May 16, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran (16) hits an RBI single during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
While he looked lost at times during his first two stints in the Majors in 2021 and 2022, Duran has finally put it together at the plate this year. He’s slashing an impressive .319/.365/.520 in 69 games, and his 27 doubles this year rank third in all of baseball (despite him having played as many as 20 less games than many of the other leaders). His fielding has still been suspect at times, but he’s proven at the plate he deserves to be an everyday part of the Red Sox lineup.
Runner up: Connor Wong
Biggest disappointment (lineup): Kiké Hernandez
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 04: Enrique Hernandez #5 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on May 04, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Through no fault of his own, Hernandez was trusted to be the primary shortstop of the Red Sox for most of the first half of the season. Still, his performance fell way short of expectations as the former utility player ended up leading all of baseball in errors by the time the team went another direction at shortstop in mid-June. It’d be one thing if hit bat justified the defensive hit, but his .222 batting average and .606 OPS both rank dead last among the everyday players on the team. Looking at it from a number of different angles, he’s been the worst position player on the Red Sox this year.
Runner up: Triston Casas
Biggest disappointment (pitchers): Most of the starting rotation
Jun 8, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) walks off the field in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
There’s just too much here to give the nod to any specific player. From Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta performing at a level that couldn’t even keep them in the rotation with relatively little competition elsewhere on the roster, to continued injury issues from Chris Sale and Garrett Whitlock, just about everything that seemingly could go wrong for the Red Sox starting pitching has this year. In total the team has already had to use 12 starting pitchers this year, one more than they did all of last season. As a unit, the starters have combined for a 4.67 ERA, which ranks 24th in baseball.
Most pressure in the 2nd half: Trevor Story
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 03: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox pumps his fist following a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on July 03, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
Looking ahead a little bit here as we wrap up. Story is expected to return to the team at some point in the second half of the season – first as a designated hitter and then to shortstop once his elbow is ready. We already discussed the shortstop issues this team has had, and the lineup has – at times – felt lacking on veteran approach. Viewed by many as the short-term replacement for Xander Bogaerts, can he step into those shoes? That’ll be a big storyline down the stretch, especially if the Red Sox want to make noise as a playoff team.
