So. After a 21-4 July, which is an incredibly odd thing to type out, the Boston Red Sox have gone from punchline of the division to a serious wild card threat. Not much has changed. Chad Tracy's managing now. Brayan Bello was demoted to middle relief in favor of Patrick Sandoval. Anthony Siegler's been up, Romy Gonzalez has been healthy. Everything else has been the same, personnel-wise. So...I think the key is that everything that wasn't working about this team from the start is working now. That includes Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Caleb Durbin, who all had really rough starts and have become some of the highlights of the team.
Durbin is a strange case, because he had a better hitting season last year with Milwaukee. He's doing fine this year, he has 10 home runs and 44 RBIs, but the hook has been his improved defense at third, which it just feels like the Sox haven't really had in a while. Gray and Suarez have both settled in and are in the midst of excellent seasons. Gray is 13-2 with a 2.93 ERA, a comeback season if I've ever seen one. Suarez has a 3.15 ERA and 105 Ks, very much a middle of the rotation year like the ones he had in Philly. And around that you have two standout seasons from young starters, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett, and they've been very helpful. Bennett, in 11 starts, is 6-4 with a 2.74 ERA, and Toller has a 3.30 ERA and 110 Ks. The closest thing to a knockout, K-heavy ace, Garrett Crochet, is still out with an injury, and the guys who are left, while not bad, are just steady, formidable guys that do the work.
That's really how you'd describe a lot of this Sox team. A lot of guys on the same page, not elbowing each other for the stardom, just lining up and performing. Masataka Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Romy Gonzalez have always given me that idea, just consistent performers who get up there and do something cool and it doesn't have to be about them. Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin, therefore, fit right in, and Anthony Siegler seems to have gotten this memo as well. Which is why the 'look at me' guys haven't always done as well. Jarren Duran is STILL trying to work back up to something decent, but he's still hitting .199 despite 13 homers and 56 RBIs. Roman Anthony is hurt yet again, and was hitting .229 before the fact. Trevor Story's once again missing a large chunk of the year. Contreras is the closest thing to a big star, and he certainly had his big ego moment with Cade Cavalli, but even he's sort of dialed into the group mentality and doesn't have to be THE guy, despite being far and away the best offensive performer on the team.
It's been cool seeing this Sox team come to prominence, and after adding Curtis Mead they look to keep adding pieces in the next few hours and make a run. The issue I have is that we're still not sure if they're a Blue Jays 2.0 type team that doesn't let up, or if July was it and they're about to go back downhill, now with even more cargo. I think they will remain a player, I just don't know if they'll be as unstoppable as they were last month. Then again, it has been a while since the Sox have won a World Series, and this could be the kind of team that shocks everyone.
Coming Tonight: Probably a Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals post, if I'm up to it.
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