Your team's grades

[navamind]

Just curious to hear what you guys think of your teams' various performances and how you'd grade them. Just a warning... these posts are Harry Potter-esque in length.


Position players:

Sandy Leon (B+): can't say I was expecting anything from him. But after the shitshow that was Vazquez/Hanigan/Swihart, Leon provided very solid production behind the plate over the remainder of the season, batting .310/.369/.476. Among catchers with 200+ PA, he was 4th in wRC+ behind only Sanchez, Contreras (though he played a decent chunk of his time in the OF) and Ramos. It was largely propped up by a high BABIP (.392) and considerably regression is to be expected from him. That being said, it gives some hope he can hit well enough (say a 85 wRC+) to make his glove an asset.

Christian Vazquez (D-): Good glove, but not great. Just don't see him ever really hitting well enough to have any real value beyond being a backup catcher.

Ryan Hanigan (F): lol

Blake Swihart (D/incomplete): Pretty disappointing year before he got hurt, but I don't blame that on him. I thought it was pretty silly for the Sox to shuffle him around and try him in the OF. He's still pretty young (only 25) and I still think he can play a pretty big role in the Sox future. He might not exactly be Pudge behind the plate, but I can live with that given his offensive potential. He just needs to go out there and play.

Hanley Ramirez (B): Rebounded very well from an injury-marred 2015, hitting .286/.361/.505 (124 OPS+) with 30 home runs. After the trainwreck that was the LF experiment, he showed he was very capable of handling 1B. He also played a pretty big role in the team's 2nd half run hitting .284/.354/.593 with 22 home runs, stepping up while some of the Sox young stars struggled in the 2nd half (namely Bogaerts and JBJ). He also helped put an end to the Yankees' postseason hopes, which is always nice.

Dustin Pedroia (A): Just a huge comeback season for the Sox. After dealing with several injuries over the last few years, namely a wrist injury that sapped his power, 2016 saw him return to peak form. His 5.2 WAR was 19th among MLB position players. It's not going to be easy to replace Papi's bat by any means, but at least the Sox will still have Pedroia's presence. Pedroia now sits at 46+ WAR, it should be interesting to see how he does over the next few years and to see if he can build a strong HOF case.

Xander Bogaerts (B+): Hard to complain about a 23-year-old shortstop hitting .294/.356/.446 (109 OPS+). His 4.7 WAR was 6th among shortstops. He showed a lot of improvement in the power department this year, going from a .101 ISO in 2015 (almost Juan Pierre-esque) to .152, almost league average. He also cut his groundball rate down from 52.9% in 2015 to 45.5% and he hit 21 home runs. He did struggle in the 2nd half, hitting .253/.317/.412 in the 2nd half. Still not bad by shortstop standards, but it also saw him strike out considerably more (14.7% K% in 1st half; 20% in 2nd, though still slightly better than the league average). Not as bad as his 2014 slump, but it gives me the feeling he'll be prone to some pretty extended slumps. I also get the feeling he'll be more of a 4-5 WAR guy than a true superstar, but I can live with that after years of watching Lugo/Cora/Green/etc. We shall see.

Travis Shaw (C-): The first 1.5 months were a fun ride (.329/.400/.573 in first 39 games), but he tailed off pretty badly, batting .205/.265/.356 over his final 370 plate appearances. That being said, he still managed to provide a huge upgrade over what the Sox got from Sandoval last year, mostly because he was so bad (75 wRC+ and -2.0 WAR). Shaw finished with an 87 wRC+ and 1.5 WAR. I think Shaw could have a pretty good MLB career, but I don't think he's a long term solution at all and Moncada should hopefully take over at 3B soon.

Brock Holt (C): He can play almost every position and his bat isn't completely awful. He's a great player to have on your bench, but he just isn't an everyday player. Red Sox found themselves relying pretty heavily on him in the OF before the Benintendi promotion. His bat just doesn't work there. Very fun player to root for though.

Chris Young (C+): played pretty well when he was on the field, but the Sox missed him sorely when he got hurt. Murdered lefties (.999 OPS) and he wasn't completely worthless against righties (.766). Nice 4th OF to have.

Andrew Benintendi (B/incomplete): He's only played 34 games at the major league level, but that's an awful lot for a guy that was drafted only a year ago. He is one of the top prospects in baseball right now, and possibly the best prospect in the Sox farm system. He's more than held his own thus far (.295/.359/.476 with 10/25 BB/K in 118 PA) and he figures to be a huge part of the Sox youth movement. He doesn't have the tools Moncada does, but Benintendi is a far more polished and MLB ready product and I think that's very well reflected by how they've looked at the plate. I can't wait to see what he can do over a full season.

Jackie Bradley Jr. (A-): Hard to believe this is the same guy that had a 53 OPS+ in his first 530 MLB plate appearances. He showed a lot of improvement after getting recalled in 2015, hitting .249/.335/.498 with a 119 OPS+ over 74 games and showing some pretty good power. There was definitely reason to be skeptical about him going into 2016, but he's silenced some of those cynics, batting .267/.349/.486 (116 OPS+) with 63 extra base hits (26 HR) and the usual strong glovework in CF over his first full season. He even managed to make his first All-Star Game and finished 5th among all MLB outfielders in WAR (4.8; and that's if you count Kris Bryant as an outfielder). There are some rumors of the Sox potentially using him as a trade chip for a guy like Sale. I'd rather not, especially when they're already losing Ortiz.

Mookie Betts (A+): Hard to believe how much he's blossomed. He was a 5th round pick in 2011 and was not known for his power at all. He just hit 31 home runs and finished with 78 total extra base hits. I don't think he'll regularly hit 30+, but I think he'll be more of a ~50/10/20 doubles/triples/HR kind of hitter and I think you'll see him draw more walks. Reminds me a lot of Nomar. He's probably a top 5 player in baseball right now (finished 3rd in WAR behind only Trout/Bryant) and might be the best player the Sox have had in quite some time.

Aaron Hill (F): Was hoping he'd boost the Sox bench... not so much. I don't think the Sox will miss Aaron Wilkerson or Wendell Rijo very much though.

David Ortiz (A+): What's there to say at this point? 14 incredible seasons in Boston, capped by one of the finest age 40+ performances in MLB history. Not a fan of the "retirement tours", but I felt like Ortiz got a proper sendoff. Would have been a bit better if he got one last ring, but I'm happy he got one last postseason opportunity. Thanks again for everything, Papi.

 

[navamind]

Pitchers:
David Price (B): His overall numbers seem very disappointing, especially that 3.99 ERA. However, offense has gone way up in baseball over the last couple of years and his 114 ERA+ is in line with what he did in 2013/14 (115). He did finish with 230 innings, the most in the AL and the most from a Red Sox pitcher since Pedro in 1998. He pitched better than most first year pitchers have in Boston, though he never quite felt dominant. Not the ace some were hoping for, but he still had a strong year and helped bolster the Sox rotation. I'm not too worried about him going into 2017 and I expect a somewhat better year, but you have to wonder about his postseason struggles. I get the feeling it's reportoire-related.

Rick Porcello (A): Just an awesome season from him, and it's even better as someone that lives pretty close to where he grew up. Never did it feel like the Sox were out of a game with him on the mound and he never really got shelled in any of his starts, going 5+ every time and never giving up more than 5 runs. Of course, he did save the worst for last (see the ALDS). He may win the CYA and though I'd probably go with Kluber, Porcello's got a good case.

Eduardo Rodriguez (C+): I think his overall stats (4.71 ERA, 97 ERA+ over 107 innings) don't do him justice. He was pretty bad when he first came back, but he was struggling with command possibly tipping pitches. He was excellent in the 2nd half (3.24 ERA over 77.2 innings) and showed some very good swing and miss stuff, helping solidify the Sox rotation in the 2nd half. He reminds me of a young Jon Lester. Another guy I can't wait to see next year.

Drew Pomeranz (C/incomplete): fuck you Preller. that being said, I don't think Pomeranz was as bad as people thought. He had 9 good starts (3.35 ERA from July 25 to Sept 5) and a few really crappy ones that kinda skew his ERA. All in all, he had a 100 ERA+... that's a huge improvement over the shitshow that was the Red Sox backend rotation in the first half. Just remember, as highly touted as Espinoza was, he's still years away from reaching the majors, and it's not like he lit the world on fire this year either. No one will really know who won this trade anytime soon. I actually feel pretty good about Pomeranz going into next year and I think he can help make it a good rotation (again).

Steven Wright (B-): 1995 Tim Wakefield redux was fun while it lasted. If it wasn't for his first half performance, the Sox could have been in a pretty deep hole in the first half. I expect considerable regresson next year, but I don't see why he can't be a good #4 type starter that can eat 180+ innings.

Clay Buchholz (C-): he was godawful in the first half. I wanted him shot into the sun. I still wouldn't be too upset if the Sox cut ties with him, but I do think the Sox should pick up his option. He still provides SP depth. And to his credit, he handled his rotation/bullpen juggling very well and he pitched very well in the 2nd half.

Craig Kimbrel (B-): showed the usual hit and miss stuff, but he struggled pretty badly with walks at times. When he didn't have his best stuff, he really didn't have it.

Joe Kelly (C): glad the Kelly rotation experiment is finally over. He looked great in the bullpen once he was recalled in September, though it is a small sample size. But there's definitely some hope he can play a role in the Sox bullpen next year and maybe he could be a legitimate weapon They'll need him to, especially with Carson Smith slated to miss a decent chunk of the season.

Robbie Ross (B-): just a solid reliever to have, especially in "uh oh" situations.

Koji Uehara (C+): hopefully the Sox bring him back for 2017... but if not, he's had a great run in Boston. His extreme flyball tendencies to scare me though.

Junichi Tazawa (D): he's cooked. Thanks for everything.

Matt Barnes (C): Has shown some flashes in the bullpen, though he's had some command issues. I think he could be a pretty good bullpen weapon down the road.

Brad Ziegler (B+): would love to see the Sox bring him back, though I feel someone will give him a lengthy contract. He really helped solidify the bullpen after Smith/Uehara/Tazawa went down.

Heath Hembree (B): overall, very solid season and he was good for the occasional 4+ outs. But given his constant shuffling between the minors/MLB and his remaining options, it feels like he won't be a huge part of the 2017 bullpen.

overall: A- season. Sox fell short in the "ultimate goal", winning the WS. They got swept in 3 games by Tito and co. Frustrating way for the season to end, but I'm happy with a 93 win season and AL East title after watching the Sox miss the playoffs in 5 of the previous 6 seasons. The Sox gave Ortiz a proper sendoff and I'm very excited for the Sox youth movement, especially with Benintendi/Moncada. This is easily one of my favorite Red Sox teams of all-time, up there with 2003/2004/2007/2013. I can't wait for 2017.

 

[moxie]

Dang. I thought you were just going to give an overall team grade (Solid B for my G's - above average but obviously fell short by many standards) not a player by player breakdown.
TMFL;DR!

 

[navamind]

Dang. I thought you were just going to give an overall team grade (Solid B for my G's - above average but obviously fell short by many standards) not a player by player breakdown.
TMFL;DR!

yeah, I probably should have thrown that in the thread title. Lol.

 

[moxie]

yeah, I probably should have thrown that in the thread title. Lol.

Well, to be fair, were you a normal NL fan, I probably would've read more. But since it's about an AL team... meh.

Plus, after a quick scan, I noticed you missed grading one of your key members.

Spoiler: Here's a hint...

 

[navamind]

Well, to be fair, were you a normal NL fan, I probably would've read more. But since it's about an AL team... meh.

Plus, after a quick scan, I noticed you missed grading one of your key members.

Spoiler: Here's a hint...

The less said, the better. The Sox can shoot him into the sun in place of Buchholz.

 

[bksballer89]

I don't have time for all of that.

Yanks prior to the grade deadline: F
Yanks after the trade deadline: B+

 

[DHoey]

Mariners = C+

Pretty much the ceiling for this team the last 12 years or so

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Twins

A's all around

 

[calsnowskier]

Giants...

Rotation: A-

I would put the Giants top 4 against any team in the bigs, and while I think the Cubs "win" that comparison, I don't think it is a blowout. A healthy Mets rotation is also good competition.

Bullpen: F-

Nothing good here. A few pieces can be kept moving forward, but a full self-destruct is needed.

Infield: B-

Panik sucked until the last 2-3 weeks. Craw was solid, but other SS's in the game made greater jumps. 3B may Ben acceptable moving forward, but defiantly no star on the 25-man right no. Belt had a decent 1st half, but completely disappeared after the break.

Outfield: C-

Pence is a fine outfielder. But when he is your best, you have a problem.

Coaching: C+

BIG off year for Boch. Probably a big part of that was the bully, which was warm, gooey shit this year. Kelly cost a number of games at 3rd as well.

Overall: B

The BRIBB at the break, and a decent showing in the playoffs make most memories of the year positive. The rotation is amazing and the biggest fail is relatively easy to repair. I think the Giants should be in contention again in '17.

 

[redseat]

@navamind are we taking post season into account?

If so David Price gets a C-

 

[navamind]

@navamind are we taking post season into account?

If so David Price gets a C-

I'm not. I don't put much weight into three games, even as decisive as those three games are.

 

[redseat]

I'm not. I don't put much weight into three games, even as decisive as those three games are.

I think you have to to job overall performances of a players year (assuming said player makes it to the play-offs)

 

[Gopherfan84]

Twins

A's all around

That has to be tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek. I'd give F's to pretty much everybody except Dozier, who would probably get a B.

 

[navamind]

That has to be tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek. I'd give F's to pretty much everybody except Dozier, who would probably get a B.

It was... lol.

I didn't realize Grossman had such a good year with the bat (.280/.386/.443, 126 OPS+). Even then, he grades out at less than 1 WAR. Is his defense that bad?

 

[Gopherfan84]

It was... lol.

I didn't realize Grossman had such a good year with the bat (.280/.386/.443, 126 OPS+). Even then, he grades out at less than 1 WAR. Is his defense that bad?

I'm trying to forget this season ever happened, which includes most of the individual performances. Grossman was one of the very few relatively bright spots, but 8 errors for an outfielder is a lot (2nd in the AL to Ian Desmond, Kepler was 3rd)

The scary thought is that with how bad this year's free agent market is, unless the kids mature into good players rapidly, next season is likely to be worse than this season's franchise-record 103 losses.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

That has to be tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek. I'd give F's to pretty much everybody except Dozier, who would probably get a B.

You really are 1 of a kind stupid

 

[mr.hockey4242]

It was... lol.

I didn't realize Grossman had such a good year with the bat (.280/.386/.443, 126 OPS+). Even then, he grades out at less than 1 WAR. Is his defense that bad?

@Nosferatu

I'll let him answer this

 

[dougplayer]

Pitchers:
David Price (B): His overall numbers seem very disappointing, especially that 3.99 ERA. However, offense has gone way up in baseball over the last couple of years and his 114 ERA+ is in line with what he did in 2013/14 (115). He did finish with 230 innings, the most in the AL and the most from a Red Sox pitcher since Pedro in 1998. He pitched better than most first year pitchers have in Boston, though he never quite felt dominant. Not the ace some were hoping for, but he still had a strong year and helped bolster the Sox rotation. I'm not too worried about him going into 2017 and I expect a somewhat better year, but you have to wonder about his postseason struggles. I get the feeling it's reportoire-related.

Rick Porcello (A): Just an awesome season from him, and it's even better as someone that lives pretty close to where he grew up. Never did it feel like the Sox were out of a game with him on the mound and he never really got shelled in any of his starts, going 5+ every time and never giving up more than 5 runs. Of course, he did save the worst for last (see the ALDS). He may win the CYA and though I'd probably go with Kluber, Porcello's got a good case.

Eduardo Rodriguez (C+): I think his overall stats (4.71 ERA, 97 ERA+ over 107 innings) don't do him justice. He was pretty bad when he first came back, but he was struggling with command possibly tipping pitches. He was excellent in the 2nd half (3.24 ERA over 77.2 innings) and showed some very good swing and miss stuff, helping solidify the Sox rotation in the 2nd half. He reminds me of a young Jon Lester. Another guy I can't wait to see next year.

Drew Pomeranz (C/incomplete): fuck you Preller. that being said, I don't think Pomeranz was as bad as people thought. He had 9 good starts (3.35 ERA from July 25 to Sept 5) and a few really crappy ones that kinda skew his ERA. All in all, he had a 100 ERA+... that's a huge improvement over the shitshow that was the Red Sox backend rotation in the first half. Just remember, as highly touted as Espinoza was, he's still years away from reaching the majors, and it's not like he lit the world on fire this year either. No one will really know who won this trade anytime soon. I actually feel pretty good about Pomeranz going into next year and I think he can help make it a good rotation (again).

Steven Wright (B-): 1995 Tim Wakefield redux was fun while it lasted. If it wasn't for his first half performance, the Sox could have been in a pretty deep hole in the first half. I expect considerable regresson next year, but I don't see why he can't be a good #4 type starter that can eat 180+ innings.

Clay Buchholz (C-): he was godawful in the first half. I wanted him shot into the sun. I still wouldn't be too upset if the Sox cut ties with him, but I do think the Sox should pick up his option. He still provides SP depth. And to his credit, he handled his rotation/bullpen juggling very well and he pitched very well in the 2nd half.

Craig Kimbrel (B-): showed the usual hit and miss stuff, but he struggled pretty badly with walks at times. When he didn't have his best stuff, he really didn't have it.

Joe Kelly (C): glad the Kelly rotation experiment is finally over. He looked great in the bullpen once he was recalled in September, though it is a small sample size. But there's definitely some hope he can play a role in the Sox bullpen next year and maybe he could be a legitimate weapon They'll need him to, especially with Carson Smith slated to miss a decent chunk of the season.

Robbie Ross (B-): just a solid reliever to have, especially in "uh oh" situations.

Koji Uehara (C+): hopefully the Sox bring him back for 2017... but if not, he's had a great run in Boston. His extreme flyball tendencies to scare me though.

Junichi Tazawa (D): he's cooked. Thanks for everything.

Matt Barnes (C): Has shown some flashes in the bullpen, though he's had some command issues. I think he could be a pretty good bullpen weapon down the road.

Brad Ziegler (B+): would love to see the Sox bring him back, though I feel someone will give him a lengthy contract. He really helped solidify the bullpen after Smith/Uehara/Tazawa went down.

Heath Hembree (B): overall, very solid season and he was good for the occasional 4+ outs. But given his constant shuffling between the minors/MLB and his remaining options, it feels like he won't be a huge part of the 2017 bullpen.

overall: A- season. Sox fell short in the "ultimate goal", winning the WS. They got swept in 3 games by Tito and co. Frustrating way for the season to end, but I'm happy with a 93 win season and AL East title after watching the Sox miss the playoffs in 5 of the previous 6 seasons. The Sox gave Ortiz a proper sendoff and I'm very excited for the Sox youth movement, especially with Benintendi/Moncada. This is easily one of my favorite Red Sox teams of all-time, up there with 2003/2004/2007/2013. I can't wait for 2017.

You should have made those post a ltitle bit longer.

 

[Nosferatu]

It was... lol.

I didn't realize Grossman had such a good year with the bat (.280/.386/.443, 126 OPS+). Even then, he grades out at less than 1 WAR. Is his defense that bad?

I have watched MLB for 40+ years, Grossman is the worst fielding outfielder I have ever seen, his arm strength reminds me a bit of Juan Pierre's...