

They account for 35 percent (450) of the 1,308 whiffs the Red Sox had this season. Being able to take the extra base or steal second when you need to makes this team more dynamic than the previous two teams, which helps make up for the dramatic increase in strikeouts.Īs for the high strikeout total, you can attribute that high number to Mike Napoli (187), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (139) and Stephen Drew (124). Going back to the FanGraphs' well, the 2013 Red Sox ranked fifth out of 30 teams in baserunning runs with 11.3. The Red Sox don't have a lot of guys who steal bases, but Jacoby Ellsbury (52), Shane Victorino (21) and Dustin Pedroia (17) give them exactly what they need. The 2004 Sawx had no speed and, per FanGraphs, were the worst team adding runs on the bases.įast forward to 2013, the entire dynamic has changed. However, even as the amount of runs scored hasn't changed that much, the makeup of the Red Sox has. They aren't as prolific an offense as they once were, but given where the league is right now, they are every bit as good. AL teams scored 4.33 runs per game in 2013, with the Red Sox leading the charge at 5.27. The average AL team in 2004 scored 5.01 runs per game, while the Red Sox put up more than 5.9 runs per game.Īs things have skewed more toward pitching, the overall offensive performance has dwindled. What's interesting about Boston's offensive stats is the way they have mirrored the way the game has changed in recent years. Ortiz certainly isn't the only reason that has happened, but a decade of offensive consistency is incredible. We won't know the real answer to that question until the end of October, but we can certainly examine the rosters and what the numbers from the regular season tell us about this Boston team.īasically since the Red Sox found David Ortiz on the scrap heap, the team has had one of the best offenses in baseball. It is also the most wins for this team since that 2004 championship won 98.īut as a 25-man unit, are the 2013 Boston Red Sox on the same level as the 20 championship teams? 500, shows the mental fortitude of this Red Sox team. Winning 97 games in the American League East, which had four teams finish over.
