JUSTgottaBELIEVE

It’s been well documented that I disliked the Grandal signing from the beginning. It’s not because of his bat either. It’s because I think his defense is terribly overrated and this team needs a strong defensive catcher, not a below average one. I could care less if he hits for a 115 wRC+ or whatever if his defense sucks. This team has enough hitting, need pitching and defense to win the big one. And call my CERA concern a “meatball” take or fluky or whatever but it’s become a consistent trend across the last two seasons that Sox pitchers pitch better to anyone other than Grandal. It’s not surprising either when you see him catch and call a game.

How does Grandal not have a negative fWAR this season? Like I’m not sure if a player can play much worse than he has so far this year.

This is fun. Click on team batting, pitching, and fielding within fangraphs and you get the following rankings for the Sox #1, #7, #2. I thought everyone said this team sucks defensively? Looks like a very balanced team to me and one that’s primed for a nice run here soon.

No one said the Twins are dead but, as a Sox fan, you gotta be feeling pretty good that you’re already up 4.5 games on your toughest division rival this season. If the situation was reversed and the Sox were 7-13, 4.5 games back of the Twins, would you be calling the Sox dead and buried?

Who knows. All I know is that the Padres have committed huge sums of money to several players for many years to come, have a 2021 team payroll $43M higher than the Sox, and are about to be 12-12 after 24 games. While everyone was gushing about the Padres last winter, the Sox quietly shored up their pitching staff to what now appears to be a top 5 staff in MLB and addressed their two biggest weaknesses within the everyday lineup - RF and DH - further strengthening their offense, which was already ranked #1 in MLB last season. But go ahead and keep telling everyone why the Sox aren’t World Series contenders while the Padres are

Yup. Gimme TA all day. He’s the heart and soul of this team. There’s no question he’s the most valuable player on this team. They’re just not the same without him.

100% agree but, in their defense, I’ve never seen them overrate another player as much as they have with Grandal.

Huh? The Sox haven’t played the Tigers yet. The Sox are 11-6 since that rough opening series including taking a series in Seattle (Seattle’s only series loss so far this season) and splitting with the Red Sox in Fenway. The Sox have the best run differential in the AL. Nothing has changed over the course of the first month of the season that should lead you to believe this team is anything other than a top 3 team in the AL and World Series contender. They certainly look like more of a contender than your Padres (team leading MLB in errors).

There were several posters calling him a bust less than a year ago. Questioning his desire to play and saying he was mentally weak. Suggesting he be traded at his lowest value. I’m really enjoying their silence now

Don’t tell fangraphs that. His framing makes him an elite defender!

Am I the only one finding enjoyment in the Twinkies 7-13 start?? Just lost a series to the lowly Pirates at home lol

Who the hell has Texas played this season that their starters like Dunning and this guy came in with ridiculous low ERAs? They’re getting lit up by a team that can’t hit righties.

If I remember, I’ll try to update this every Sunday. MLB ranks per fangraphs: Batting - 4th Pitching - 5th By the way, Mets pitching has been insane. If there’s one NL team that can compete with the Dodgers this season, that’s the team. DeGrom, Stroman, Carrasco (if healthy), and Thor (if healthy) is a great starting 4. DeGrom is out of his mind.

Completely agree and saying that 2020 Mazara is exactly what everyone expected is dumb. He had a career worst season. Maybe covid related, maybe not. Anyways, who the F cares now. He’s no longer on the team and the Sox gave up a middling prospect to acquire him. He wasn’t the reason the Sox lost to Oakland in the playoffs either. So far the front office seems to have found the best RF option that was available last winter. Gotta give them props for that.

He was not exactly as expected, not even close. He hit 1 home run and 30+ points lower than his career batting average and OPS 160 points lower than his career average. He already has more home runs this season in less than a third of the games he played last season. If he was the typical .750-.780 OPS guy last season that he had been for his entire career prior to 2020, I would have been fine with that.

It was so painful watching Mazara play last year. What a disappointment he was. Eaton has been about as expected, maybe even a little better. Joc has been a major bust. Maybe there’s a reason it took so long for him to find an interested team last winter. It is interesting how I haven’t heard much about him considering 95% of the board was devastated that the Sox signed Eaton over him. ?

I hear ya and I realize the previous poster was being sarcastic but my definition of “juggernaut” as a Sox fan is best decade in franchise history. I understand that is a relatively low bar to cross but I honestly think this team has an Astros type run in them. Best team in the AL for the first half of this decade.

So Matt Chapman is just “a guy” and Moncada being that type of player is underwhelming? What in the hell are you even talking about?

And yet, per fangraphs, the Sox have a better team than the Padres. Still super early and we’ll see how the season plays out but sometimes having the team with all the “big” names doesn’t equate to a great team on the field.

I don’t have the answer to your question but it’s certainly possible. Yermin has the 3rd highest wRC+ in baseball so far this season. Here’s the rest of the top 5 - Trout, Acuna, JDM, and Vlad Jr. Pretty good company.

I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think the 2020s will be the best decade in franchise history.

Eaton has been solid this season. Certainly much better than Grandal.

Not overly concerned about Rodon or Cease after this season when you have guys like Kopech, Crochet, Lambert, etc. waiting in the wings. If there’s one area the Sox have developed well over the years, it’s pitching.

No different than the 90s Indians though, no? That team was built around a top offense, which I think the Sox have for years to come.

90 wins sounds about right and should be enough to win the division with the Twins looking shaky to start the season. Get in the playoffs and I like the Sox chances with Gio-Lynn-Keuchel-Rodon and hopefully an elite bullpen.