On October 9th, the Red Sox lost a win-or-go-home playoff game, and they lost by only one run. I, a huge Red Sox fan, was...upset.
So. I've stopped crying and yelling enough to gather my thoughts on the topic. To truly understand what went wrong in the postseason, let's start all the way back at the beginning of the season.
1. Offense? Anyone home?
The Red Sox had a great offensive season last year. Hanley Ramirez posted a 30/100/100 slash line, Mookie Betts had an MVP caliber year, and, of course, David Ortiz had perhaps the best final year in baseball history.
This year? There was nothing of the sort.
Hanley hit .242 this year with just 62 RBIs and 23 HRs. Mookie looked better, but still nowhere near last year's numbers: he hit .264 with 102 RBI and 24 HRs. The man I picked for Rookie of the Year, the guy I thought was gonna save the season, my man Andrew Benintendi––well, he hit .271 with 90 RBI with 20 HRs. Solid, but coupled with everyone else's lackluster numbers, it wasn't great.
The Red Sox finished dead last in the AL in home runs. They had a problem scoring runs all year. So maybe it was fitting that they lost by just the one run this year.
The rumor mill is buzzing that the Red Sox will try and make a play for offensive titan Giancarlo Stanton. I'm sure my blood pressure will be rising throughout the offseason when it comes to that storyline.
2. Clubhouse and leadership issues
I was talking to one of my friends about this Monday night (also RIP to my friends who have to listen to me rant for the next six months). The Red Sox really lacked leadership this year. David Ortiz was a staple in that clubhouse for so many years, and Dustin Pedroia tried––but, I believe, failed––to truly capture that smooth leadership style that Ortiz had. No one ever had to ask "Who's leading this clubhouse?" when Papi was around.
Now, you've got David Price running around yelling at reporters and broadcasters, and his fellow teammates cheering him on. You've got reports of a manager who can't communicate (don't have to worry about him anymore though––the Sox just announced that John Farrell will not be returning for another season), and it was really just one big mess.
I mean, I guess the "Us Against The World" thing has its charm, but it makes it hard at times to defend this team, or even like them.
3. Situational hitting
I harp on this time and time again: the most important thing in baseball is situational hitting. If you can't hit with runners in scoring position or when you need a big hit, you're not going to win ballgames.
How many times did the Red Sox hit a grand slam this year? ZERO.
How many times did the Red Sox load the bases with no one out, only to score one or no runs? MORE TIMES THAN I'D LIKE TO ADMIT.
A lack of situational hitting equals a lack of wins. It's as simple as that.
The 2017 Red Sox season was a forgettable one, to be honest. It was full of exciting late-inning games, but when it mattered the most, this team seemed to run on E. God, I hope 2018's better.
