The Boston Red Sox are off today and riding a hot stretch, having won five straight after sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays and winning eight of their last ten. In that stretch, they are hitting .300 (3rd in MLB), a .376 OBP (3rd in MLB), a .472 SLG (5th in MLB), 60 runs scored (3rd in MLB), 21 stolen bases, (2nd in MLB), and a 135 wRC+ (4th in MLB). As for actual players, Ceddanne Rafaela has a slash line of .485/.514/.667 with a 1.181 OPS; he has seven runs scored, and four RBI in this ten-game stretch, as well as Tyler O’Neill who has a slash line of .300/.353/.767 with a 1.120 OPS; he has four home runs, seven runs scored, and eight RBI. Two other names are Jarren Duran who has been mister reliable all season in this ten-game stretch he has a slash line of .364/.429/.568 with a .997 OPS; he has 11 runs scored, six RBI, and five stolen bases, finally David Hamilton who has a slash line of .324/.343/.559 with a .902 OPS; he has two home runs, nine runs scored, six RBI, and eight stolen bases. This season the lineup ranks in the top half of every offensive category hitting .254 (5th in MLB), a .325 OBP (5th in MLB), a .418 SLG (4th in MLB), a .743 OPS (5th in MLB), 135 doubles (5th in MLB), 21 triples (1st in MLB), 81 home runs (10th in MLB), 350 runs scored (9th in MLB), and 76 stolen bases (5th in MLB). The Red Sox are doing all this despite injuries that have occurred this season and in this most recent stretch they are doing this without Triston Casas who is expected back in early July, and Wilyer Abreu who is expected back as early as this weekend and hit two home runs last night in his first rehab start at Triple-A Worcester. So when Abreu and Casas are back what should the Red Sox look like as they continue a push towards a playoff spot?
Catcher: Connor Wong
Wong has been solid this season at the plate to the point that the Red Sox have wanted his bat in the lineup sliding him in at DH when he’s not catching. This season he is hitting .332 which is first in baseball among catchers with a .850 OPS; he has six doubles, one triple, five home runs, 25 RBI, 24 runs scored, three stolen bases, and 14 walks.
First Base: Triston Casas
Casas was an MVP favorite entering the season, but the current rib injury has hampered the expectations. He was starting to get hot before the injury in the four games before he left the game against the Pirates, he had gone 3-16 with two home runs and two RBI. This season in 22 games he was hitting .244 with a .857 OPS; he had three doubles, six home runs, ten RBI, 12 runs scored, and 12 walks.
Second Base: David Hamilton
Hamilton when first called up struggled both at the plate and defensively but it seems he’s found his footing which is why when healthy he should be in the lineup nightly. In 49 games he is hitting .284 with a .775 OPS; he has eight doubles, a triple, four home runs, 12 RBI, 26 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, and ten walks.
Shortstop: Ceddanne Rafaela
Rafaela could be in center field but to open things up to get some of the best bats in by putting him at shortstop makes sense. Since June hit, he has a slash line of .377/.406/.475 with a .881 OPS; he has eight runs scored and eight RBI. This season in 73 games he is hitting .251 with a .687 OPS; he has 12 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 41 RBI (leads the team), 36 runs scored, ten stolen bases, and ten walks.
Third Base: Rafael Devers
Devers this season in 62 games is hitting .284 with a .930 OPS; he has 15 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs, 38 RBI, 42 runs scored, one stolen base, and 33 walks.
Left Field: Tyler O’Neill
O’Neill when healthy needs to be in the lineup, if Rafaela were to be in center O’Neill would be the DH and would push Yoshida out. In 50 games this season he is hitting .264 with a .912 OPS; he has eight doubles, 15 home runs, 26 RBI, 39 runs scored, one stolen base, and 25 walks.
Center Field: Jarren Duran
Duran has proven he’s a game-changer and the key cog to what Alex Cora said before this season about showing athleticism. He’s played in every game this season hitting .275 with a .803 OPS; he has 21 doubles, ten triples (1st in MLB), five home runs, 31 RBI, 49 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, and 30 walks. He’s blossoming into a star right in front of our eyes this season.
Right Field: Wilyer Abreu
Abreu has been out since the beginning of June after rolling his ankle on the dugout steps before the injury he had played in 53 games hitting .272 with a .829 OPS; he has 14 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 22 RBI, 26 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and 19 walks.
Designated Hitter: Masataka Yoshida
Yoshida seems to be an option to bench as he had a stretch of not playing earlier in the season. In 30 games this season he is hitting .248 with a .674 OPS; he has four doubles, two home runs, 12 RBI, 13 runs scored, and eight walks.
Wrap Up:
The ideal lineup would be
CF – Jarren Duran
RF – Wilyer Abreu
3B – Rafael Devers
1B – Triston Casas
LF – Tyler O’Neill
DH – Masataka Yoshida
C – Connor Wong
2B – David Hamilton
SS – Ceddanne Rafaela
With the lineup structured this way, it allows you to potentially get all the speed on the bases to flip the lineup over, and then even after Duran it gets you to the power bats which could create an inning that would allow the Red Sox to put a crooked number up and if they are down for some reason could get right back into a game. This team has been a lot of fun to watch this season and when fully healthy will be fun to see what they can do and where they can go especially if the pitching continues to do what it’s done in 2024.
