Red Sox Report Card: Bogaerts, Schreiber earn high marks in 2022

Oct. 2—The Red Sox are officially eliminated from playoff contention, and while the club still has three games to play the story of 2022 has essentially already been written. Nothing that happens now is going to significantly alter the team's fate, so with that being the case now is as good a time as any to start handing out grades.

Who exceeded expectations? Who didn't live up to the bill? Here's a look at everyone who contributed (or was supposed to contribute) that remains with the organization. Players are listed alphabetically by position.

Infielders

Christian Arroyo, B+: Arroyo didn't have a good first half and has battled through injuries, but he's come on strong since late July. The utility standout has batted close to .330 since then while filling in when needed at all four infield positions.

Xander Bogaerts, A-: The only reason Bogaerts doesn't get an "A" is because his power production has fallen short of his usual standard. Otherwise he's been fantastic in what could be his final season with the Red Sox, chasing his first batting title while significantly improving his defense at shortstop.

Triston Casas, B+: Despite a two-month setback caused by a bad ankle sprain, the top Red Sox prospect reached the big leagues in September and has acquitted himself well. The power, plate discipline and defense are already there, and lately Casas has seen his overall consistency improve too.

Bobby Dalbec, D: It just hasn't worked out for Dalbec, who did not progress as hoped this season and who has been supplanted by Casas as the everyday first baseman.

Rafael Devers, B+: Devers has done his part in the middle of the order, providing the team's only reliable power presence while flashing a much improved glove at third base. The only downside is Devers got hurt mid-year and has seen his production tail off throughout the second half since.

Eric Hosmer, Incomplete: Since arriving at the trade deadline Hosmer has barely played, suffering a back injury that has kept him out for most of his short tenure with the Red Sox.

Reese McGuire, A: McGuire has exceeded all expectations offensively since arriving at the trade deadline while also delivering excellent defense. As big a gut punch as the Christian Vazquez trade was, McGuire has more than filled his shoes.

Trevor Story, C: Story has been excellent defensively and at times showed flashes of the All-Star he was in Colorado. The problem is injuries and inconsistency have plagued him all year long, limiting his overall effectiveness.

Connor Wong, B: Wong is making a strong case for a big league job going forward. In 81 games at Triple-A he batted .288 with 15 home runs and an .839 OPS, and while the offensive numbers haven't been anything special since his September call-up he's still done a good job behind the plate.

Outfielders

Franchy Cordero, D: Cordero was an upgrade over Travis Shaw and played well at the beginning, but his bat faded as the year went on and the attempt to play him at first base was a disaster.

Jarren Duran, D: Duran's second extended opportunity in the big leagues went better than the first, but after a strong start opposing pitchers figured him out and his poor outfield defense also stuck out like a sore thumb.

Kiké Hernández, C-: This has been a tough season for Hernández, who missed two months to a frightening series of core and hip injuries which also likely contributed to his poor start. Hernández has been better since returning in mid-August but still hasn't come close to his impressive production from 2021.

J.D. Martinez, C-: Though Martinez earned All-Star honors after a strong start, his power has been lacking all season long. Early on he was at least hitting for average, at one point reaching as high as .380, but since June 1 his production has cratered and over nearly four months he's batted around .225.

Tommy Pham, B: Pham would have been a nice player to have all season, and unfortunately his addition at the trade deadline largely proved too little too late. He has at least added some badly needed power to the top of the order.

Rob Refsnyder, A: A veteran journeyman who was expected to provide little more than minor league depth, Refsnyder has been a godsend for the Red Sox and has provided a badly needed boost to an outfield group that has collectively underperformed.

Alex Verdugo, B: Verdugo got off to a bad start and was really unlucky for a while, but since late-May he's been batting over .300 and has successfully moved from left to right field to accommodate Pham's arrival.

Starting Pitchers

Brayan Bello, A-: The first few starts didn't go well, but the Red Sox top pitching prospect has been a major bright spot and seems to be getting better every time out. You know you're doing things right when Pedro Martinez is calling you a future Cy Young contender.

Kutter Crawford, C: The rookie didn't pitch well out of the bullpen after making the Opening Day roster, and he struggled down the stretch before getting hurt, but when the whole rotation went down in mid-summer Crawford became arguably Boston's best starter for more than a month.

Nathan Eovaldi, C: This has been a tough season for Eovaldi, who went on the injured list twice and missed around two months. Even with diminished stuff Eovaldi still performed well when he took the mound, but it will be interesting to see whether or not the pending free agent returns.

Rich Hill, B+: Even at 42 years old, Hill has proven he's still got it. The veteran was a consistent and stabilizing presence in the rotation and a great leader in the clubhouse. He's finishing the season strong too and indicated recently he hopes to keep pitching in 2023 as well.

James Paxton, F: Signing Paxton was always a gamble given his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but losing him for the season with a back injury in his first rehab start was a tough break.

Nick Pivetta, B: Your mileage may vary on Pivetta's performance, but he was the only Red Sox pitcher who made all of his starts. That durability stood out in a year where basically every other starter penciled into the Opening Day rotation missed time.

Chris Sale, F: A freak rib injury suffered in an offseason workout? Getting hit in the hand by a line drive? Falling off his bike and breaking his wrist? Sale's 2022 was as ugly as it was bizarre, and he and the Red Sox both have to hope all of his bad luck has finally run out heading into next season.

Michael Wacha, A-: Wacha went on the injured list twice and missed close to two months, but when he was available he was outstanding. Wacha was Boston's best starting pitcher by a wide margin and significantly exceeded expectations after signing a one-year deal last November.

Josh Winckowski, C: The rookie had his moments and in eight of his 14 starts went at least five innings while allowing three or fewer runs. But his stuff wasn't particularly impressive and even on his best days it often seemed like he was walking a tightrope to avoid disaster.

Relief Pitchers

Matt Barnes, C: Barnes was awful to start the season and then spent two months on the injured list, but since coming back in August he's rediscovered his old form and recaptured the closer job that had once been his.

Eduard Bazardo, C: A late-season call-up, Bazardo has posted respectable numbers in his big league audition. Has he done well enough to warrant a spot in next year's bullpen? At the very least he deserves a chance to compete in spring training.

Ryan Brasier, D: Brasier is on pace to lead the Red Sox in games pitched, but while he had some good stretches he also had some real meltdowns. A key part of Boston's 2018 and 2021 playoff runs, Brasier did not live up to those same heights this season.

Tyler Danish, C: Danish was a great story, earning a 40-man roster spot out of spring training and clawing his way back to the big leagues four years after his last MLB appearance. He pitched well once he got there too, but also battled injuries and was never a viable high-leverage option.

Tanner Houck, B: Houck played a huge part in stabilizing the bullpen midseason and was emerging as the closer Boston desperately needed, but then he got hurt and wound up missing the last two months.

Kaleb Ort, D: Ort has great stuff, but the results on the mound just haven't been there. Since being called up in July he's posted an ERA close to 6.50, and at 30 years old there's no reason to expect a significant breakthrough might be imminent.

Zack Kelly, B: Kelly has been the most impressive of Boston's late-season call-ups and looks like someone who could contribute to next year's team. He'll be someone to keep an eye on going forward.

John Schreiber, A: You could make the case Schreiber has been one of Boston's MVPs this year. A career minor leaguer heading into the season, Schreiber emerged as Boston's best reliever in May and has showed no signs of letting up since.

Matt Strahm, B: Coming off a year lost to injury, Strahm had a solid bounce back year and was one of the club's most reliable arms.

Josh Taylor, F: Boston's best left-handed reliever a year ago, Taylor never appeared in a big league game this season due to a lingering back injury. The club really could have used him, especially after Jake Diekman was traded and the Red Sox suddenly found themselves short on lefties.

Garrett Whitlock, B: It says a lot about Whitlock that he finished with a 3.45 ERA over 78.1 innings and his season will be viewed as something of a disappointment. The second-year righty was limited throughout the year with a hip injury but still ranked among the club's top pitchers anyway.

Sox getting it done in yellow

The Red Sox haven't played well this season and are now guaranteed to finish below .500 and last in the AL East.

Maybe the problem was they didn't wear their yellow City Connect uniforms often enough?

That's silly, of course, but there's no doubt the Red Sox played some of their best baseball wearing the Boston Marathon themed alternates. The club donned them twice at the end of this past week's series against the Baltimore Orioles, winning both games, and dating back to the start of the season they are now 9-2 wearing yellow overall.

Compare that to 22-20 wearing the standard home whites, 16-24 wearing the road grays, 11-13 wearing the red home alternates, 19-20 in the road blue alternates and 0-1 wearing the "Boston Strong" home white alternate worn on Patriots Day.

The success in yellow isn't limited to this season either. Dating back to their debuts in 2021 the Red Sox are 15-4 wearing the City Connects. Given their popularity and that track record on the field, it seems like a no brainer to bring them back again in 2023.

Mariners end 21-year playoff drought

The Seattle Mariners are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2001, and Friday night they officially ended their 21-year drought in memorable fashion.

Cal Raleigh, a second-year catcher known by the nickname "Big Dumper," smoked a walk-off home run to clinch the Mariners' playoff berth, sparking a wild celebration on the field while sending the home fans at T-Mobile Park into hysterics.

Heading into the final week the American League playoff field is now officially set, and the only question left is who will host the AL Wild Card series. The Houston Astros and New York Yankees have clinched the No. 1 and 2 seeds respectively and byes to the American League Divisional Series, and the Cleveland Guardians have won the AL Central and will host the third Wild Card team. The Toronto Blue Jays lead the Mariners by 1.5 games for the top Wild Card spot, and the Tampa Bay Rays trail Seattle by 1.5 games for the second spot.

In the National League, the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are locked in a heated battle for the NL East title. The Braves have now pulled ahead of the Mets after winning the first two of their crucial three-game series this weekend, but if the Mets win Sunday's finale they'll move back into a tie and clinch the tiebreaker by winning the season series. The division winner will clinch the No. 2 seed and a bye to the NLDS, and the runner-up will clinch the top Wild Card spot and host their three-game NL Wild Card series.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have long clinched the best record in baseball and the NL's top seed, the St. Louis Cardinals have won the NL Central and will host an NL Wild Card Series and the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers are locked in a three-way race for the last two Wild Card spots. San Diego has a two-game lead over Philadelphia for second, and the Phillies led the Brewers by one game for the final playoff spot.

Wallace a Rule 5 candidate?

While at Fenway Park on Monday to take part in the club's minor league awards ceremony, Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham also offered praise for Methuen's Jacob Wallace, who recently finished up a successful season with the Portland Sea Dogs.

Abraham said they are happy with what they've seen from Wallace and expect he will have a great chance to earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester next year assuming he has a strong showing in spring training. He also raised another interesting possibility, noting that Wallace is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason and is among the players the club will have to consider adding to the 40-man roster to avoid potentially losing him to another organization.

Would Wallace actually be at risk of being taken? Players selected in the Rule 5 Draft must spend the entire season on their new team's big league roster, and if the club wants to option them to the minors they must first be placed on outright waivers and then offered back to their original club. That puts a lot of pressure on a club to make sure any player they select is big league ready, and Wallace has never pitched above Double-A.

That being said, relief pitchers who throw high 90s with a wipeout slider like Wallace are valuable commodities, so the possibility that another club might be intrigued enough to give him a shot — or that the Red Sox might add him to the 40-man to prevent that — can't be ruled out.

Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.