Monday Morning Brushback: The Week of Weeks

The Red Sox week in review dives into the loss of James Paxton, Masataka Yoshida, and the Big Three’s promotion to Worcester

After winning two games against the Kansas City Royals to take what was probably the biggest series of the season to date, the Red Sox had the opportunity to make a statement this past weekend at Fenway Park against a surging Houston club.

They…did not make that statement. Well I suppose they did make a statement, if you count a three-day long wet fart as one.

An ugly sweep at the hands of the Astros puts Boston right back behind the eight-ball in the Wild Card chase. Yordan Alvarez continued to haunt this organization — shades of October 2021. Trade deadline acquisitions weren’t able to limit the damage. The team collectively hit 3-21 with runners in scoring position (that’s a .143 average for all you stat nerds; guess you could say I don’t love that). Our pets’ heads fell off.

The worst part is that we don’t even have the Olympics to wash it down now.

Given the gravity of just how shitty things went over the weekend, I feel blessed that the Sox are only three games back of a postseason spot. A strong build-up to the first of two Houston sets in short order will do that, I suppose, but it just feels like taking a step back after taking a step forward.

They better get right back up to take another step forward, though: the Rangers — a team the Sox just beat in Texas — pay a visit to Boston before our guys go down to Baltimore for a four-game series against a team that’s currently tied for the most wins in MLB.

All of that is to say that this upcoming week feels like it’ll be the week of weeks for the 2024 Red Sox. A strong slate gets you right back on the saddle before taking on these same Astros with a chance for some payback. Another few hiccups — let’s call it a 3-4 stretch or worse — means I’m breaking my hand by smashing the panic button so hard.

I’m already well into my fantasy football research for the fall (can’t wait to go 6-8 again), which is to say that time is becoming of the essence in the superior sport. Any major setbacks like the one we watched this weekend are amplified as we get closer to game 162. Things don’t necessarily get easier after these next two serieseseseses; by the looks of it, Boston has eight sets left against teams in the playoff hunt after visiting Baltimore. We’re soon going to find out if this team has the makings of a group that can push for a postseason ticket or if this will be another swoon in August and September, reminiscent of 2023 and 2022. This next week can set the tone for this home stretch, for better or for worse.

But before we get into next week, let’s talk about this week.

It’s Monday Morning Brushback time, y’all.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images

A hearty get well soon to southpaw James Paxton, who was pulled out of Sunday’s Fenway finale after just five pitchers due to a calf injury.

It’s a shame that Paxton is going to spend time on the shelf after an encouraging start in KC. While bringing him back into the rotation wasn’t a blockbuster move, I thought it was savvy enough to at least take some of the pressure off of the pitching staff.

That’s not to be now, though. Following a trade deadline aimed at addressing the question of how to eat innings in the final weeks of the regular season, the Red Sox are now left with the question of . . . how to eat innings in the final weeks of the regular season. Time is a flat circle.

The team might be left with even more questions now, considering that bullpen guys acquired in recent weeks like Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia haven’t exactly wowed us on the mound yet. After being forced into a makeshift arm barn game due to Paxton’s exit, the Red Sox now need to grind through ten straight days of games in a pivotal point of the campaign. Plus, as I mentioned in last week’s article: the workload for two of your key starters (Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford) is going to have to be managed down the stretch.

Simply put: how the hell can they walk this tight rope?

I’m not sure, frankly. They don’t pay me to make these decisions. I’m sure some dudes will be called up from Worcester, but that doesn’t entirely inspire confidence. Rich Hill’s been throwing again in an attempt to showcase his skills to clubs; do we run the pride of Milton out there again? For old time’s sake?

I have no idea. All I know is that it’s time to hang onto your butts on this front, folks.

Macho Man’s Back

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

A tip of the cap to Masataka Yoshida, who’s been getting hot at the dish as of late. Since the All-Star Game, Masa’s hitting .329 across 70 at-bats with three homers and 15 RBI. One of those round trippers was a nuke on Saturday that sparked what was nearly a signature comeback victory.

There are times when the man is obsessed with hitting dinky grounders to the right side of the infield, but man: Yoshida does not get cheated when he really connects on a pitch.

Masa’s hot stretch comes just as the team needs some extra juice for the final push. His underlying numbers still don’t scream “elite hitter” at ya right away, but his rolling xwOBA has hovered around the .340-.360 mark since the break. If you put it down the middle and call it .350 and then extrapolate that mark across the entire year, he’d be in the 83rd percentile for that expected stat. Translation for the people who don’t live and die with these geek stats invented just prior to, like, the Great Recession: he’s been swingin’ the lumber real gud lately.

Yoshida, much like Triston Casas, has become a hitter that I trust knows the strike zone more than just about anyone. He doesn’t chase any junk, he doesn’t swing-and-miss much in general, and in turn he doesn’t really strike out. If he can just consistently muster up some hard contact — easier said than done, I understand — then we might have ourselves a hero this team needs right about now.

Of course, the Yoshida conversation can’t be had without addressing the 54 million pound elephant in the room. His production in the box in MLB thus far, while solid, has not been extravagant. Mix that in with the fact that he’s only played in the outfield on one occasion this year and that the organization is now packed to the gills with options from the left side of the plate, and you start to wonder where Masa fits in the master plan after 2024.

Those are all fair questions down the line, but they don’t matter right now. Let’s just enjoy this run he’s on now and worry about those questions later.

The Way of the Future

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Hey, not everything was all bad this weekend!

Turns out, the ATM is open on Sundays. Outfielder Roman Anthony, catcher Kyle Teel, and shortstop Marcelo Mayer — the big three prospects of the Red Sox system — are on their way to the Heart of the Commonwealth and AAA ball.

This seemed like a long time coming, no? It felt like these three didn’t have a ton left to prove up in Portland earlier this summer. With the speed of this promotion, it wouldn’t surprise me if these three still need to wait until 2025 to make their debut in the bigs as the team sits on those service time clocks.

I’m just excited to see the wave of the Future approach us and crash down on the rest of the league, baby. The way of the future is upon us.

I know it’s tough to look on the bright side right after the Sox got their head kicked in at home, but I feel there truly are brighter days ahead of us. The depth of the system can lead to a homegrown window of contention, which is something we as sports fans should salivate over. Winning a title with the backbone of our own development: I need that. We need that.

In terms of who I think will get called up first out of the group, go ahead and jot me down for Teel. With him being a lefty at the plate, I can totally see Alex Cora platooning him and Conner Wong in order to get the kid’s feet wet before he has a chance to, perhaps, take over as the full-time guy behind the dish. He was already a well-rounded prospect out of college, and his progress in the minors has been impressive.

No matter who it is, though, it’s gonna be fun watching these prospects bloom.

Song of the Week: “1901” by Phoenix

Phoenix got some air time performing at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics Sunday night, so let’s roll with this classic.

Same time and same place next week, friends! Go Sox.