It’s not exactly news that the Boston Red Sox are on a tear as they move closer and closer towards the Postseason. The Red Sox have completed a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees and, at the time of this article, have a 4.5-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox are in good shape as they move closer toward the season’s end, and perhaps this has everything to do with this being David Ortiz’s last season. Ortiz is a legend in the city of Boston. He has become known as one of the greatest clutch hitters in the history of Major League Baseball, and has three World Series rings to support that statement. However, he is not the only reason for Boston’s success down the home stretch.
This season, the Red Sox have a deadly combination of veteran leadership and a strong youth movement that has provided an excellent pop inside the lineup. Established big-league players like David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, and Dustin Pedroia have provided stability in the lineup thats really necessary for a team that is progressing towards a brand new core of players for the next generation of great Red Sox teams. It’s also worth noting how well Hanley Ramirez has done at first base, especially considering how in flux that position was after last season, and how he struggled in left field. Those things combined with a flurry of breakout seasons from Mookie Betts (an American League MVP candidate), Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. Those three players have established themselves as the next group of players that will become the heart and soul of this team: Betts with his power hitting, Bogaerts with his ability to effectively put the ball in play and hit for average, and Bradley with his incredible glove and arm in the outfield plus his emergence as an offensive threat. The Red Sox bringing both of these things into the postseason should be a scary thing for any team in the postseason.
The Red Sox have a team that is built to win this postseason. In addition to a very well-rounded offense, they are also fortunate to have a Cy Young caliber pitcher in Porcello, a former Cy Young Winner in David Price who is getting hot at the right time, and hopefully a healthy Steven Wright who dominated his opposition for the first half of the season. However, this season is about much more than just the 2016 Postseason.
This season is about sending David Ortiz, the last of the 2004 World Series Team, out in style, while also letting the fans know that even though the end of an era has arrived, a new one is just beginning. The Red Sox have effectively used this season as both an homage to years of Red Sox past, and a welcome to a new chapter of Boston Red Sox history. Who better to pass the torch, from one generation to the next, than David Ortiz? And can you think of a better stage than in the Fall Classic? I certainly can’t.