Kuzul

We’ve jumped the gun on Jackie Bradley Jr. before. And if we didn’t, all of New England did.

The fans. The media. The Boston Red Sox players.

“He’s going to be good,” Dustin Pedroia told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe in 2013, just before Opening Day. “I mean, he is now.”

This, from Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, appeared days later: “Monday, the torch will be passed to Boston’s baseball future, and its name is Jackie Bradley Jr.”

The Monday in question was Opening Day, which was also the day Bradley played in his first major league game—and two weeks before Bradley and his .097 batting average were passed on to become part of Pawtucket’s Triple-A future.

So, yeah, we jumped the gun on Bradley based on one good spring training, and we maybe did it again after that season when the Red Sox decided their center field future would be better with him than with Jacoby Ellsbury.

The problem with jumping the gun isn’t so much that you look bad when the guy turns out not to have been ready. The problem is that when he is ready, you’re not sure whether to believe it.

He’s ready now—believe it. And the Red Sox are better off with him than with Ellsbury.

“This is as good as I’ve ever seen him,” said one National League scout who just finished watching the Red Sox. “In the past, he’s looked out of sync. Now he seems to have gotten the rhythm between his upper and lower body in sync. He seems to be seeing the ball better.

“And he’s aggressive early in counts.”

We’re talking small sample size, for sure, but we’re also talking about a development that has been coming on. Bradley wasn’t prepared to hit big league pitching consistently in 2013 or 2014, as it turned out. He struggled at the plate in his first opportunities in Boston in 2015, too.

But he was a different guy when he began playing regularly during the second half of 2015, and he’s that same different guy now. Maybe even a better guy, because over the last three weeks, his 1.211 OPS is the best in baseball.

Hitting streaks are fun but often overrated. In the 21-game hitting streak Bradley carried into Monday night’s game in Kansas City, though, he had a .443 on-base percentage with a .768 slugging percentage. Nearly half his hits (15 of his 33) went for extra bases.

“Even though those power numbers are coming now, it’s not because of an all-or-nothing approach,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters, including Brendan C. Hall of ESPN.com. “He’s picking out some counts, he’s getting some pitches up and he’s driving the baseball.”

Put it together with his still-sparkling defense in center field, and you have the player we got so excited about three years ago. One big reason to believe in what Bradley is doing now is that this is what his early minor league numbers and his draft position and prospect standing suggested he could do.

It took him a while to figure things out at the top level, for sure. He stayed around because of that defensive ability, which was elite then and remains so. Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald admitted that he wrote in 2014 he’d take a .250 batting average from Bradley just to get his glove in the lineup.

Bradley wasn’t hitting .250 then (he finished 2014 at .198). He’s not hitting .250 now (he was at .331 through the weekend).

He’s 26 years old now, and he still may not be Boston’s baseball future. But in a Red Sox lineup that is leading the majors in scoring, he’s a catalyst and a star.

“I think it was just a matter of time,” Bradley told Abraham when he started hitting. “Everybody kind of moves at their own speed. All I could constantly do was just work. No need to get mad or upset. Just try and get better.”

He’s better now—a lot better. It doesn’t feel like jumping the gun this time, even if it’s always dangerous to judge a player while he’s hotter than he’s ever been.

This time, it feels real.

Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Danny on Twitter and talk baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We’ve jumped the gun on Jackie Bradley Jr. before. And if we didn’t, all of New England did.

The fans. The media. The Boston Red Sox players.

“He’s going to be good,” Dustin Pedroia told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe in 2013, just before Opening Day. “I mean, he is now.”

This, from Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, appeared days later: “Monday, the torch will be passed to Boston’s baseball future, and its name is Jackie Bradley Jr.”

The Monday in question was Opening Day, which was also the day Bradley played in his first major league game. Roughly two weeks later, Bradley and his .097 batting average were passed on to become part of Pawtucket’s Triple-A future.

So, yeah, we jumped the gun on Bradley based on one good spring training, and we maybe did it again after that season when the Red Sox decided their center field future would be better with him than with Jacoby Ellsbury.

The problem with jumping the gun isn’t so much that you look bad when the guy turns out not to have been ready. The problem is that when he is ready, you’re not sure whether to believe it.

He’s ready now—believe it. And the Red Sox are better off with him than with Ellsbury.

“This is as good as I’ve ever seen him,” said one National League scout who just finished watching the Red Sox. “In the past, he’s looked out of sync. Now he seems to have gotten the rhythm between his upper and lower body in sync. He seems to be seeing the ball better.

“And he’s aggressive early in counts.”

We’re talking small sample size, for sure, but we’re also talking about a development that has been coming on. Bradley wasn’t prepared to hit big league pitching consistently in 2013 or 2014, as it turned out. He struggled at the plate in his first opportunities in Boston in 2015, too.

But he was a different guy when he began playing regularly during the second half of 2015, with an .891 OPS in 191 at bats—fantastic for any MLB player, let alone a center fielder.

And he’s that same different guy now. Maybe even a better guy, because over the last three weeks, his 1.211 OPS is the best in baseball.

Hitting streaks are fun but often overrated. In the 21-game hitting streak Bradley carried into Monday night’s game in Kansas City, though, he had a .443 on-base percentage with a .768 slugging percentage. Nearly half his hits (15 of his 33) went for extra bases.

“Even though those power numbers are coming now, it’s not because of an all-or-nothing approach,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters, including Brendan C. Hall of ESPN.com. “He’s picking out some counts, he’s getting some pitches up and he’s driving the baseball.”

Put it together with his still-sparkling defense in center field, and you have the player we got so excited about three years ago. One big reason to believe in what Bradley is doing now is that this is what his early minor league numbers and his draft position and prospect standing suggested he could do.

It took him a while to figure things out at the top level, for sure. He stayed around because of that defensive ability, which was elite then and remains so. Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald admitted that he wrote in 2014 he’d take a .250 batting average from Bradley just to get his glove in the lineup.

Bradley wasn’t hitting .250 then (he finished 2014 at .198). He’s not hitting .250 now (he was at .331 through the weekend).

He’s 26 years old now, and he still may not be Boston’s baseball future. But in a Red Sox lineup that is leading the majors in scoring, he’s a catalyst and a star.

“I think it was just a matter of time,” Bradley told Abraham when he started hitting. “Everybody kind of moves at their own speed. All I could constantly do was just work. No need to get mad or upset. Just try and get better.”

He’s better now—a lot better. It doesn’t feel like jumping the gun this time, even if it’s always dangerous to judge a player while he’s hotter than he’s ever been.

This time, it feels real.

Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Danny on Twitter and talk baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran hit his 400th career home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.

The Bronx Bombers sent out this tweet after Beltran’s blast:

Beltran’s milestone shot was a two-run homer and gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead. He launched a 2-2 fastball from Zach Duke over the left field wall of Yankee Stadium, his 42nd homer in two-plus years wearing pinstripes.

Going into that at-bat, Beltran hadn’t had much success against the White Sox reliever, per Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago:

The eight-time All-Star became the 54th player to reach the 400-dinger club, according to Yankees PR, but he also joined a short list of players from Puerto Rico:

Not only has Beltran been an impact player at the plate, but he spent his early years as one of the game’s best base stealers. ESPN Stats & Info noted Beltran also finds himself in the exclusive company of some of baseball’s best all-around players:

Jon Heyman of MLB Network acknowledged Beltran’s defensive talent and wonders if Cooperstown is in his future:

The only downside to Beltran’s career is he’s yet to win a World Series. He finally reached the Fall Classic for the first time in his storied career in 2013 with the St. Louis Cardinals, but they lost to the Boston Red Sox.

It’s debatable whether Beltran should be a Hall of Famer, but there aren’t many players who have batted .280 while showcasing the combination of power and speed that the 39-year-old has for the majority of his career.

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How much will David Ortiz add to the legend in his final season?

Based on the early returns, as much as he can.

The Boston Red Sox‘s longtime designated hitter went into Saturday’s tilt with the Houston Astros at Fenway Park already having a terrific season, and it only got better in a 6-5 win. In fact, it says a lot that Ortiz’s solo home run in the third inning was the least consequential of his three hits.

The second of Big Papi’s three hits was a two-out RBI triple in the ninth inning that knotted the score at 5-5. It looked and sounded like this:

Two innings later, Ortiz sent everyone home happy with an RBI double. Let us also pay homage to this with our eyes and ears:

The dinger Ortiz hit earlier in the game was the 513th of his career, putting him ahead of Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews on the all-time home run list and in sole possession of the No. 22 spot. And in also getting his 600th career double, he became just the third member of the 500-home run/600-doubles club alongside Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron.

So, Ortiz had an OK day at the office. And as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald was around to hear, the one parting shot the 40-year-old offered to reporters was all too perfect for a guy who wants to be played by Samuel L. Jackson in a movie:

Spoken like one of the greatest clutch hitters of all time. And wouldn’t you know, Ortiz’s latest walk-off hit was the 20th of his career. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that’s the most of anyone in the last 30 years. 

And that’s only scratching the surface of what he’s done in the clutch.

Ortiz has done about as well in high-leverage situations (baseball-ese for high-pressure moments) as you’d expect. He entered Saturday with a .936 career OPS in such situations, which was already good enough to place him among the top 20 hitters ever with a minimum of 1,000 high-leverage plate appearances. His game-tying triple and game-winning double only pushed him higher.

“What makes David so good in those spots is he never comes out of his approach; his heart rate I don’t think really elevates that much,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell, via Brian McTaggart and Aaron Leibowitz of MLB.com. “He’s hitting in those moments with such clarity, and he’s done it so often that he’s extremely confident in those key spots.”

Of course, this arguably isn’t even a discussion worth having. The correlation between great clutch hitters and great hitters, period, is pretty darn strong. A good poster boy for the idea is Alex Rodriguez. He’s not known as a great clutch hitter, but his .962 career high-leverage OPS trumps even Big Papi’s.

Even still, there’s no denying the shoe fits on Ortiz. If nothing else, at least his reputation in the clutch is in line with his numbers in the clutch. And then there’s the fact that even once you get past all his high-leverage dominance in the regular season, you still have to sort through his postseason highlights.

And the way he’s going this season, Ortiz may get a chance to add to that, too.

Ortiz reiterated to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports that he’s still planning on going the way of Chipper Jones in 2012, Mariano Rivera in 2013 and Derek Jeter in 2014. But he can expect to keep getting asked that question, as what he’s doing in his farewell tour blows away what they did in theirs.

Through 34 games, Big Papi is hitting .320 with 10 home runs and a 1.101 OPS. This is him flirting with the finest season of his career. And with only Jose Altuve leading him in adjusted offense, Ortiz is having a season almost as good as anyone in 2016.

Jeter, by comparison, was one of baseball’s worst players in 2014. Jones was good in 2012, but not nearly one of baseball’s best hitters. And though Rivera was really good in 2013, he’d done better.

It’s not just those three Ortiz could put to shame in his swan song. He could become one of only four players ever to post an OPS over 1.000 in his final season. Even better, the 48 homers Ortiz is on pace for what would shatter Dave Kingman’s final-season record of 35. 

And at this point, it’s hard to find excuses for why Ortiz can’t do either. He’s basically been as good as ever as he’s gotten older, and the tear he’s on now stretches back to last season. In over 400 plate appearances since the 2015 All-Star break, he’s hitting .323 with a 1.102 OPS.

For now, it’s all in service to a Red Sox offense that, as Owen Watson of FanGraphs noted, is outperforming even the 1927 New York Yankees. That’s helped push Boston to a 23-14 record that has it in line for a return to the postseason. Since we all know what he can do, it’s time to start wondering if Ortiz’s farewell tour could result in something else Jones, Rivera and Jeter couldn’t achieve: going the distance.

Whatever the case, it’s already clear Big Papi won’t be going out with a whimper. One way or another, his legend shall end with a bang.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz hit the 513th home run of his career during the bottom of the third inning of Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros. The solo shot moved him past Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews into 22nd place on the league’s all-time home run list, per ESPN Stats & Info. 

It was Ortiz’s 10th home run of the year, his 20th season in the major leagues and what will be his last, as he announced in November he’ll retire after 2016. 

Ortiz has now recorded 17 consecutive seasons with 10 or more home runs. He became a premier power hitter after he joined the Red Sox in 2003 following six years with the Minnesota Twins. 

The now-40-year-old hit 30 or more home runs nine times from 2003 to 2015, including a league-leading 54 in 2006. 

It’s taken him a tiny bit longer to get to the same number as Mathews and Banks, though. Banks launched 512 home runs in 19 seasons, all with the Chicago Cubs, while Mathews recorded his total in 17 years, mostly with the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. 

Ortiz needs eight more home runs to move into 19th on the list and join a trio of Hall of Famers in Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas, who belted 521 long balls in their careers. 

He would need 22 more to pass Jimmie Foxx for 18th and 24 to get by Mickey Mantle for 17th as the last remaining realistic targets in his storied career.   

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe has been placed on the disabled list as he nurses a left shoulder injury. 

Continue for updates.

Forsythe Diagnosed with Hairline Fracture in Shoulder Blade

Saturday, May 14

The Tampa Tribune‘s Roger Mooney relayed the update. 

In his third season with the Rays, Forsythe’s 2016 campaign has been off to a rocky start. He was injured in an outfield collision with Kevin Kiermaier in April, causing him to miss one game. 

A surprise breakout performer last season, he set career highs in home runs (17), runs batted in (68) and stolen bases (nine), among numerous other categories. His 4.1 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, was better than his combined career WAR.

While all involved recognize Forsythe’s 2015 campaign was likely an outlier, he’s still expected to be a contributor this season. 

Thus far, he is hitting .308 with four home runs and 12 RBI. 

Tim Beckham will likely see a majority of the work at second with Forsythe out of the lineup.   

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino made an early exit from his start against the Chicago White Sox on Friday after suffering a triceps injury. He’s been placed on the disabled list, per Jesse Spector of Sporting News.

Continue for updates.

Severino Won’t Pick Up Baseball for Several Days

Friday, May 13

Spector reported Severino won’t pick up a baseball for five to seven days.

Severino shined down the stretch for the Yankees last season. He posted a 2.89 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 62.1 innings across his first 11 career starts. He parlayed that strong run into a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster for the 2016 campaign, but so far, his numbers haven’t matched that initial success.

New York has attempted to steadily build up his workload since signing him as an international free agent back in 2012. Although there’s no way to completely prevent injuries, making sure a pitcher isn’t overtaxed during his development is one way to limit the stress on an arm.

The 22-year-old Dominican Republic native spent time on the disabled list last season while dealing with a minor finger injury. The good news is that he’s been able to avoid any major setbacks so far.

If the latest ailment forces him from the rotation for a while, Ivan Nova figures to fill the void. Though he’s mostly operated out of the bullpen for New York this season, he’s got more than 100 career starts under his belt, as well.

Severino is one of the Yankees’ most promising young pitchers. In turn, they will likely play it safe to make sure he’s all the way back to full strength before making his return.

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No matter where you live, what time it is or whether they’re even playing at the moment, you can bet that the Boston Red Sox just scored.

That’s the way it’s been going for them lately. Fresh off a three-game sweep of the Oakland A’s in which the Red Sox racked up 40 runs, they took it to reigning Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros in an 11-1 romp at Fenway Park on Thursday night. 

“I don’t think PlayStation scores this much runs,” said Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts afterward, via Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “But it’s reality and we’re doing it in our hometown and our home park and our fans are definitely loving it.”

Speaking of, it was Bogaerts who got things rolling for the Red Sox with a two-run homer off Keuchel in the first inning. Let us gaze upon it:

The other bit of good news for the Red Sox was struggling ace David Price’s performance. He picked up 12 strikeouts in 6.2 innings of one-run ball, lowering his ERA from 6.75 to a slightly less ugly 6.00.

The fact that this is a mere subplot for the Red Sox, however, goes to show just how fiery their offense is these days.

It stands out that they’ve scored 51 runs in their last four games, but the Red Sox have been whacking the ball around for longer than that. As Baseball Savant shows, Boston has produced a .318 average and a .530 slugging percentage over its last 22 games. 

As a result, the Red Sox’s 2016 offense now reigns supreme over all 2016 offenses. Its 207 runs are the most of any team, and Boston also leads in batting average (.295) and slugging percentage (.485). 

After two straight last-place finishes, all this offense is undoubtedly the biggest reason the Red Sox are 22-13 and tied with the Baltimore Orioles atop the AL East. And as skipper John Farrell will be glad to tell you, it’s not a one-trick offense.

“This is a tough lineup to pitch against because it’s not a one-dimensional type of team, not a one-dimensional type of lineup,” Farrell said after Wednesday’s 13-3 thumping of the A’s, via Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. “The lineup, up and down, they’re not giving at-bats away, and it’s a relentless group right now.”

One thing the Red Sox aren’t doing as well as usual is drawing walks. Their 8.1 walk percentage is below the Major League Baseball average of 8.5 and puts them in the bottom half of the league.

But otherwise, Boston’s offense is indeed a nightmare for opposing pitchers. It’s earned its league-best batting average and slugging percentage by putting the ball in play and hitting the ball hard better than most, and it’s further pushing the envelope by not slowing down on the bases:

Note: The exit velocity and baserunning numbers are current through play on Wednesday, May 11.

A good way to think of this Red Sox offense is as an upgraded version of the Kansas City Royals offenses of the last couple of years. These Red Sox also specialize in putting the ball in play and running the bases, but they have the all-important advantage of being powerful, too.

Of course, there are caveats.

As Alex Speier of the Boston Globe noted, one is that the Red Sox won’t maintain their .344 batting average on balls in play over the long haul. Another is that all their recent hot hitting has primarily come against weak competition. Three games against the Chicago White Sox aside, the Red Sox’s last 20 contests have all been against sub-.500, largely last-place teams.

But more so than elements like their relationship with the BABIP gods and the quality of their competition, whether the Red Sox can continue clobbering the ball all season is a question for the individuals in their lineup. 

For now, there basically aren’t any weak links. Only two of Boston’s nine regulars are underperforming the league average OPS of .727, and not by much:

Christian Vazquez has been the least productive Red Sox regular, but that’s not a concern. He and Ryan Hanigan are there for their defense behind the dish. Any offense they provide is a bonus.

Rather, the Red Sox keeping this up comes down to everyone else. To that end, there’s not much doubt that David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia will continue being above-average offensive producers as long as they can stay on the field. And after Bogaerts broke out with a .320 average and a .776 OPS last season, what he is doing now looks like the logical next step.

Brock Holt is overachieving a bit, but that could continue being the name of the game for both him and Chris Young if Boston can keep exploiting their platoon splits. Holt has handled right-handers, and Young has handled left-handers.

The big question marks are Travis Shaw and Jackie Bradley Jr., neither of whom has an extensive track record or the platoon advantage to thank for their hot hitting.

But what they’re doing could be the real deal. Shaw has done nothing but hit since he arrived in the majors last season, posting a .288 average and an .854 OPS. Bradley’s first exposure to the majors didn’t go as well, but I highlighted on Twitter how he’s turned it around in a big way:

Even if Shaw and Bradley regress, that could be offset by Mookie Betts (who homered Thursday) playing up to his potential. In light of the .291 average and .818 OPS he racked up in his first two seasons, he’s a lot better than he’s shown.

Whether Ortiz, Pedroia and Ramirez can indeed stay on the field may therefore be the only big question. Ortiz is 40, and Pedroia and Ramirez are 32-year-olds with their share of scars. If one, two, or all three of these guys goes down for an extended amount of time, the mightiness of Boston’s offense will fade.

On talent alone, though, the lineup Farrell is running out there on a daily basis is about as loaded as its gaudy numbers make it look. It has quality hitters from top to bottom, and there are few things they can’t do.

So remember: No matter what, the Red Sox probably just scored.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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The 2016 Boston Red Sox continue to roll offensively, as they became the fourth American League team ever to score at least 11 runs in four consecutive games in Thursday’s matchup against the Houston Astros.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the 2000 Seattle Mariners, the 1950 Red Sox and the 1930 Philadelphia Athletics are the other three teams to accomplish such a feat.

The Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham provided some statistics to put Boston’s recent offensive tear into further perspective:

What makes Thursday’s 11-1 outburst against the Astros more impressive is that it came at the expense of Dallas Keuchel, last season’s American League Cy Young Award winner. ESPN Stats & Info noted Keuchel is not accustomed to such shellackings:

David Price, Boston’s struggling ace, also struck out 12 in the win.

Coming into Thursday, the Red Sox were tied with the Chicago Cubs for most runs scored in MLB, per ESPN.com. With veterans such as David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez—along with the emergence of Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Travis Shaw, who are all hitting above .300—Boston can provide a punch from anywhere in the lineup.

While this offensive surge is likely to recede a bit, the Red Sox still possess a deep lineup capable of making noise come October. If Price can build on his Thursday performance, Boston will be a legitimate World Series contender.

However, of the three aforementioned teams to score 11-plus runs in four straight games, only the Athletics went on to win the World Series.

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New York Yankees third baseman Chase Headley ended a lengthy extra-base-hit drought Thursday with a second-inning two-run homer against the Kansas City Royals. 

Headley’s last extra-base hit, a double, came on Sept. 27, 2015, against the Chicago White Sox, which breaks a streak of 124 plate appearances without such a result, per NBC Sports’ Bill Baer. 

The YES Network provided a look at Headley getting the monkey off his back:

The Wall Street Journal‘s Jared Diamond noted that Headley’s first jack of the season puts him in some interesting, maybe unfortunate, company:

Considering his contract—a four-year, $52 million deal signed in 2015, according to Spotrac—Headley is grossly underperforming. He entered Thursday’s game batting just .178 in 28 games with just four RBI before adding a pair with his home run.

The Yankees have struggled to score for most the season, but the offense seems to be coming alive as of late. Not including Thursday, the team has scored at least six runs in five of its last 10 games. This is good news, as New York has scored the fifth-fewest runs in the American League, per ESPN.com.

Perhaps Headley could be waking up as well. He is a .263 career hitter who provides a solid presence in the middle of the lineup when performing at his best. If the 13-19 Yankees are going to turn it around, they will need Headley to start breaking out.  

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