Great Individual Red Sox Seasons Often Forgot About
Every season has players break out and put up career numbers. Some of these break out seasons tend to only last one year as players can’t replicate the success they had in that career year. Because of this, these career seasons are often forgot about. Over the past decade the Red Sox have seen multiple cases of this. Sometimes a player ends up being a one year wonder, and other times they end up being a solid player that just can’t find the same success they had that one season.
Below are some examples of tremendous years for Red Sox players that are often forgotten about.
Christian Vazquez- 2019
Courtesy of Michael Dwyer (AP Photo) (Getty Images)
2019 was a career year for Christian Vazquez. Primarily known for his defense, Vazquez showed that he had pop at the plate, hitting 23 home runs. He also tallied 72 runs batted in and hit 26 doubles. His batting average stood at .276 and his on-base percentage was .320. This was a tremendous season for the long time Red Sox catcher that is often forgot about due to the focus of his game being defense and pitch calling.
Brandon Workman- 2019
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Brandon Workman’s phenomenal 2019 season made him one of the most dominant bullpen arms in the game that year. Over 71.2 innings pitched, Workman only allowed one home run. He finished the season with a 10-1 record and an ERA of 1.88. Workman also recorded 16 saves and 104 strikeouts. However, this season has seemed to fall through the cracks as Workman was unable to repeat the success he had in 2019. Only allowing a single home run in 71.2 innings in itself is quite the feat.
Rick Porcello- 2016
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After establishing himself as solid pitcher that teams could put in the middle of their starting rotation, it came as a shock to see Rick Porcello post a 22-4 record in 2016. The career year for Porcello was good enough to earn him the American League CY Young. He finished the season with a 3.15 ERA and 189 strikeouts. Porcello also went the distance in three of his 33 starts that year. Unfortunately for Porcello, he would post a career high in losses during the 2017 season with 17. After never reaching that same level as he did in 2016, it made it hard for fans to remember that Porcello was a CY Young winner.
Jackie Bradley Jr.- 2016
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Jackie Bradley Jr. has been known as one of the best defenders in baseball. He has also been known for his struggles at the plate, making it hard to remember just how good he was in 2016. His defense has always been some of the best in the game and during this season, the offense was there to compliment it. Bradley Jr. hit 26 home runs and 30 doubles. He tallied 87 RBIs and had an on-base percentage of .349. On top of this, Bradley Jr. scored 94 runs and was named to the 2016 All-Star Game. Although his defense remained elite, his offense continued to decline after this great season.
Mike Napoli- 2013
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2013 was quite the memorable year for the Red Sox as they won the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Boston’s postseason was nothing short of iconic, making it hard to remember how the team did in the regular season. To be able to create those moments in October, the team has to make the playoffs first. Mike Napoli made sure that his team would be there in 2013, having a phenomenal year that is often forgotten. Napoli hit 23 home runs and collected 92 RBIs. He also posted an on-base percentage of .360. With more of the focus being on the playoff run, Napoli’s season tends to fall through the cracks.
