Boston, MA
The 2023 Red Sox: By the numbers
Baseball is a numbers game. It has always been a numbers game.
Number of games played, homers hit, runs driven in, strikeouts, walks. Wins and losses. Averages and percentages. Single-season and career statistics. Record highs and personal worsts.
That’s not even getting into the advanced metrics of the modern era.
One stat alone won’t tell the full story. In 2023, the Red Sox finished 78-84, in last place for the third time in four seasons. But their record belies how great they were at times, on both individual and collective levels.
To truly understand this team, why they flourished, faltered, and how they ultimately failed, one must examine the numbers behind the numbers. So, one last time before the calendar page mercifully flips to a new year and clean slate, here are the 2023 Red Sox by the numbers:
Record and records
Here’s an odd bit of trivia: this was the ninth season in which the Red Sox won exactly 78 games, but only the sixth time they also finished with exactly 84 losses. The 1905, 1911, and 1935 teams each compiled 78 wins, but only 74 or 75 losses, making them three winning seasons.
Also hidden within their record were some unfortunate firsts. Among them, an early September contest which became the first 9-inning loss in franchise history in which the Red Sox collected at least 21 hits.
For the third year running, the Red Sox led all Major League teams in doubles (339). Excluding the shortened 2020 season, that streak goes back to 2018. They were second in the game in batting average on balls in play (BABIP), and ranked sixth in batting average (.258) and ninth in slugging percentage (.424). They were fourth in hits (1,437), 11th in runs (772) and RBI (734), but a lack of power left them 18th in homers (182). They were a respectable 13th in strikeouts (1,372), but didn’t draw nearly enough walks (24th, 486), and left 1,117 men on base, 12th-most in the Majors.
What really did them in, though, was starting pitching or lack thereof. With an all-too-familiar dearth of durability in the rotation, 17 different pitchers cobbled together starts for Boston in 2023. Quality starts – at least six innings, no more than three earned runs – were few and far between. There were 47 of them this year, an improvement of exactly one over last year’s mark. In fact, the last four seasons have yielded the club’s lowest quality-start counts of the Live Ball Era, which began in 1920.
However, Kutter Crawford made franchise history as the first pitcher to record as many as four games of at least six innings pitched and one hit allowed in a single season. He and National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell led the Majors with four such outings apiece.
Speaking of Cy Young awards, relievers aren’t typically in the conversation – the last bullpen arm to take home the prestigious pitching accolade was Eric Gagne with the Dodgers in ‘03 – but Chris Martin received a fifth-place vote this year, and finished 12th overall for AL Cy Young. He posted a 1.05 ERA over 55 appearances for Boston this season, and consistently carried the later inning workload for almost the entire season.
Justin Turner spent his age-38 season doing things the David Ortiz way. He joined Ortiz and Bob Johnson as the only Red Sox players to drive in 96 or more runs in a single season at 38 or older.
And how many rookie-eligible players have drawn 70 or more walks in a single season? Triston Casas just became the sixth in franchise history. He did so in 132 games, second only to Billy Goodman’s 1948 season, when he walked 74 times in 127 contests. Casas also became the fifth Red Sox rookie under 24 years old to homer at least 24 times in a single season, and the first since Nomar Garciaparra in 1997.
Debuts
Thanks to a replenished farm system, when the Red Sox needed reinforcements, they were able to call up some high-caliber talent. Eight players made their major league debuts in the following order: Masataka Yoshida, Enmanuel Valdez, Chris Murphy, Joe Jacques, David Hamilton, Brandon Walter, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela.
The farm system, meanwhile, improved to No. 5 in Baseball America’s organizational rankings, and No. 2 in FanGraphs’.
Memorable Milestones
In May, Kenley Jansen became the seventh pitcher in MLB history to convert 400 saves. Two weeks later, former Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel joined him in the club. Oddly enough, both picked up No. 400 in Atlanta, against a team they both played for previously.
Devers reached and promptly blew past 150 career home runs, 200 career doubles, and 500 career RBI. With his 400th career extra-base hit in mid-September, he became the first player in franchise history to reach the mark before turning 27. (Ted Williams would’ve done it, if not for his three years of military service in World War II.)
Adam Duvall passed the 400 career runs and 500 career RBI marks, and Justin Turner reached 300 doubles. Before getting traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kiké Hernández picked up career home run No. 100.
Payroll
Last, but certainly not least, the bottom line.
Last December, Chaim Bloom gave Masataka Yoshida a five-year contract for $90 million, the largest ever for a Japanese position player. Then, in January, Devers signed a franchise-record 10-year contract extension worth $313.5 million, far surpassing the previous record: the seven-year, $217M they gave David Price in 2015.
However, overall spending headed in the opposite direction. After finishing in last place with a payroll over the Competitive Balance Threshold in 2022, the Red Sox reset their penalties this year. Despite vocal pleas from their players to bring in reinforcements before the midsummer trade deadline, the brass stood pat. According to Spotrac, Boston finished the season with just under $222.5 million in luxury tax spending, leaving over $10 million in space. That put them 12th in the league in spending.
While the Red Sox came under fire for scrimping, it’s worth pointing out that the three top spenders this year, the Mets ($374.6M), Yankees ($296.3M), and Padres ($291.2M), all missed the postseason, too.
Boston, MA
Billion-dollar tech firm stands by disgraced CEO exposed for frequenting high-end brothel in Boston
The CEO of a top wastewater treatment firm allegedly paid for sex at high-end brothels and the company has defended him, while reiterating a muddled promise of excellence in public remarks amid controversy.
Gradient, a clean water startup, presented a firm but befuddling defense for Chief Executive Anurag Bajpayee after he was arrested during a prostitution sting in early 2025.
Dozens of men, Bajpayee included, were arrested in the Boston area on misdemeanor charges. They were named in court documents last month, accusing them all of paying hundreds of dollars per hour for sex and a “girlfriend experience” with predominantly Asian women being exploited through sex trafficking, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Gradient has since asserted that they are placing trust in the judicial process — and their own company.
“We believe in the justice system and are confident that this will resolve favorably in due course. Unrelated to this, Gradiant will continue to pursue excellence in technological innovation and to strive towards our mission to ensure clean water for all society,” the company wrote in a statement to the Journal.
Bajpayee previously stood as a celebrated leader in water treatment technology and was even credited in Scientific American’s annual Top 10 World-Changing Ideas list.
Many of the other men arrested lack the apparent support that Gradient placed behind Bajpayee.
Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner, a married lawmaker, is included in the court documents and faces the same allegations as Bajpayee.
He has received overwhelming calls to resign even after releasing an apology specifically addressed to his loved ones.
“I caused pain for the people I care about most. For that, I will be forever sorry. This is an ongoing legal matter, and I will not have further comment at this time,” Toner said.
Other elites on the list include “rich and powerful” clientele ranging from high-level government contractors to professors, prosecutors said. The brothel even offered a monthly membership to its most frequent visitors, prosecutors said.
All the accused allegedly frequented a brothel ring based out of six luxury apartments in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass. and Washington, D.C. suburbs.
General Manager Craig Breslow has added another prospect to the Boston Red Sox farm system in Yophery Rodriguez. Boston dealt more-established prospect Quinn Priester to Milwaukee, also getting a 2025 Competitive Balance Round A draft pick (No. 33 overall) and a player to be named from the Brewers.
DENVER: Quinn Priester, at the time a Pittsburgh Pirates prospect, pitches in the Futures Game at … More
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Priester, 24, will join the Brewers when they open a series at Colorado on Tuesday night. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, right-handed reliever Grant Wolfram was designated for assignment.
Milwaukee GM Matt Arnold made the deal to get a young pitcher for an injury-wrecked rotation. The Brewers currently have eight pitchers on the injured list:
LHP Aaron Ashby, strained right oblique, expected to try a bullpen session late this week, then go on rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville.
RHP Aaron Civale, left hamstring, out until late April.
LHP Nestor Cortes, left elbow flexor strain, went to 15-day IL on Sunday
LHP Robert Gasser, Tommy John Surgery last June 4, out until September.
LHP DL Hall, strained left lat, on 60-day IL since March 5, not expected back until May.
RHP Nick Mears, illness, currently on rehab assignment with Nashville.
RHP Tobias Myers, strained left oblique, expected to start rehab at Nashville this week.
MILWAUKEE: Brandon Woodruff of the Milwaukee Brewers is doused by teammates after pitching a … More
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RHP Brandon Woodruff, right shoulder surgery in October 2023, expected to start rehab assignment at Nashville soon and possibly return in May.
Right-hander Freddy Peralta is the only healthy member of manager Pat Murphy’s planned rotation. The Brewers (5-5) are 14th in the national League in earned run average (5.97). They were second in 2024 with a 3.65 ERA.
Priester’s Problems
Priester was regarded as one of the top high-school prospects in the nation in 2019 when the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him 18th overall and signed him for $3.4 million. He missed all of 2020 as the minor leagues were shut down by Covid.
The right-hander made his MLB debut in July 2023 at age 22. His four-pitch mix that played so well in the minors has been hit hard in 21 games in the majors, however. He has a 6-9 record and lofty 6.23 ERA.
BRADENTON, FL: Quinn Priester of the Boston Red Sox pitches in a spring training game against the … More
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Priester was dealt to Boston at the 2024 trading deadline for infielder Nick Yorke, the 17th overall pick in 2020.
Scouts like Priester’s sinking two-seam fastball that gets ground-ball outs. He also has a mid-90s fastball, mid-80s slider and an upper 70-mph curve that is considered his best pitch. Throwing them all for strikes has been a concern. He has 41 walks in 99 2/3 MLB innings.
Rodriguez’s Red Sox Role
The 19-year-old outfielder is now Boston’s 11th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-1 lefty plays all three spots in the outfield and seems best suited to right field with a good, accurate arm. He doesn’t have one outstanding tool yet scouts consider him above average in all aspects of the game.
PHOENIX: Yophery Rodriguez of the Milwaukee Brewers hits an RBI single in a Spring Breakout game … More
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Milwaukee signed him for $1.5 million at age 17 in 2023 out of the Dominican Republic. “If I had to sum up his game in one word, it’s discipline,” Brewers manager of international scouting and player personnel James Armstrong back then. “It feels like every action with him is very deliberate. He takes his craft very seriously.”
When You Need Pitching …
Twenty-five years ago, the Cleveland Indians were desperate for pitching at the 2000 trading deadline. They made a blockbuster deal with the Brewers to acquire closer Bob Wickman and starters Jason Bere and Steve Woodard. Milwaukee got minor-league infielder Marco Scutaro, minor-league pitchers Kane Davis and Paul Rigdon and 25-year-old slugger Richie Sexson.
MILWAUKEE: Richie Sexson of the MIlwaukee Brewers is congratulated by teammates after scoring … More
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Cleveland had a 52-49 record at the time and went 38-23 after the deal to finish 90-72. It wasn’t enough to make the playoffs, ending a run of five straight post-season trips. Bere went 6-3, Woodard 3-3 and Wickman got 14 saves. Only Wickman continued to help Cleveland, totaling 139 saves over six seasons.
Scutaro never played for Milwaukee, though he did help six other clubs through 2014. Kane and Rigdon never did much after the deal.
Sexson was tremendous for the Brewers, hitting .276 with 133 homers and 398 RBI over 534 games in a Milwaukee uniform.
The Future Of This Deal
The Brewers need instant impact from Priester to help them gain a playoff berth for the third year in a row and seventh time in eight seasons.
The Red Sox have second baseman Kristian Campbell (ranked No. 6 overall by MLB Pipeline) already an early candidate for 2025 AL Rookie of the Year honors. They will work with Rodriguez and hope he joins other top prospects such as Roman Anthony (No. 2), Marcelo Mayer and Franklin Arias (No. 73) already listed in the top 100.
Yophery Rodriguez will not be another Richie Sexson. His potential added to the plentiful Boston Red Sox farm system, however, makes the organization even stronger down the line.
Boston Celtics (58-20, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (50-28, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: New York will try to keep its three-game home win streak alive when the Knicks play Boston.
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The Knicks are 11-3 against division opponents. New York ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference with 15.8 fast break points per game led by OG Anunoby averaging 3.4.
The Celtics are 36-12 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston ranks sixth in the league with 45.3 rebounds per game led by Jayson Tatum averaging 8.7.
The Knicks make 48.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 3.6 percentage points higher than the Celtics have allowed to their opponents (45.2%). The Celtics are shooting 46.3% from the field, 1.0% lower than the 47.3% the Knicks’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 24.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Knicks. Anunoby is averaging 27.6 points over the last 10 games.
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Jaylen Brown is averaging 22.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Celtics. Derrick White is averaging 14.8 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 7-3, averaging 113.0 points, 41.1 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 8.8 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.5 points per game.
Celtics: 9-1, averaging 118.7 points, 48.9 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 5.8 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 103.9 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Ariel Hukporti: out (knee).
Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (ankle), Kristaps Porzingis: out (illness).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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