The Red Sox's Biggest Surprises of 2019 So Far

With 1/4 of the 2019 MLB season already in the books, there have been plenty of surprises involving individual players as well as entire teams. 

Guys like Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich are performing at an unprecedented level while Bryce Harper and Vladimir Guerrero Jr seem to be overhyped given their current stats.

While I can't say that I've been following every aspect of the game, I've seen enough to know that the first 40 or so games of the 2019 season have been interesting. We've already seen a no-hitter, #2 in the career of Mike Fiers, and there have been numerous no-hit bids by guys like Chris Sale and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Defensive wizards like Jackie Bradley Jr and Ramon Laureano have established themselves as Gold Glove candidates with their spectacular plays in CF while, at the plate, Eddie Rosario and Mitch Moreland cracked the top 5 in home runs.

Granted, it's still quite early in the season, but I've enjoyed witnessing all these surprise performances throughout Baseball. Although I'm a little biased, I've noticed an unexpected number of surprises by the Boston Red Sox team and their players.

Through the first month and a half of the season, the Red Sox have seen their fair share of positive and negative moments. Their recent 3-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners gives me an idea on how the team, as a whole, has been performing as of late.

Things could certainly change, but, as of now, there have been numerous surprises related to the Boston Red Sox team, both ups, and downs. Today, I'll be assessing the most unexpected moments from their season thus far.

Everything Michael Chavis

Truth be told, nearly everything about Michael Chavis so far in 2019 has been a shock, for I didn't expect the power hitting 23-year old to be called up until September of this year. However, Boston was forced to recall their #2 prospect when Dustin Pedroia, Eduardo Nunez, and Brock Holt found themselves on the injured list. So far, he hasn't disappointed.

In addition to being a respectable 1st, 2nd, and 3rd baseman, Chavis has established himself as one of the Sox's best power hitters despite only having 71 at-bats. He's already launched 6 dingers, including the 3 longest Red Sox homers so far this year.

Not only that, but Chavis has proven himself to be more than just a power hitter. Yesterday, during Boston's 11-2 victory over Seattle, he drove in 5 runs, all on singles.

Rafael Devers' batting average

If the 2019 MLB season ended today, Rafael Devers would be crowned the AL Batting King with his remarkable .336 average through 149 at-bats. Needless to say, he's come a long way from his .240 average during his first full season in 2018. 

Even though Devers will most likely be unable to maintain this spectacular batting average, the 22-year old has proven that he can hit for contact, not just for power. Though he only has 2 home runs, he's already driven in 21 runs and has had numerous multi-hit games over the last couple of weeks. 

He's also done a reasonable job of avoiding the strikeout; he only has 24 so far in 2019. On the contrary, he's been racking up doubles, (12) at a much higher rate.

Christian Vazquez's offense and defense

It still baffles me as to why the Red Sox decided to DFA Blake Swihart and recall Sandy Leon, a liability as far as offense is concerned. Yes, Leon hit a home run last Saturday, but that's something that Christian Vazquez has been doing all season. 

The 28-year old is hitting .278 with 5 homers and 14 RBI through only 97 at-bats. The decision to call-up Leon baffles me, for Vazquez is an equally strong defensive catcher with far better offensive production. 

If it were up to me, Vazquez would be Boston's primary catcher with Leon catching only when the former is injured or resting. Only then can Vazquez reach his full potential at and behind the plate.

Mitch Moreland's 12 home runs

Against all odds, 1st baseman Mitch Moreland is leading the Boston Red Sox with 12 home runs, and it's not even close between him and his teammates; the Betts, Bogaerts, and Martinez are all tied for 2nd place on the team leaderboard with 7 apiece.

Though his .231 batting average needs some work, I think that Red Sox fans will be more than willing to forgive that stat given the 33-year old's 29 RBI in addition to his 12 moonshots. His nickname, Mitchy 2-bags, may no longer apply, for he has twice as many dingers as he does doubles.

Like Devers and his batting average, I'm not expecting Moreland to continue hitting home runs at this rate. However, he's 3 away from matching his total from 2018 with less than 1/3 of his at-bat total from last season, so there's definitely something to be said for that.

Chris Sale's 1-5 record

Obviously, given the Red Sox's shaky start, to put it mildly, to the 2019 season, it hasn't been easy for the defending World Series Champions to get back to their winning ways. Part of this is due to Chris Sale's 1-5 record, something I don't think anyone expected out of Boston's ace.

After signing an extension to remain in Boston for 5 more years, Sale started the year 0-5. Part of his struggles stemmed from his lack of command and velocity. Other times, Boston failed to score runs for the left-hander, like his last start when he struck out 14 batters through 8 innings and finished with a no-decision.

The Red Sox's Entire Season

Although a .537 winning percentage at this point in the season is nothing to sneeze at, Boston's journey towards their current 21-19 record, as I mentioned earlier, hasn't been easy. Everyone has struggled, from young reliever Colton Brewer to the reigning AL MVP Mookie Betts. 

Their first few weeks were especially troubling as the Red Sox found themselves stuck in 5th place in the AL East. Through patience, hard work, and sheer determination, the Red Sox have fought their way back.

Only time will tell what will happen next for the Boston Red Sox and all the individual players. However, all I can hope is that they continue to improve and be successful and that the remaining 3/4 of the 2019 MLB season is full of as many positive surprises as the first month and a half.