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.

Red Sox PC Pickups; Card Show Recap #20 Part #3

Every once in a while, I think about how fortunate I am to be a fan of the Boston Red Sox while also living in Massachusetts. 

Not only am I frequently surrounded by fellow Red Sox fans, but it's incredibly easy to purchase Red Sox cards and memorabilia when I go to Baseball card shops and shows, something that not every team collector gets to experience.

In particular, every Baseball card show that I often attend, no matter how big or small, features dealers who specifically designate certain sections of their table for Red Sox cards only. Whether it's a small stack or an entire bin, I never have much trouble finding Sox cards for my player and team collections.

Obviously, this has paid dividends over the years, for I have more Red Sox cards than that of any other team by a substantial total. Furthermore, some of my largest PCs (Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz), are Red Sox players, and I've been steadily adding to my team collection for months now. 

I don't typically set goals for myself before attending a Baseball card show, but I keep a few things in mind that I'd like to check out. Usually, I try to make a Red Sox-centric purchase in which I purchase primarily Red Sox cards from a certain dealer.

Judging by the title of this post, it's clear that I fulfilled this goal during my trip to the Shriner's show last Sunday. While I would rate the entire show as a definite success, I was pleased to make a purchase that consisted solely of Red Sox cards, especially after their 3-game sweep of the Oakland A's following their 7-3 victory earlier today.

Another one of my largest player collections, Pedro Martinez achieved gold tier status years before I created the tier system towards the end of last year. His player collection currently sits at 198 total cards, the 8th largest PC in my collection.

At the time in which I'm writing this post, I haven't updated my player collection inventory to include the cards from Sunday's show. This means that the 4 cards shown above took Pedro over the 200-card mark, making him the 8th member of the platinum tier.

All the cards except for 1 come from a time when Pedro was playing in the major leagues. By contrast, the 2019 Diamond Kings card in the top left corner is from a very recent release, honoring the 2002 Donruss DK product.

Speaking of 2019 Diamond Kings, Panini is paying tribute to a surplus of past products with this year's set, and I'm quite satisfied to find that multiple Red Sox players are included. Basically, most of the insert sets in this year's product pay homage to a past design, featuring today's stars as well as Baseball legends.

One of my favorite Baseball card products ever produced, Panini recreated the 2003 Topps 205 card with an insert set that features Mookie Betts along with some other guys I collect whose inserts I also purchased on Sunday.

On the other hand, the Ted Williams card mimics the Hall of Fame Heroes mini set that was produced during the 1980s. It would be interesting to compare today's checklist to the one from 35 years ago, for there would definitely be some new players included in the set.

I was pretty disappointed to hear that the Cleveland Indians designated Hanley Ramirez for assignment so early on in the 2019 season. While he may have driven in their first home run of the year with a moonshot against the Twins, he did little to impress following that moment.

I've always been a huge fan of Hanley Ramirez, especially during his sensational 2016 season with the Red Sox. With that being said, being DFA'd by the Indians likely makes this the end of the road for the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year.

Understandably so, neither one of these Hanley Ramirez cards, even the 2017 Topps Bunt parallel, numbered 34/99, were too expensive. I've always been a huge fan of Hanley Ramirez, and his impending retirement gives me zero reasons to stop collecting cards of a player who has achieved gold tier status as far as my PCs are concerned.

I probably paid a little too much money for these 2 refractors of Andrew Benintendi from 2018 Topps Chrome, but I feel like it's justified following his stellar 2018 season in which he hit .290 with 16 homers, 87 RBI, and even 21 stolen bases.

Topps Chrome is also a marquee product, so it makes sense that these 2 cards would cost a little more than your average non-numbered parallel. Moreover, I've never tried to complete a refractor/parallel rainbow before, and, if I ever decide to do so, Andrew Benintendi's 2018 Topps Chrome rainbow could be a relatively inexpensive way to start. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I stumbled upon a 2019 Bowman Chrome card of Michael Chavis that was already in the dime bins just 11 days after the product was initially released. Now, following his incredible start to the 2019 season, I considered it wise to add another couple of Chavis prospect cards to my collection.

Clearly, the highlight here is his 1st Bowman card from 2014 which I believe set me back only $1 or $2. It may not hold as much value as a chrome 1st Bowman card, but this card is certainly nothing to look down upon, especially if Chavis continues to blossom into a superstar slugger. 

Last week, I mentioned how the retail-exclusive green parallel of this very card was one of the best pulls from my 2019 Topps Gypsy Queen rack pack and blaster box break. Thus, when I saw the indigo parallel, numbered to 250 copies, at the show for a very fair price, I made the easy decision of purchasing this stunning card.

The image is truly unlike anything that I've ever seen before on a Baseball card, and I mean that in an amazing way. The card is incredibly unique, and I'm ecstatic that I have 2 different parallels of it. 

Even though the black and white parallels from 2019 Topps Gypsy Queen look awesome, something tells me the full-bleed colors would take away from the beauty of this card.

I doubt that Topps Finest made relic cards like the one above for all that many years, for this is the first time I've ever seen a jersey card from this product. Admittedly, the chrome cardstock and a jersey swatch aren't a traditional pairing, but I'm still a fan of this Derek Lowe relic card, especially since it only cost me $2.

Not only is the design very sleek and modern, especially for the mid-2000s, but it's hard to pass up a relic card, featuring a member of the '04 World Series team, for such a low price. 

With relics on the decline and rookie autographs becoming more desired, it's comforting to have a card like this that takes you back to the height of relic card popularity. 

Speaking of which, this could very well be one of the most beautiful relic cards that I've ever seen before in my life; I was beyond thrilled to add this no-brainer of a card to my collection, especially since it features game-used memorabilia of Red Sox legend, David Ortiz.

If I could select any of Topps' previous products to be revived, it would likely be the 2010 Topps National Chicle set. I purchased the base set from a vendor at the Baseball card show back when it was released, and the cards are downright beautiful.

I'm not a huge fan of the "C" that covers up part of the jersey relic, but everything else about the card works in tangent with the product. There are many different colors that are used, the art looks fantastic, and the blank squares adjacent to the uniform piece are a nice touch.

On the back, the card is serial numbered out of 199 copies, for it features a National Chicle back. Still, I'd choose this card hands-down even if it wasn't numbered. 

I don't have all that many David Ortiz relic cards, so this card could very well be the greatest purchase made throughout Sunday's entire show.

Frankenset Page #49

It's been almost 2 weeks since I've written one of these frankenset posts which is a little odd. I've fallen into a cycle of posting 2 frankenset pages every 10 days or so, but I've spent the last number of posts focusing on other topics. 

The new Topps Total, 2019 Bowman, and a trip to my LCS have all been topics of discussion between now and the 48th frankenset page which I wrote about on April 13th.

In terms of Baseball news, the Red Sox have gradually improved since my previous frankenset post. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays last weekend, a series that saw top prospect Michael Chavis recalled and get his first hit. They also split their 4-game stretch with the Detroit Tigers. 

Mookie's been swinging a hot bat, Porcello and E-Rod pitched respectable games. Slowly but surely, they seem to be improving. Their upcoming series, against the Rays once again, will test Boston's consistency against their division rival.

However, the most significant piece of news came a couple of days ago when it was announced that the Toronto Blue Jays would finally be recalling Vladimir Guerrero Jr to the big leagues. The #1 prospect in all of Baseball, Vladdy Jr will make his MLB debut tonight at home against the Oakland Athletics.

It's always a big deal when a highly-rated prospect makes his MLB debut, but there's something different about Vladdy Jr. Because he's the son of a Hall of Famer, he has an extraordinary legacy to carry on.

Guerrero Jr's first game is also MLB's free game of the day so anyone can watch the game for free on MLB.com. If nothing else, I'll try to catch a glimpse of his much-awaited first MLB at-bat. As of now, he'll be batting 5th and playing 3rd base during his big league debut.

Now, for something that I haven't done in quite a while; a frankenset page. This is the 49th page of my binder, and it includes cards #433-441.

#433 1997 Topps Vladimir Guerrero

How fitting is this; the day of Vladimir Guerrero Jr's debut, the frankenset page I'm posting about features a card of his father from his days in Montreal. I promise this is a mere coincidence. 

Moreover, '97 was Guerrero's first full MLB season, a year that saw him finish 6th in the NL ROY voting with a .325 average, 11 homers, and 40 RBI in just over 300 at-bats. 

After receiving limited playing time as a rookie, Guerrero would be a perennial starting player for 3 teams for the rest of his Hall of Fame career.

#434 1998 Bowman International Parallel Esteban Yan

I truly don't know why so many of my frankenset pages include a card from 1998 Bowman. While the base cards are uninteresting, the International parallel cards are a little more appealing, featuring a map of where the player is initially from on the back.

Seeing those old Devil Rays uniforms remind me of how, in real life, the Tampa Bay Rays are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. As an homage to the past, they're wearing these late 90s Devil Rays uniforms during some of their 2019 home games, including last weekend against the Red Sox.

#435 1991 Topps Kevin Maas

Any card featuring the iconic New York Yankees' pinstripes has the potential to be great, especially when paired with a classic set design like 1991 Topps. Similar to many of the cards in my frankenset, it's not the player that matters. Rather, it's the design, uniform, and everything else that encompasses the card itself.

I hadn't heard of Kevin Maas before I put together this frankenset, and I don't think I've seen a card of his since. Still, if there's one thing that Baseball cards have proven, time and time again, it's that incredible cards can be made featuring players who aren't the brightest of superstars.

#436 1990 Topps Mel Hall

Here we have back-to-back New York Yankees cards as well as consecutive cards that feature the same uniform, the memorable pinstripes. Much like the 1991 Topps card of Kevin Maas, Mel Hall's 1990 Topps card makes proper use of the iconic uniform by pairing it with a blue border and a yellow team name and box.

#437 1990 Upper Deck Charlie Hayes

I vividly remember pulling a Topps Archives Fan Favorites autograph of Charlie Hayes back in 2016 out of a hobby pack of Archives from my LCS. The card is in the 1979 Topps design and features the red-striped Phillies jersey that Mike Schmidt helped make famous, especially when Philadelphia won the Fall Classic in 1990.

Hayes played for 7 teams over the course of his 14-year MLB career, including the Phillies, Yankees, and Giants, though he was arguably most successful during his 2 years with the Colorado Rockies. He even won a ring with the Yankees in '96.

#438 1983 Topps Dave LaPoint

This is probably my favorite card of the entire page, and this wasn't a hard decision to come to. Nothing for nothing, but it's challenging to pick a favorite card when the oldest one featured is from 1983. 

Thank goodness for the powder blue uniform and the stellar set design that is 1983 Topps. Otherwise, I'm not sure which one of these cards I'd pick as my #1 choice.

#439 2005 Donruss Team Heroes Carlos Delgado

Though I've never opened a pack or purchased more than a few dime cards from this product, I've always admired the Donruss Team Heroes set, especially the 2004 edition. That year, retired players were also included, so I was able to boost some of my player collections.

Whether modern or retired players are featured, this design always looks pretty sharp, and the chosen images compliment the simple style of the cards. I especially like Carlos Delgado's card, including the action shot and the black Florida Marlins jersey.

#440 2015 Topps Denard Span

I've always recognized Denard Span's 2015 Topps card as one of the greatest cards from the entire 700-card set. For any product, that's quite a bold statement, but it means, even more, when you take into account how many colorful and intriguing cards there are in 2015 Topps.

The bright red Nationals uniform is a perfect pairing to go alongside the red border at the bottom of the card. I'm also a huge fan of the action image that was chosen; the dirt on the ground in the photo appears to be "bleeding" onto the borders of the card.

I doubt that this detail was intentional, but, nevertheless, it's a very nice touch.

#441 1990 Fleer Alvaro Espinoza

Admittedly, I think I chose a few too many New York Yankees cards for my 49th frankenset page, especially considering that I'm a huge Red Sox fan. First Kevin Maas, then Mel Hall, and finally, Alvaro Espinoza's 1990 Fleer card to close out the page.

As far as the junk wax era goes, this is a pretty nice looking card. The red frame pairs well with the Yankees road uniform, maybe more so than it would've with the home pinstripes. 

My one critique, however, is there's a lot of blank space around the red frame that could've been used more effectively, but that's more of a criticism of the set rather than the card.

Within the next few hours, history will be made as Vladimir Guerrero Jr will make his MLB debut. Like I mentioned earlier, I'll try to watch, at the very least, his first at-bat. After all, things like this don't occur every day.