McAdam: Red Sox First-half Report Card - Much improvement needed

If these were, say, homework assignments or term papers rather than report cards, let's just say that the Red Sox would be getting a lot of "See me'' comments written in red ink.

Assessing the work of the roster and the brain trust through 90 games:

POSITION PLAYERS

Mitch Moreland: Moreland has been sidelined long enough to almost make it easy to forget how much he contributed over the first two months. He singlehandedly won a few games in the early going and delivered run production if not much in the way of batting average and was leading the team in homers when he was placed on the IL with a calf strain. B

Steve Pearce: The start of his season was delayed by one injury and the last few weeks have been interrupted by back issues. In between, Pearce was a massive disappointment, delivering just five extra-base hits in 99 plate appearances and a .503 OPS. His .300 slugging percent against LHP is mystifying. F



Michael Chavis: One of few pleasant surprises of the first half, Chavis emerged (almost) out of nowhere and proved invaluable at second when injuries struck, then moved to first when both Moreland and Pearce were laid up. He's been streaky and susceptible to good fastballs up in the zone, but he also has emerged as a legitimate ROY candidate and has played better than expected at two positions -- neither of which he had played much. A-

Brock Holt: In his absence -- first from an eye injury, then a shoulder problem -- his value was never more obvious. When he finally rejoined the active roster after missing almost two months, he immediately provided a spark. His production has leveled off some since then and he's not driving the ball much (.406 slugging). But there's no denying his versatility and the energy he brings. B

Eduardo Nunez: Nunez vowed that he was finally healthy this spring and that's evident in his range in the field and speed. But it hasn't translated to better production. Nunez has been pretty much a non-factor in the first half. D

Xander Bogaerts: Maybe it was the security that his extension, finalized in the first week of the season, brought him. Or maybe it's just the natural progression for a player just now coming into his prime. But he's been not only the most consistent player in the first half, but very likely the most valuable. A

Rafael Devers: Watching Devers now, it's hard to imagine how little he contributes in the first month. He had no homers in the first 32 games and a paltry three RBI in the first 24. But as if making up for lost time, he's been the Red Sox best hitter since early May. And his defense, once a liability, has improved markedly since then. A-

Marco Hernandez: If you're looking for a feel-good story on this year's team, here it is. Hernandez has battled back from three shoulder procedures to make good on his promise as a quality offensive infielder. He's had two of the most memorable homers of the season off the bench. A-

Christian Vazquez: Credit should go to Vazquez for the huge leaps in his offensively game. He's hit more homers this year than in his previous four seasons combined and his .299/.332/.520 speaks his offensive growth. And he still throws well, too, nabbing 37 percent of base stealers. But it's impossible to ignore the falloff in his receiving, his lack of focus at times and the whispers about his game-calling. B

Sandy Leon: Designated for assignment on the eve of the opener only to be summoned weeks later when the pitching staff was going off the rails, Leon has delivered his usual stellar play behind the plate, a master of blocking pitches in the dirt and guiding pitchers through rough spots. But the offense, while marginally better than a year ago, is still virtually non-existent. D

J.D. Martinez: Martinez turned in a very good -- but not great -- first half. Perhaps it's unfair to expect him to repeat -- or even approximate -- his 2018 season, but there's been a drop-off. His .226 average in late-and-close situations speaks to that. B+

Andrew Benintendi: Benintendi has been enigmatic in the first half. He failed to take to the leadoff spot, forcing Alex Cora to revert to last year's lineup configuration. He wasn't much better in the No 2 spot, and hasn't driven the ball to left the way he did at times in the past. C-

Jackie Bradley Jr. Where have we seen this before -- a horrendous start, followed by a hellacious streak at the plate. The hope was that the inconsistency would be a thing of the past, but it didn't work out that way. Throughout, there have been the requisite number of jaw-dropping plays, though some occasional sloppiness has been evident, too. C-

Mookie Betts: No single player has more typified the first-half disappointment of the team than Betts. Yes, he gets on base, scores runs and plays a peerless right field. But where's the thunder? The impact? For answers start with the impossible-to-explain .216/.337/.307 slash line against LHP. B

INC: Blake Swihart, Dustin Pedroia, Sam Travis, Tzu-Wei Lin.

PITCHERS

Chris Sale: If Betts is the poster child for underperformance among position players for the first half, then Sale represents the starting rotation in the same manner. Sure, he got cheated out of some wins and has shown flashes of dominance. But the walks up, and so are the homers and WHIP. He's not hurt; he's just having an off-year (so far). C

David Price: Other than one stinker against Texas, Price has been the model of consistency. Easily the most dependable starter this season, it does seem as though his bust-out postseason has freed him and enabled him to pitch with more assuredness and confidence. B+

Rick Porcello: As ever, competitive and accountable and capable of big outings but with nowhere near the consistency the Sox had hoped for. Is his uncertain future weighing on him? Whatever the reason, his last three starts before the break weren't competitive; maybe the break will do wonders. D+

Eduardo Rodriguez: He's been, to the surprise of many, the second-most consistent starter and on a number of occasions, has answered the bell when the Sox have needed deeper outings following bullpen-heavy games. He's done less nibbling this year than in the past, but the ERA (.465) and WHIP (1.344) are what they are. Please, no more "just-wait-this-is-the-year'' talk. C

Hector Velazquez: His season has been interrupted a few times with injury. He's been just OK in relief, and a major failure stepping into the rotation. F

Colten Brewer: The Red Sox treated Brewer's acquisition from San Diego as their stealth pickup of the off-season, but he hasn't shown much. It's hard to be a successful major league reliever with a 5.9 walk-per-nine-inning rate. D+

Brandon Workman: On the one hand, he's limited hitters to a microscopic .107 batting average and given up one homer to the 162 batters faced. On the other hand, he's walked an average of 6.2 batters per nine. The best performing reliever this season, which, admittedly, is the official definition of "damning with faint praise.'' B+

Heath Hembree: Hembree started slowly, then turned it on in May and early June before going on IL with a forearm injury. You get the sense that the Sox will lean heavily in the second half. Is he up for the responsibility? B

Matt Barnes: He actually pitched pretty well in April and May as the Red Sox were trying to figure out this remade bullpen arrangement, but the workload got to him in June when he face-planted (9.69 ERA; 2.00 WHIP; .816 OPS). He's been better since London and that will need to continue if the Sox are going to do anything in the second half. C-

Marcus Walden: For a time, he was the feel-good story in the bullpen, showing evidence that he was going to be this year's Ryan Brasier. But then came the reckoning and he's been perfectly mediocre for the last month. Which way does he go from here? C+

Ryan Brasier: Brasier's spring training was limited by injuries and he didn't seem ready at the start of the season. He's been streaky as can be and has yet to fully demonstrate that last year's magical half-season wasn't a fluke. C

Tyler Thornburg: Give Thornburg credit for continuing to try to work back from the surgery he underwent in 2017, but he stands as a cautionary tale: unlike, say, Tommy John surgery, this is one more example that there are no guaranteed after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. F

INC: Brian Johnson; Ryan Weber; Josh Smith; Josh Taylor; Mike Shawaryn; Darwinzon Hernandez; Travis Lakins; Steven Wright; Bobby Poyner; Trevor Kelley; Erasmo Ramirez

BRAIN TRUST

Alex Cora: Cora must be held responsible for the poor performance of the rotation in the first month of the season after his spring training plan backfired. Also, he made the wrong call on the catchers at the start of the year and his idea to flip Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi in the batting order backfired. On the positive side, he's done his best to provide a steady leadership hand and avoid a sense of panic. He survived the first real challenge in his managerial career; now the question becomes: can he do enough to help the team overcome an underachieving first half? C

Dave Dombrowski: Dombrowski's biggest test will come between now and the end of the month as he attempts to address his club's pitching needs, so assigning him a grade now seems premature. But if he's to be assessed back on his off-season, well, he did next-to-nothing to replace the innings of Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly and failed to procure adequate starting pitching depth. And that Eovaldi contract, early as it might be, is not looking good. D-