McAdam: Infield defense has been yet one more problem for Red Sox

Owners of the worst record in the American League, there have been plenty of culprits during the first month of play for the Red Sox.

The starting pitching has been the most blatant problem area. The Red Sox have two quality starts through the first 23 games, and going into Monday's action, the rotation had a ghastly 7.13 ERA.

On the few occasions when their starters have given them a chance to stay in games, the Sox offense has been punchless, ranked ninth in runs scored and 11th in OPS.

But a somewhat less obvious weakness has been the team's infield defense. It's bad enough that the Sox went into Monday with the most number of errors in the American League (21) and the worst team fielding percentage (.973). Of the 21 Sox errors, all but three have committed by members of the infield.

But a deeper dive into defensive metrics reveals just how poorly the infield has performed.



According to Sports Info Solutions, the Red Sox as a team are dead last in defensive runs saved with -13. They also rank dead last at second base (-5) and third base (-5) while ranking next to last at shortstop (-3).

Broken down into individual players, the news get worst still. Rafael Devers, who leads the Sox with seven errors, is dead last among 93 third basemen in the majors with -4.  At second base, Jose Peraza is tied for last (a five-way jumble at No. 91) among all second basemen at -3.

Xander Bogaerts, who had committed just one error, was nonetheless ranked -- you guessed it -- dead list among all shortstops at No. 78, with a -5.

(The picture is far brighter in the outfield, where two newcomers are ranked near the top. Alex Verdugo is tied for first at +3 in left field, while Kevin Pillar is ranked fifth among right fielders with a +2. Using a newer metric, outs above average, Jackie Bradley Jr. is tied for the A.L. lead with four.)

But the infield has resembled a sieve when it comes to getting to balls ticketed for the outfield and has been deficient in turning balls in play into outs. For a team with an over-matched pitching staff, that's one more contributing factor in the Red Sox' struggles.

"We looked at some of the numbers and number-wise, we're not getting ground ball outs like we should, or like the rest of the league is,'' confirmed Ron Roenicke. "We're last in that category. I'm hoping that's just unlucky. A lot (of groundballs have) gone through. We've been looking at the defense and how we line up and seeing if there's better ways to line up.

"But so far, on batted-balls in play, (opposing hitters) are hitting like .350-something, which is extremely high. I would think that some of that has to be luck.''

Roenicke concedes some of the problems could be linked to the team's infield shifts. In the past, the Sox consistently shifted against lefthanded hitters, but this year, they've begun to shift on some righties, too. There have been times this season when opponents have beaten the shift by driving balls through openings for base hits.

"Yes, it definitely could have something to do with that,'' he said. "When you shift, we've seen some players try to hit the ball the other way and have been successful at it. It doesn't happen a lot, but we have seen it happen to us. But we've talked about the shifting -- how much we should shift and how much maybe we shouldn't shift. We're looking at all that, obviously trying to get as many outs as we can and not have our pitchers have to pitch to too many extra batters.''

Beyond debate over the merits of shifting, the Sox have too often been sloppy. Most of the errors made by Devers, for instance -- including three in one particularly rough game against Tampa Bay on the last homestand -- made three throwing errors, all on relatively routine plays.

But there are other problems too, including a lack of range. While Bogaerts has become more sure-handed each year and can be counted on to make the plays on balls hit directly at him, his range is decidedly below average.

As for Peraza, who arrived with the reputation as a plus defender, his play has been anything but. True, two of his errors came while playing third base, not his primary position. But he's also committed three at second base and shown little ability to get to ball there -- either to his left or right.

The failures of the pitching staff cannot, in some instances, be placed on the defense. Boston pitchers have allowed 34 home runs, more than any other team in the American League. No amount of brilliant glove work is going to keep the ball in the ballpark.

But for pitchers seeking a sense of equilibrium on the mound, the last thing they need is an infield unable to convert outs and prevent additional baserunners.