MLB Notebook: A look back at a (mostly) great first month for Red Sox; Minors geared up to start

Now that the first month of the 2021 season is in the books, it seems like as good a time as any to evaluate where the Red Sox stand.

Very few would have expected the Red Sox to sport the best record in all of baseball as the calendar flipped from April to May -- especially after the season began so disastrously for them with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles.

Since those forgettable first few games, however, the Red Sox have won 17 of 24 games, and in the process, given hope that this season can be something more than an exercise in building toward some future goal.

Here's a look at what went right -- and, as important, what didn't -- through the season's first month:

BIGGEST SURPRISES

1. Starting pitching. Perhaps because the bar was set so low by the abysmal work of the rotation last season, there was nowhere to go but up here. Instead of Chris Mazza, Zack Godley and a cast of thousands, the Red Sox actually can count on having a legitimate starter every night. Whether they perform that way every turn through is another matter, but the fact is, Red Sox fans no longer have to cover their eyes when watching this rotation. Eduardo Rodriguez has fully rebounded from his lost season, a development that was by no means guaranteed. Nathan Eovaldi has pitched with a newfound aggressiveness and might finally get results commensurate with his stuff. Garrett Richards has been uneven, but has at least demonstrated an ability to make adjustments. That he's healthy is, in and of itself, no small factor. What's more, there's vastly improved depth in the likes of Tanner Houck and Matt Andriese for when the inevitable injuries hit.

2. Kiké Hernández, center fielder. When the Red Sox signed the former Dodger, it was with the announced intention that he would play mostly second base while still retaining the versatility to occasionally contribute in the outfield. Instead, for a variety of reasons, he's essentially become the everyday center fielder, he started 18 of the first 27 games in center with just five starts at second. While it could be argued that some of his value is lost by (mostly) utilizing him at one position, Hernandez has been superb in center, meanwhile, the combination of Christian Arroyo and Marwin Gonzalez have ably covered second base.

3. Matt Barnes. For the first week or, whenever he was asked who his closer was, manager Alex Cora all but began his answer with: "On the advice of counsel, I invoke my fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination and respectfully decline to answer your question.'' He was helped by the fact that it took forever for the Red Sox to actually have a save situation. When the time finally came, it was revealed that Barnes was, indeed, the Masked Closer. But no one could have foreseen the dominance he's shown. Other than a three-run homer in a non-save spot, Barnes has pitched with a newfound aggressiveness. He's thrown his fastball for strikes and even developed a third pitch (splitter). At 30, heading for free agency and eight years into his major league career, he's finally peaked.

4. Garrett Whitlock. What's the proper term to explain this rookie's first month above Double-A? Revelatory? Unprecedented? Inexplicable? A Rule 5 pick, Whitlock caught the organization's attention early in spring training with his poise and professionalism. Not once has he looked out of place in contributing out of the bullpen and his changeup, something that was refined in the spring with the help of Andriese, has become a plus weapon. Long-term, the Red Sox see him as a starting candidate; for now, he's been a delightful surprise in relief. All for $100,000 and at the expense of the Yankees.

5. The Cora Effect. Most people expected the Red Sox to show improvement solely on the basis of Alex Cora's return to the dugout. But this much? Not hardly. Cora ran a disciplined, focused spring training with extra emphasis on defense and fundamentals, and that's been evident in the play of his team through the first 27 games. Sure, there's been sloppiness here and there. But the Sox are, for the most part, more focused and prepared. They've already had more late-inning comebacks and extra-inning victories than they had all of last year. Add in the obvious camaraderie and energy, and it's clear he's had a sizeable and obvious impact.

Of course, not all is perfect, because, what fun would that be?

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

1. Bottom of the order: The Sox' lineup has been so top-heavy, it's a miracle it hasn't tipped over at times. Once you get past Rafael Devers at No. 5, -- or, more generously, Christian Vazquez at No. 6, that next step is a doozy. It's a wonder the Red Sox have the offensive ranking that they have -- they're among the leaders in virtually every significant category -- given how little production they've gotten from about 40 percent of their lineup. Together, Hunter Renfroe, Franchy Cordero, Bobby Dalbec and Gonzalez have hit just .187 with three homers in 251 at-bats. That can't continue if the Sox are going to remain contenders.

2. Kiké Hernández, leadoff hitter. As welcome as Hernandez's play in the outfield has been, he's been woeful in the leadoff spot, where he spots a .284 on-base percentage. Already having to overcome the almost non-existent contributions from the lineup's lower half, the Sox have also somehow managed to rank second in the American League in runs scored without having much of a catalyst at the top. To be fair, Hernandez is new to this assignment, and demonstrated in spring training that he could handle it (.450 OBP in 21 games). Perhaps he just needs time.

3. Lack of aggressive baserunning. Cora had publicly said he wanted his team to be more aggressive on the bases, but there hasn't been much of that yet. Boston has only 10 steals in its first 27 games, below the average figure (12) for teams in 2021. The Sox are also ranked 18th in MLB in "bases taken'' -- that is, bases advanced on actions like fly balls, wild pitches, passed balls and the like -- and as measured in extra-bases taken (more than one base on a single, more than two on a double), the Sox are at 40 percent, just below league average. It doesn't necessarily require speedy players to improve these numbers, but rather, instinctive ones. Plenty of room for improvement here.

4. Infield defense. For the most part, the Red Sox' outfield defense has been well above-average and the play at second has been excellent. Even Rafael Devers, who made three errors in the early going, hasn't hurt the team much and, as was the case both last year and the year before that, seems to have emerged from an early-season fielding slump. But as measured by Baseball Information Solutions and their Defensive Runs saved metric, the Red Sox two players in the bottom 11 of 120 qualified players in the game -- first baseman Bobby Dalbec (-5) is No. 117 and shortstop Xander Bogaerts is at No. 110. As measured by BaseballSavant, which measures outs above average, Dalbec and Bogaerts also ranked in the bottom 10 percent of defenders.

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1. 1B Tristan Casas - Portland, Double A


2. INF Jeter Downs - Worcester, Triple A


3. OF Jarren Duran - Worcester, Triple A.


4. OF Gilberto Jimenez - Salem Low A


5. P    Tanner Houck - Worcester, Triple A


6. P    Thaddeus Ward - Portland, Double A


7. P    Connor Seabold  - Worcester, Triple A


8. P    Aldo Ramirez - Salem, Low A


9. P    Jay Groome - Greenville, High A


10. INF Nick Yorke - Salem, Low A


11. C  Ronaldo Hernández - Portland, Double A


12. SS Brainer Bonaci -- Gulf Coast League, Rookie Ball.