Finally.
The Red Sox waited until Thursday morning to announce there playoff roster. But now that it’s out there, it’s time to break it down.
Starting pitching (4):
Rick Porcello — The right-handed ace. This guy is a Cy Young contender.
David Price — The left-handed ace. His lack of postseason success is troubling though.
Clay Buchholz — The No. 2 righty. Early season struggles are behind him.
Eddie Rodriguez — The No. 2 lefty. He was sharp after the All-Star break.
Bullpen (7):
Craig Kimbrel — The closer. Lights out for most of the season, but he’s hit some bumps recently.
Koji Uehara — The setup man/B closer. He’s been sharp — and he’s there if Kimbrel fails.
Joe Kelly — The seventh inning guy. His Cy Young stuff has translated well into relief.
Brad Ziegler — The righty. This guy shuts down right-handed hitters.
Robbie Ross Jr. — The lefty. This guy shuts down left-handed hitters.
Drew Pomeranz — The long lefty. A starter for much of the season, he could eat innings in a lopsider.
Matt Barnes — The mop-up. He had a good September, but the former starter should take care of it.
Catcher (2)
Sandy Leon — The catcher. He’s not hitting well lately but man, this guy can play defense.
Christian Vazquez — The backup catcher. See above.
Infield (8)
David Ortiz (DH) — The anchor. When they say, “the heart of the order”, it’s a reference to this guy.
Hanley Ramirez (1B) — The right-handed anchor. Hanley’s really turned it around, and he mashes left-handed pitching.
Dustin Pedroia (2B) — The captain. Find a more intense player in the game. Plus he’s a .300 hitter.
Xander Bogaerts (SS) — The shortstop. Best Red Sox shortstop since Nomar, even if he cooled off a bit.
Brock Holt (3B) — The flex seal. Guy fills the hole at any position. This time, it looks like it’s third base vs. righties.
Aaron Hill (3B) — The platoon partner. Holt can’t hit lefties. Hill can.
Travis Shaw (IF) — The backup first baseman. I mean, that’s the only reason he could be here. Right?
Marco Hernandez (IF) — The pinch runner. Quintin Berry wasn’t available. Hernandez isn’t bad at the plate either.
Outfield (4)
Mookie Betts (RF) — The MVP candidate. Guy does it all.
Jackie Bradley Jr. (CF) — Poor man’s Mookie. Also does it all. Probably better defensively too. One of the best OFers in baseball.
Andrew Benintendi (LF) — The left fielder. The rookie is hitting and he’s built like Yaz.
Chris Young (LF) — The much-needed right-handed power bat off the bench. Plus, he’ll start in left vs. lefties.