September has been dismal for the Red Sox, following a similarly rough August. Not managing to sweep the struggling Chicago White Sox has become all too typical for the team recently.
Many losses have seemed like the final straw, and Sunday’s game was a clear indicator that it’s time for a fresh start, even if they’re not officially waving the white flag just yet.
Lately, the highlight for many Red Sox fans hasn’t been the games at Fenway Park but rather watching top prospects Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell excel in Triple-A. Both players have been impressive, hitting 430-foot home runs and 113 mph doubles.
It’s time to give these young players a glimpse of what next season might hold. Anthony and Campbell should be making their way from Worcester to Boston on Monday and should be in the lineup at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles.
Insider Jen McCaffrey noted that the call-up of top pitching prospect Richard Fitts to start on Sunday signaled a shift in focus, and the 7-2 loss to the struggling White Sox should only speed up this change.
“By the end of the game — despite a solid start from Fitts — it was evident that the Red Sox should start looking more towards next year,” McCaffrey said.
With a record of 72-71, the Red Sox are four games behind a playoff spot with 19 games remaining, and their postseason chances are down to 6.2%, according to ESPN. While they shouldn’t give up on making October, they need to start setting up their future stars for success.
And who says that calling up the young players means the Red Sox can’t still win some games down the stretch? Since moving up to Triple-A, Anthony has an OPS of .961, and Campbell’s is .886. They’re currently hitting better than many of the major leaguers, and the pitchers they’ll face haven’t seen them yet.
If Anthony and Campbell struggle, it won’t be their fault if Boston misses the playoffs.
But if they perform well, who knows what might happen?
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