<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"><table class="osdyn" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="425"><tbody><tr class="masthead_alt"><td colspan="6" bgcolor="#0F4871">MLB Standings - Updated: May 1, 2017</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="45%">AL EAST</td><td align="right" width="11%">W</td><td align="right" width="11%">L</td><td align="right" width="11%">GB</td><td align="right" width="11%">RS</td><td align="right" width="11%">RA</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Red Sox</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right">10</td><td class="active" align="right">-</td><td align="right">116</td><td align="right">90</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Orioles</td><td align="right">13</td><td align="right">13</td><td class="active" align="right">2</td><td align="right">103</td><td align="right">102</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Rays</td><td align="right">13</td><td align="right">14</td><td class="active" align="right">2.5</td><td align="right">121</td><td align="right">117</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Yankees</td><td align="right">10</td><td align="right">15</td><td class="active" align="right">4.5</td><td align="right">92</td><td align="right">107</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Blue Jays</td><td align="right">10</td><td align="right">16</td><td class="active" align="right">5</td><td align="right">99</td><td align="right">129</td></tr></tbody></table>
Notes: The Red Sox are doing enough to stay in first place, but it's still not pretty on most days. The pitching staff is trying to lead the way in the early going and the offense has been heavily dependent on Gallo's hot start.
Team Stats Leaders:
Batting Avg:
Sano, .321
Piscotty, .315
Trumbo, .311
HR:
Gallo, 11
Schwarber, 6
Sano, Trumbo, 4
RBI:
Gallo, 27
Schwarber, 16
Trumbo, Piscotty, 12
OBP:
Sano, .441
Trumbo, .400
Piscotty, .373
SLG:
Sano, .821
Gallo, .707
Schwarber, .606
SB:
DeShields, Jr, 8
Mateo, 5
Russell, Buxton, 2
ERA:
Chapman, 1.08
Walker, 2.43
Weaver, 2.52
Notes: Sano is still on very early season numbers as he's just now returned from his injury, so that makes him look like the key player. But it's really been Gallo carrying the load. Schwarber has heated up lately, which is good to see, and Piscotty has been a nice addition at the #2 spot in the lineup so far.
The speedsters have been struggling. DeShields, Jr is at least taking walks so he's getting on base decently despite batting .220, but Mateo has come out slowly as has Buxton.
Prospects and Player Development:
SP Alex Reyes is looked solid in the opening month. He's got his ERA at 3.66 and has just over 9 K/9 rate. Scouts are still waiting to see if he can keep it going, but that's an encouraging sign.
SP Carson Fulmer has blown everyone away in April as he posted a 1.50 ERA for the month with 41 Ks in 36 innings of work. Like Reyes, everyone is waiting for some more sample size, but he could leapfrog Reyes on the scouting charts if this keeps up.
Scouts are positive on catcher Gary Sanchez after the embattled prospect put up a .360 batting average in April. Scouts feel this is the start of him coming around as a hitter.
SP Ken Kojima's first month was a mixed bag. The control has been there as expected, but the results have not been as hoped. He has a 3.90 ERA and more concerning a 1.50 WHIP. Since he's not giving up many walks, it means he's getting torched for hits. That may even out, but it's a worrying sign.
SP Kodi Medeiros was strong, which is especially encouraging after his injury last season. He has a 3.38 ERA and 22 Ks in 24 innings of work. Command remains the question mark as he has 10 walks in those innings and a 1.42 WHIP. Still, a positive start for the 20-year-old.
Scouting News:
The Red Sox continue investing heavily in scouting the globe for talent. So far, here's how the team's top of the board looks like.
1. SP Hitoki Kaneko, 18 - Scouts are extremely impressed by how polished this young prospect is looking. He has an advanced repertoire and so far looks like he can show plus velocity and movement. His approach is to give hitters a diverse offering of pitches. He has five pitches, all of them sitting at different speeds and showing different break.
2. C Kevin Cervantes, 21 - Kevin is looking to be an offensive catcher that has a very strong hit tool. He looks like a possible .300+ hitter year after year. Defensively, he's good at receiving, but the arm will leave something to be desired.
3. CP Jae Kang, 22 - Jae is looking like a ready-now closer equipped with a big time rising fastball, a split that drops off the table, and the command to use them and the rest of his pitches well. For added fun, he's a switch hitter.
4. SP Bruno Ozuna, 19 - Bruno looks like the kind of kid where the whole will be greater than the sum of his parts. He doesn't look to do anything exceptional but everything he has is solid. He does show the potential for being a workhorse as well as developing a borderline plus-plus fastball if things work out for him. His injury history is a concern, however. Shoulder troubles in particular have hit him.
5. SP Luis Vazquez, 21 - Luis is an interesting pitcher. He throws with more velocity than average, reaching around 93-95 steadily with his fastball, and has a slider and curve with good movement, but somehow it doesn't translate into strikeouts. He does show good command and deception with his delivery, but that would seem to increase, not decrease, his K totals. He could develop into a good defender who is active in fielding his position.
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