A Look At Some Ridiculous Stats By 2018 Red Sox
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox finished off an unbelievable 2018 regular season by adding to their record-setting win total, earning victory No. 108 over the New York Yankees.
While the success of the season will depend on how Boston does in the playoffs, which gets underway for them Friday at Fenway Park, we shouldn't overlook just how phenomenally they played during the regular season. As manager Alex Cora said last week when they set a new team record for wins in a season, it's important to take a timeout and appreciate such a dominating regular season.
Before we shift our sights to the Yankees or Oakland Athletics in the ALDS, let's take a look back at some of the truly eye-popping numbers from the 2018 Red Sox.
- The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 games during the regular season and are just the 12th team since 1900 to win as many as games. They are one of just seven AL teams to ever tally that many wins.
- The 2018 Red Sox finished with the fourth-highest winning percentage (.667) in team history, the highest since the 1946 Red Sox went 104-50 (good for a .675 winning percentage).
- What a rookie season for manager Alex Cora, whose 108 wins are second-most ever for an MLB manger in his first season, trailing only Ralph Houk who won 109 games with the 1961 Yankees.
- Boston was the only team in the majors that did not lose four straight games at any point during the season. Red Sox teams have accomplished that feat just twice in franchise history: 1903 and 2013. Boston won the World Series in both of those years.
- The Red Sox offense was firing all season long, clubbing 208 homers -- the seventh-most in franchise history. Their 592 extra base hits were the most in the majors, and third-ever in team history (after 649 in 2003 and 620 in 2004).
- The Red Sox led all of baseball with a .268 average, .339 OBP and .453 slugging percentage. Their 876 runs scored and 355 doubles also led the majors.
- Mookie Betts won his first batting title with a .346 average, the highest average from a Red Sox hitter since Manny Ramirez' .349 average in 2002. Betts is the first AL batting champion since Bill Mueller in 2003 (.326) and the first Boston player to lead the majors in average since Wade Boggs did so back in 1988 with a .366 average.
- Betts is also the first player to ever win a batting title while also recording a 30/30 season, according to Elias.
- Mookie's 129 runs scored were the most by a Red Sox hitter since Dom DiMaggio scored 131 runs in 1950.
- J.D. Martinez's first season in Boston was an epic one, as he finished with a .330 batting average with 43 home runs and 130 RBIs. He is one of three Red Sox hitters to hit at least .330 with 40+ homer and 130+ RBIs, joining Ted Williams (1949) and Jimmie Foxx (1936 and 1938) in that elite group.
- Martinez's 43 dingers are the most by a Red Sox hitter in his first season, passing Dick Stuart's 42 homers in 1963. They are the most by a Sox hitter since David Ortiz set a franchise-record with 54 homers in 2006. Martinez's career-high 130 RBIs are also the most by a Red Sox hitter since Ortiz drive in 137 runs in 2006.
- We can't forget about Xander Bogaerts, who turned in a career year with 23 homers, 103 RBIs and 45 doubles. He also set career-highs with a .360 OBP and .522 slugging percentage. He also hit .342 with runners in scoring position.
- If there's anyone you want at the plate with the bases loaded, it's Bogaerts. He hit a ridiculous .600 with the bases loaded with three grand slams and three doubles. Of his 103 RBIs, 31 of them came with the bases loaded.
- Brock Holt was a pinch-hitting extraordinaire, going 5-for-13 (.385) with two homers, two doubles, a triple and seven RBIs.
- Craig Kimbrel finished the season with 42 saves, the fifth time in his career he's saved 40 or more games.
