The Boston Red Sox have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 MLB season.
Most preseason projections expected the club to be a non-factor in the playoff race, but the opposite has happened.
Boston is currently 63-44 on the year.
That’s good for second place in the American League East.
Whether it’s via a Wild Card berth or a division title, the Red Sox will almost certainly be playing postseason baseball in 2021.
Today, we’re going to break down the team’s dream lineup for the playoffs.
Batting 1st: Enrique Hernandez (OF)
Enrique Hernandez has batted leadoff for most of this season, and he figures to do the same in the playoffs.
He is having a really solid campaign and is quietly one of the most important players for this Red Sox club.
The 29-year-old is batting .251 with a 111 OPS+ and an excellent 3.6 WAR.
That WAR is already the best mark of his career, and we still have two months to go.
Batting 2nd: Xander Bogaerts (SS)
Xander Bogaerts is arguably the best shortstop in baseball, and he becomes even more valuable in the postseason.
Reason being, the 28-year-old has tons of playoff experience.
He already has two World Series titles to his name, and he is looking to make it three.
For the 2021 season, Bogaerts is batting .307 with an .891 OPS, 16 homers, and 29 doubles.
Batting 3rd: Rafael Devers (3B)
Rafael Devers is a rising superstar, and he is going to have a chance to become a household name amongst MLB fans in the 2021 playoffs.
Devers is having the best season of his career this year.
He’s slashing .288/.361/.582 with a 150 OPS+, 27 homers, 28 doubles, and a 3.9 WAR.
RAFAEL DEVERS GIVES THE RED SOX THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/eZbbqJsb7M
— Guy Boston Sports (@GuyBostonSports) July 27, 2021
Batting 4th: J.D. Martinez (DH)
J.D. Martinez remains of the best hitters in baseball in 2021.
He is slashing .285/.352/.528 with 20 homers on the year.
He has struggled a bit lately, but he still has a couple of months to iron things out before the playoffs come around.
Batting 5th: Kyle Schwarber (1B)
Kyle Schwarber‘s defensive fit remains a mystery, but right now, it seems like first base might be the most likely landing spot.
He is going to have to learn the position before anything else happens, but there is plenty of time for that.
Schwarber’s bat is going to provide a huge boost for Boston.
This season, he is slashing .253/.340/.570, giving him a .910 OPS and 151 OPS+.
He has homered 25 times in 72 games.
Batting 6th: Hunter Renfroe (OF)
Hunter Renfroe has been a huge addition for the Red Sox this season, and the team certainly hopes that his success carries over into the postseason.
He has a 106 OPS+, 16 homers, and 20 doubles on the year.
He has been on a tear lately, posting an .829 OPS with nine homers and eight doubles over his last 39 games.
He will be a key bat in the playoffs.
Batting 7th: Alex Verdugo (OF)
Alex Verdugo is becoming the face of the Red Sox, and it’s going to be a blast to watch this kid in the playoffs.
He has a slash line of .271/.340/.413 this season, giving him a .753 OPS and a solid 103 OPS+.
Those numbers might not blow you away, but Verdugo always finds a way to make game-changing plays in clutch moments,
Batting 8th: Kevin Plawecki (C)
Kevin Plawecki and Christian Vazquez will battle for this spot, but right now, Plawecki might have the edge.
He is batting .282 with a .721 OPS this season, and he has been better than Vazquez in virtually every offensive category.
That said, Vaquez is a better defensive catcher.
Ultimately, these two will likely split playing time in a series.
Batting 9th: Christian Arroyo (2B)
Christian Arroyo is the spark that every team needs at the bottom of the lineup.
Arroyo has been such a pleasant surprise this season in more ways than one.
He has been solid offensively (he has a .271 batting average and 112 OPS+), he has been great defensively (he has a 0.6 defensive WAR), and above all, he plays with infectious energy.
CHRISTIAN ARROYO WITH THE GO-AHEAD SLAM & EURO STEP. pic.twitter.com/JSp0m2kbGD
— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2021
Everyone in the locker room seems to love him, and that’s the type of player that can change everything for a team.
NEXT: Kyle Schwarber And Chris Sale May Make Red Sox Unbeatable