Welcome back to the Mayor’s Office, our weekly series in which Jake Wallinger sends one naughty member of Red Sox Nation to Mayor Michelle Wu’s office for discipline, public shaming, and penance as we all strive to build a stronger baseball team and city.
In a season and Red Sox tenure that began so stupendously good, it’s baffling that we’ve arrived at this point, here in late September. Signed to a 3-year/$120 million deal (with two opt-outs, but that’s another article) by the Red Sox this February, third baseman Alex Bregman was everything the team could have dreamed of through mid-August (A nasty quad injury notwithstanding). As late as August 22nd, Bregman was batting .309 with a .933 .OPS, while providing tremendous leadership and steady defense at the hot corner.
In the near month since then, Bregman has been a disaster. Slashing a paltry .156/.234/.219 for an .OPS of .452. That is almost inconceivable for a player of Alex Bregman’s pedigree. In that same timeframe, his xwOBA is .282. That is 18 points BELOW league average. I cannot stress how bad he has been for this stretch. I mean, look at those numbers.
If the .219 slugging percentage didn’t already make it clear, Bregman’s power has also been completely sapped. Totaling just three doubles and a home run in more than 100 plate appearances is nearly unheard of for Alex Bregman. Especially in a season that began with 24 doubles and 16 home runs in his first 350 plate appearances.
Of course players slump. Nobody is denying such a thing. But this goes beyond that. Bregman has been one of the very worst hitters in baseball during this stretch. For a guy with the fourth-highest average annual value in the sport, that is simply unacceptable.
Amplifying Bregman’s catastrophic slump is the timing of it all. If you weren’t aware, the Red Sox rookie phenom Roman Anthony went down with an oblique injury on September 2nd. In his absence, the hope was that veterans Trevor Story and Alex Bregman could pick up at least some of the slack and keep the team afloat. Story has certainly done his part. He’s been far and away the team’s best hitter during that stretch. But Bregman? Yeah, no.
Had this same exact slump occurred in June, or July, or even August, of course it would be problematic. But not to this extent. The Red Sox’ grip on a playoff spot loosens almost every single day, and their highest-paid player is doing essentially nothing to prevent it. It isn’t solely Bregman’s fault, virtually the entire team outside of the aforementioned Story is slumping, but when you’re one of the faces of the team, people are going to look to you.
Do I feel a little bad about sending Alex to City Hall? Yes, I do. He was a huge part of what made this season so fun to partake in as a fan. For the record, I do still believe the Red Sox should (and will) find common ground on an extension to keep Bregman in Boston for years to come. But my goodness, this stretch is going to leave a sour taste in my mouth come the off-season.
Alex Bregman, Mayor Wu will see you now.
