2023 Red Sox 40-Man Roster Rundown: Part II (Corey Kluber, Kenley Jansen, Kiké Hernandez and More!)
Continuing a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the Red Sox 40-man roster.
As the 2023 Boston Red Sox season nears, I’m continuing my look at all members of the Red Sox 40-man roster. Here’s Part One, where I covered Wilyer Abreu through Rafael Devers.
I’m looking at the whole 40-man alphabetically and pointing out what each player does well, and what they need to work on for success in the 2023 season.
Let’s get to it!
Jarren Duran
What He Does Well: In the minors, Duran has consistently hit and can put the ball over the fence. He’s incredibly fast and can at least play all three OF spots. Duran showed up to Fort Myers in 2023 in phenomenal shape and with a new swing. He opened his try for an active roster spot going 3-for-6 with a HR before departing for the World Baseball Classic.
What He Needs to Work On: Duran has been a massive disappointment in MLB to date, with questions about his defensive aptitude, baseball instincts and effort level. The emergence of Raimel Tapia has put his chance at an active roster spot in jeopardy. He’ll need to keep his play up after the WBC to avoid a return to Worcester.
Adam Duvall
What He Does Well: Duvall mashes, and his spray chart indicates righty pull power built for Fenway. In 2021 he launched 38 HRs and was a key cog for the World Champion Atlanta Braves. To boot, he won a Gold Glove while playing all three OF spots. He fills a major power and defense gap for the Sox with Trevor Story sidelined.
What He Needs to Work On: One word: strikeouts. He’s got a career 28.5% K rate and was well above that in 86 games in 2022 at 32.1%. Duvall isn’t suddenly turning into prime Tony Gwynn—Ks are part of the deal. But, getting him closer to his career mark could make a huge difference in his value to the Sox. He also needs to show he can handle full-season CF duties if needed.
David Hamilton
What He Does Well: Hamilton swipes bags, full stop. That’s his calling card, and what’ll get him in MLB as soon as 2023. He set the Sox single-season franchise record for SBs with 70 in 2022 and was only caught eight times all year. Hamilton’s got pop, too. He’s defensively versatile, capable of playing both OF and middle IF roles.
What He Needs to Work On: As good as Hamilton is at stealing bases, he struggles at actually getting on base. His .338 OBP in Portland in 2022 isn’t good enough for someone whose value is derived from his legs. Ian Cundall of SoxProspects.com recently noted Hamilton’s flyball rate of 48.8% in 2022 is way too high for someone of his specific talents. If he hits the ball on the ground, good things will happen.
Kiké Hernandez
What He Does Well: I don’t care much for the “leadership” discussion around Hernandez—that stuff will work itself out organically. On the field, Hernandez’s versatility is invaluable. Signing him to a one-year extension last summer paid huge dividends as the Sox had flexibility to move him from CF to SS to accommodate other transactions.
What He Needs to Work On: Hernandez looks fine in the field, even if he’s going to play SS most days. But when he did play in an injury-riddled 2022 season, he struggled at the plate. We may never get the 2021 playoff version of Hernandez over a full season, but he needs to prove his 2022 performance was due to injury and not a downward career trend.
Tanner Houck
What He Does Well: Nothing seems to get to Houck on the mound—Dennis Eckersley bestowed the nickname “Cool Hand Luke” on him for a reason. That calm demeanor made him a natural fit for the closer role, which he handled well in 2022 before injury ended his season. Houck gets guys out with a nasty slider and a sinker that’s similarly tough to hit.
What He Needs to Work On: The Sox seem committed to giving Houck every opportunity to be a starter, but his inability to get lefties out (he allowed a .376 OBP to them in 2022) will limit his viability in that role. His splitter has shown flashes as an out-pitch against lefties. That must come along for him, regardless of his role. Another obvious point for Houck is health after his 2022 back injury.
Kenley Jansen
What He Does Well: Getting saves and locking down wins—Jansen is one of the best in history at that. He’s 8th all-time in MLB saves, to go along with a sterling 2.20 ERA and 94 Ks in 65.1 postseason innings. He’s in Boston to stabilize a bullpen that badly needed it coming off a terrible 2022 season for the Sox group, and he should make Alex Cora’s life easier as a result.
What He Needs to Work On: A huge knock on Jansen coming in 2023 was his slow pace on the mound, but so far in spring training it’s barely been an issue. He’s pitched well and has one pitch clock violation as of this writing. Jansen remains a top closer even if he’s past his peak, but giving up barreled balls and walks are things to watch.
Zack Kelly
What He Does Well: Kelly was a top performer for Worcester in 2022, striking out 72 and allowing just 2 HRs in 42.2 IP. He came up Aug. 29 and looked decent the rest of the way, striking out 11 in 13.2 IPs, with a few clunker outings in there. Kelly’s strength is the separation between his hard 95 mph heat and deceptive 82 mph changeup.
What He Needs to Work On: Kelly has a shot to break camp with the Sox due to injuries but may not be long for the roster once others return. He figures to take a few drives on the Mass Pike between Worcester and Boston in 2023, and in the interim he needs to cut down walks and hard contact—standard fare for a young reliever.
Corey Kluber
What He Does Well: No one should expect Kluber to be the world-beating ace who won two Cy Youngs in the 2010s. But he’s re-made himself following numerous injuries into a veteran who’ll get by on guile, experience and stuff. Kluber won’t give up walks, will get guys to chase out of the zone, and will elicit weak contact. His spring training outings to date have displayed all that.
What He Needs to Work On: Kluber had a fully-healthy season in 2022 after three injury-filled years, and at 37 he’ll need to keep up the routine outlined in this Athletic article by Ken Rosenthal to stay on the mound. Kluber will give up contact and won’t strike many out. It’ll be all about limiting damage and trusting the defense behind him to do the job.
Chris Martin
What He Does Well: Martin is a seasoned veteran reliever and should set up for Jansen. He can be trusted to close on days when Jansen may need a blow. The Sox paid top dollar for Martin to help solve one of their biggest 2022 issues: bullpen walks (they ranked 14th of 15 AL teams in BBs and BB/9). Martin walked just five batters in 56 IP, making him one of the best in MLB at limiting BBs.
What He Needs to Work On: Like Jansen, Martin is no spring chicken and the Sox will need to ensure his usage is managed. Martin is susceptible to giving up hard contact, finishing 2022 in the bottom 15% of all MLB pitchers in hard hit percentage according to Baseball Savant. These will be things to monitor as Martin works through his first season in Boston.
Bryan Mata
What He Does Well: Mata returned in 2022 from Tommy John surgery and re-established himself as a top Sox pitching prospect. He struck out 105 in 83 IP across four levels, ending with a strong five-start stint in Worcester. Mata’s fastball can hit triple-digits and his secondary stuff is promising. There’s no one else high up in the system like him, and he’s knocking on Fenway’s door.
What He Needs to Work On: Mata might have the most electric stuff in the system. But it’s still to be determined if he’ll start or relieve. Command will be a key factor in his success, as his 13% BB rate needs to come down. He’ll also need to show development of his secondary pitches beyond his dastardly effective fastball.
Another 10 players next time!
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