MLB
Much Ado About David Price
The Man of the Hour: David Price
What kind of man can climb mountains and valleys over the seasons? He can fall and get back up, and then fall again. Yes, we must be talking about David Price. This Cy Young-winning pitcher for the Boston Red Sox has been one of the best pitchers of this generation. He has climbed those mountains, but then when the seasons change, he seems to fall right down into the valley. Then he can’t seem to get out until the middle of the next season. Sounds inconsistent, huh?
The History of Playoff Price
Well, this is what the Red Sox have dealt with over the past couple of seasons with Price. This is what all of Price’s teams have faced throughout his career. Boasting a great 0-9 win-loss record in the postseason, Price has been forgetful when it comes to October baseball. Well, maybe we shouldn’t blame him fully. He did have to make the change from sunny Tampa to the cold of Detroit, Toronto, and Boston, so he can’t be all to blame. Let’s get into the purpose of this article: What to do with David Price.
Listen, David Price has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season in the second half of the year. That cannot be denied. Since the All-Star break, Price has been scorching the MLB with a 2.25 ERA, one of the tops in baseball. He has been almost unstoppable. Heck, his career ERA is a 3.25. Pretty impressive. This stat and his impressive over 8.5 SO/9 was one of the reasons that the Red Sox signed Price to one of the biggest contracts in MLB history, at about $30 million a year. So, you would think that this man has been such a big contribution in the playoffs?
Wrong. In fact, he is a completely different player in the playoffs. Normally you could blame the Fortnite, but that cannot even be an excuse here. His 0-9 playoff record as a starter and his 5.28 career postseason ERA is horrid. Even more terrifying is that he continually is given chances each and every year. However, I will hand it to the guy, he is a great reliever in the playoffs. He has his only two wins as a reliever, and his ERA is lights-out. Just look at last year for the Red Sox, where he had a 0.00 ERA with a 1.050 WHIP in 6 innings. Not too shabby. Although, I don’t think your $30 million player should be a reliever.
Really Red Sox?
So, the Red Sox are now counting on Price again this postseason yet giving him the starting nod. This makes me wonder: What are the Red Sox are doing? Price only lasted 1.2 innings against the Yanks last week before letting up 3 runs on 3 hits. In fact, he hasn’t let up less than 3 earned runs in a postseason start since 2014. Four years ago. I will give him credit that he can go strong and last 5-6-7 innings, but the beginning of the game always seems to haunt him. Even for Sunday’s game, Price let up four runs in the first three innings. Then in the fifth inning he found himself in a jam that he had to be taken out of. This has repeatedly been happening with this man.
One stat to note is that Price is not the only one to blame in these losses. Except for his ERA, that is all his fault. In the games Price has started, he has only had an average run support in games started of 2.57. With the Red Sox it has only been 1.9 runs per game (not including last night). So, the offense should step it up in Price’s starts to counterbalance those 3-4 runs Price allows per postseason game.
Is the Price Right?
I can’t tell you personally whether David Price should start or not in the playoffs (he shouldn’t), but the Red Sox should consider his track record. Even Red Sox fans are sick of watching Price lose again and again. We haven’t seen a Price Boston fans felt this strong against since our rivalry with an old friend named Carey from the Canadiens up north (remember those days?). I am fed up with Price’s continuous struggles. I cannot watch the Red Sox lose again and again due to his starts. Something must be done, even if for some reason people still have faith in this man.
The regular season is one thing. The playoffs are a completely different story. Just ask Andy Dalton. You need to be able to shine when the lights are the brightest, and this is David Price’s time to prove us all wrong. Can he do it, or will the Red Sox again have to resort to bullpen Price or an early playoff exit?
Stay tuned because Bob Barker and Alex Cora can’t be the only ones thinking the Price is right. This is time for Price’s redemption with the best team in baseball over the regular season behind him. The trouble is, as Freddie Mercury and David Bowie have so elegantly forecasted for us, can David Price perform under postseason pressure?
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