The Purple Sox are most likely simply wonderful with the place they’re at present. They’re within the thick of a playoff race with a reliable shot to win the AL East, they’ve a 21-year-old franchise outfielder and a 26-year-old Cy Younger Award contender locked as much as long-term offers, and so they’re nicely positioned to contend for a few years to come back.
However getting so far has been an extended and painful course of, one that might have gone a bit extra easily had the Purple Sox taken a special path 4 years in the past.
What might these previous few years have seemed like had the Purple Sox re-signed Kyle Schwarber? Acquired on the 2021 commerce deadline, Schwarber helped energy the Purple Sox into the postseason, the place they reached the American League Championship Sequence and got here inside two wins of advancing to the World Sequence. However as an alternative of bringing Schwarber again the next offseason, the Purple Sox allowed the slugger to stroll in free company, and he wound up signing a four-year, $79 million cope with the Philadelphia Phillies.
His influence on that franchise has been immense.
Since arriving in Philadelphia, Schwarber has persistently ranked amongst baseball’s prime house run hitters. He hit 46 homers in 2022, 47 in 2023, 38 in 2024 and as of this writing has 49 this season. Final week he turned one in all 19 gamers in MLB historical past to hit 4 house runs in a recreation, and he’s among the many prime candidates to win Nationwide League MVP.
Schwarber has additionally performed a key function in serving to Philadelphia attain the playoffs in every of the previous three years after the Phillies missed the postseason the prior 10 seasons, and he was entrance and heart within the membership’s shock run to the 2022 World Sequence, which they misplaced in six video games to the Houston Astros.
The Purple Sox, in the meantime, missed the playoffs every of the previous three years and have solely had two gamers prime 30 homers throughout that stretch.
It’s not possible to foretell how protecting Schwarber might need modified issues, however his presence would have addressed plenty of the membership’s current shortcomings.
When Schwarber left following the 2021 season, the Purple Sox changed his bat by signing Trevor Story to a six-year deal. However whereas the membership nonetheless had J.D. Martinez holding down the designated hitter spot, the Purple Sox additionally entered the season with a depleted outfield, opening the 2022 season with Jackie Bradley Jr. as a starter regardless of the longtime defensive standout coming off a career-worst season in Milwaukee.
Schwarber might have held down the beginning left discipline spot, offering the membership with a large offensive enhance and the form of energy menace the lineup lacked outdoors of Rafael Devers. Maybe with him nonetheless within the fold, the membership might have returned to the playoffs for a second straight season, moderately than crash out to a final place end.
He would have probably additionally prevented the Purple Sox from making what has turned out to be an ill-advised pivot.
Recognizing the necessity to improve their outfield, the Purple Sox successfully crammed what would have been Schwarber’s spot by signing Masataka Yoshida out of Japan to a five-year, $90 million deal. The logic was that Yoshida might present comparable mastery of the strike zone together with some sneaky energy, however in actuality Yoshida has confirmed himself a stable contact hitter who offers little different worth and has struggled to remain wholesome.
Worse, the 2 are making practically the identical sum of money yearly, solely Schwarber would have neatly match the Purple Sox’s timeline whereas Yoshida stays beneath contract for an additional two years.
May you think about this yr’s lineup with Schwarber in it? Who is aware of how he would have affected the Devers drama that consumed the membership this spring, however plug him into the beginning DH spot at present and also you’re taking a look at doubtlessly the perfect lineup in baseball. He’s additionally a confirmed playoff winner and the form of man gamers like Roman Anthony would profit from being round.
What’s accomplished is completed and the Purple Sox nonetheless have brighter days forward, however hindsight being 20/20, letting Schwarber stroll stands out as a choice the group would most likely take again if it might.
Circle the calendar
This previous week Main League Baseball introduced its 2026 common season schedule, and the Purple Sox slate contains quite a lot of notable dates followers will need to circle on the calendar.
The membership will open the season in Cincinnati on March 26, which can kick off a six-game opening week street journey that additionally features a collection at Houston. The Purple Sox then host San Diego for his or her house opener on April 3, which may even mark the newest return to Fenway Park for former shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
The Purple Sox additionally host Lexington’s Sal Frelick and the Milwaukee Brewers as a part of their first homestand, persevering with what appears to be like on paper like a brutal opening stretch for Boston.
The Purple Sox received’t have to attend as lengthy to play the Yankees this yr as they did this previous season. The rivals’ first assembly will come at Fenway Park on April 21-23, instantly after the membership hosts the Detroit Tigers for his or her annual Marathon Monday recreation (April 20). The opposite three Yankees collection will happen June 5-7 in New York, June 25-28 in Boston and Aug. 28-30 in New York.
Probably the most fascinating dates on the schedule is Saturday, June 20, when the Purple Sox will play a scheduled doubleheader in Seattle. The doubleheader is to accommodate the World Cup recreation being performed in Seattle the prior day, which can characteristic Workforce USA in its second recreation of group play.
Boston will wrap up the primary half with a two-week stretch away from house. Between July 2-16 the Purple Sox won’t play any video games at Fenway, first occurring the street for 9 video games earlier than taking a breather for the All-Star break. The Purple Sox will then have a nine-game homestand to open the second half.
The Purple Sox will play three video games at Dodgers Stadium from July 31 to Aug. 2, and shortly afterwards the membership will welcome Devers again to Fenway Park for the primary time as a member of the Giants on Aug. 21-23. The membership will wrap up its common season with a six-game homestand in opposition to the Guardians (Sept. 22-24) and Cubs (Sept. 25-27).
Schlittler, Seymour shining
This has already been a banner yr for Bay State pitchers within the massive leagues with Danvers’ Shane Smith incomes an All-Star nod as a rookie Rule 5 choose with the Chicago White Sox, and now two different locals are making an early assertion with their very own respective groups.
Cam Schlittler, a former Walpole Excessive and Northeastern College standout, just lately made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees and has rapidly emerged as an influence arm within the Bronx. By way of his first eight massive league begins getting into Saturday, Schlittler posted a 2.76 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 42.1 innings.
Seymour, in the meantime, has bounced forwards and backwards between the majors and Triple-A however has made an influence for the Tampa Bay Rays each time his quantity has been known as. The previous St. John’s of Shrewsbury star had a 3.18 ERA by way of his first 13 massive league appearances, and final Monday he made his first profession MLB begin, tossing 5 scoreless innings with one hit and eight strikeouts in a 9-0 win over Cleveland.
Seymour additionally made his MLB debut at Fenway Park again on June 9, approaching within the tenth and pitching the final two innings of Tampa Bay’s 10-8 win over Boston.
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