Former Red Sox stars to watch in the MLB playoffs

Former Red Sox stars to watch in the MLB playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox will watch the MLB playoffs from home for the third consecutive season and the fifth time in six years. When they tune into the postseason, they’ll see several ex-Red Sox players competing for a World Series title with their new teams.

Nine former Red Sox will compete in October, including four players from the 2018 World Series team and four from the 2021 club that pulled off an unexpected run to the ALCS.

Here’s the full list of ex-Sox standouts to watch in the MLB playoffs, plus how they’ve fared this season with their respective teams.

Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers

Surprise, surprise! Betts is set for his fifth straight trip to the playoffs with the Dodgers.

The eight-time All-Star missed time this season due to a fractured left hand but has been his usual superstar self when healthy. In 116 games, he slashed .289/.372/.491 with 19 home runs and 75 RBI.

Betts helped the Dodgers win a league-leading 98 games en route to their 11th National League West title in 12 years. L.A. will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs, but it’ll need Betts to step it up in October. He’s a career .251 hitter with a .710 OPS in 58 career postseason games.

Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres

Bogaerts is finishing the second season of the 11-year, $280 million contract he signed with the Padres. Living up to that kind of contract was always going to be difficult for the former Red Sox shortstop, but it’s already looking like an awful overpay for San Diego.

Bogaerts missed a chunk of time due to a shoulder fracture that has clearly affected him at the plate. In 111 games, he hit .264/.307/.381 with 11 homers and 44 RBI.

The Padres moved Bogaerts from shortstop to second base this season, but he’s back at short following the season-ending injury to Ha-Seong Kim.

Bogaerts was a fan favorite in Boston and the Padres have never won a World Series in their 55-year history, making San Diego a perfect team for Red Sox fans to root for in October.

Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies

Schwarber is back in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, his third straight with the Phillies. A key piece of the 2021 Red Sox, Schwarber will look to get over the hump after falling in the 2023 NLCS, in the 2022 World Series, and in the 2021 ALCS.

The 31-year-old is a big reason the Phillies ran away with this year’s NL East title. In 150 games, he notched 38 homers and 104 RBI with a .851 OPS.

Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies

Strahm may not be in the “star” category like the players above, but the ex-Red Sox reliever was dominant out of the Phillies bullpen this season and was rewarded with his first career All-Star nod.

He made 66 appearances, amassing a 1.87 ERA and 0.75 WHIP with 79 strikeouts and only 11 walks. The 32-year-old southpaw will hope to perform similarly to last postseason when he didn’t allow a run in 5.1 innings of relief.

J.D. Martinez, New York Mets

Age may finally be catching up to Martinez. The 37-year-old’s .235 batting average and .725 OPS were his lowest since the abbreviated 2020 season.

Martinez’s postseason résumé, however, speaks for itself. He has a .974 OPS with 10 homers in 33 career playoff games.

Jose Iglesias, New York Mets

Iglesias came out of nowhere to give the Mets a spark both on the field and in the clubhouse in 2024. The 34-year-old infielder posted a 3.0 bWAR with a .830 OPS in 85 games. His song “OMG” has become an anthem for the team and its fans to rally around.

Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves

The Red Sox parted ways with Sale in December after multiple injury-plagued seasons for the veteran left-hander. Sure enough, he staved off injury for the entire regular season and has regained Cy Young form with Atlanta.

Sale boasted an MLB-best 2.38 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP with an NL-leading 225 strikeouts in 29 starts (177.2 innings pitched). He formed a scary 1-2 punch with fellow southpaw Max Fried, but Sale’s injury issues have returned at the worst possible time.

Sale was supposed to start Game 2 of Monday’s double-header vs. the New York Mets but was scratched due to back spasms. Braves manager Brian Snitker later revealed that Sale is unlikely to pitch in the Wild Card Series, so his status will be worth monitoring for as long as Atlanta is in contention.

Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals

Wacha signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the Royals last offseason and was worth every penny. The 33-year-old right-hander posted a 3.35 ERA in 29 outings and pitched 166.2 innings, his highest total since his 2015 All-Star campaign. He forms a legitimate 1-2-3 in Kansas City’s rotation alongside Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo.

Alex Verdugo, New York Yankees

The Red Sox traded Verdugo to the Yankees in December for pitchers Greg Weissert and Richard Fitts. It was a rough first season in the Bronx for the 28-year-old outfielder.

Verdugo posted the lowest batting average (.233), on-base percentage (.291), and slugging percentage (.647) of his career. Suddenly, there is a debate in New York over whether Verdugo or 21-year-old Jasson Dominguez should be the team’s starting left fielder in the postseason.

Regardless, Verdugo should have a chance to come through with at least one big postseason moment. If he helps the Yankees win their first title since 2009, his dismal regular-season performance will be forgotten.