20 players for Red Sox fans to watch for remainder of MLB playoffs

J.D. Martinez: Another key player from the Red Sox’ 2018 World Series winning team is also back in the postseason. Martinez, who hit 16 homers in the regular season, had a key pinch-hit, two-run single for the Mets in their Game 1 win over the Brewers in the Wild Card Series.

Kyle Schwarber: The former Red Sox slugger had another dynamite season at the plate for the Phillies, hitting 38 homers with a .851 OPS. After providing some postseason magic in Boston in 2021, Schwarber has done the same in Philly the last two years, hitting 11 homers in the last two postseasons.

Alex Verdugo: After a good start to his tenure in The Bronx, Verdugo’s numbers have tanked since the middle of June. He’s hitting .206 with a .560 OPS since June 19. However, Verdugo will remain the Yankees’ starting left fielder for the postseason.

Michael Wacha: The right-handed pitcher joined a long list of notable players to have a strong one-year stint with the Red Sox in 2022. Wacha has remained solid the last two years, posting a 3.35 ERA with the Royals in 2024. He’ll be Kansas City’s Game 1 starter on Saturday.

The pending free agents

Juan Soto: The Yankees superstar is the biggest name on the market this offseason. Following another strong season (41 homers, .989 OPS), the soon-to-be 26-year-old Soto might get a deal close to what Shohei Ohtani received last offseason. He’ll have a chance to prove he’s worth that in October as he’s looking for his second World Series ring.

Pete Alonso: Alonso etched his name in Mets lore on Thursday night when he hit the go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of the deciding game in their Wild Card Series against the Brewers. The four-time All-Star has shown plenty of power at the plate in career, hitting 34 homers this season. But his inconsistency to hit for average (he had a .217 batting average in 2023) has led some to question if he’s worth a pricey long-term deal. The Red Sox could use a right-handed bat like Alonso’s, though, especially if they let Tyler O’Neill walk.

Teoscar Hernandez: The slugger passed on the Red Sox’ offer in free agency this past offseason after he felt he was lowballed, signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers instead. He’s likely in line for a major payday this offseason, hitting .272 with 33 homers and a .840 OPS in the regular season.

Jack Flaherty: Flaherty had the best season of all the looming free agents whose season is still alive. The righty began the year in Detroit, posting a 2.95 ERA in 18 starts after signing a one-year deal in free agency. With the Tigers looking far from a playoff team at the time, Flaherty was traded to the Dodgers in July. His numbers have taken a slight dip in LA, but he’s still been effective with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts.

Walker Buehler: Returning from Tommy John surgery in 2024, Buehler wasn’t in his best form this season. He had a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts. He’s been a little better lately, recording a 4.35 ERA over 31 innings pitched in his last six outings.

Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana: The Mets’ playoff rotation is largely made of pitchers who are set to hit free agency or can opt out of their contracts. Manaea had the best season of the bunch, with the lefty going 12-5 with a 3.29 ERA. Quintana had a solid year as well, going 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA.

Alex Cobb: The Guardians’ right-handed pitcher has had a bizarre 2024 after an All-Star year in 2023. Cobb has only made three starts this year, initially rehabbing from offseason hip surgery when he was with the Giants before getting traded to the Guardians in July. He was activated from the injured list after he missed a few weeks due to a finger injury, but he had a 2.76 ERA in the three starts he’s made with Cleveland. It’s unclear if he’ll start or come out of the bullpen. On a fun note, the 36-year-old Cobb was born in Boston and grew up a Red Sox fan.

Tanner Scott: The Red Sox might be in the market for a closer this offseason with Kenley Jansen hitting free agency. The Padres lefty will arguably be the best reliever available this offseason. Scott recorded a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves in 72 games with the Marlins and Padres in 2024.

Jeff Hoffman: The Phillies’ right-handed setup man is also an intriguing option to bolster the bullpen in free agency this offseason. Hoffman posted a 2.17 ERA in 66 1/3 innings over 68 outings in the regular season, recording 10 saves to earn his first All-Star nod.

Jurickson Profar: The switch-hitting outfielder had a career year at the plate with the Padres, hitting .280 with 85 RBIs and a .839 OPS. The 31-year-old Profar has sparingly first base over his career, which could make him an enticing option for the Red Sox if they let O’Neill walk and want an outfielder with more positional flexibility.

The big trade candidate

Tarik Skubal: If the Red Sox are really serious about improving their rotation this offseason, Skubal is arguably the best pitcher in the game at the moment. The 27-year-old Tigers lefty will likely win the AL Cy Young went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in the regular season before pitching six shutout innings against the Astros in Game 1 of their Wild Card Series win.

Of course, whether the Tigers are willing to trade Skubal is the biggest question. Even though there were rumors of Skubal possibly getting moved at the deadline, he’s still under team control for two more seasons. The Tigers making the postseason might make a deal this offseason even more unlikely, if it ever was possible, considering how young their team is. If they’re open to moving Skubal, though, the Red Sox might have the prospect arsenal to make a move.

Regardless, Skubal is certainly worth watching this postseason after his dominant year and his playoff debut on Tuesday.

The icon making his playoff debut

Shohei Ohtani: If there is any reason to watch the MLB playoffs, it’s because we finally get to see Ohtani play on the game’s biggest stage.

We got a taste of how Ohtani might perform in key moments during the World Baseball Classic in 2023. He won MVP of the tournament after leading Japan to the title, batting .435/.606/.739 with a homer and eight RBIs. He also had a 1.86 ERA on the mound during the tournament.

Ohtani likely won’t pitch in the postseason as he’s still making his way back from elbow surgery he had in 2023. But he’s still exciting enough as a hitter that it might be worth tuning for a late-night Dodgers game as he had the first 50/50 season in MLB history in 2024.