26-year old Jarrod Saltalamacchia and 39-year old Jason Varitek starting out the 2011 season very slowly with the bats. But they have really picked it up lately and they have put up solid production numbers in 2011 overall. Saltalamacchia has played in 92 games for he Red Sox and he is 79 for 320 (.247 avg, .781 OPS) with 49 runs scored, 16 homers, 51 RBIs and 1 stolen base. Varitek has played in 62 games for the Red Sox so far this year and he is 48 for 206 (.233 avg, .758 OPS) with 31 runs scored, 11 homers and 33 RBIs. Saltalamacchia & Varitek are only hitting a combined .241 on the season, but not many teams catch match the production numbers out of their catchers, as they have combined to score 80 runs, hit 27 homers and drive in 84 runs so far this year.

I know that 1B Adrian Gonzalez and Big Papi are having excellent years in 2011, but 28-year old lefty swinging CF Jacoby Ellsbury has been the best player on the team. Ellsbury has played in 141 games for the Red Sox so far this year and he is 185 of 584 (.317 avg, .909 OPS) with 104 runs scored, 26 homers, 91 RBIs and 36 stolen bases. Coming into this season, Ellsbury had career highs of 98 runs scored, 9 homers and 60 RBIs! Ellsbury is also finishing the year really strongly. In his first 10 games in September, Ellsbury is 16 for 44 (.364 avg, 1.065 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 2 homers and 7 RBIs.

30-year old lefty swinging starting LF Carl Crawford is starting to show signs of the life the plate for the Red Sox. He has played in 13 games so far in August and he is 16 for 50 (.320 avg, .858 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 1 homer, 2 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Crawford has now played in 92 games for the Red Sox so far this year and he is 92 for 361 (.255 avg, .679 OPS) with 47 runs scored, 7 homers, 38 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. The Red Sox hope that Crawford is finally going to start playing like the guy they thought he would be when they signed him to a 7-year, $142 million dollar deal last winter.

26-year old switch-hitting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia got off to a slow start with the bat for the Red Sox in April and May. But, in June and July, he has been red hot with the bat. Saltalamacchia is 34 for 112 (.304 avg) in the last two months and he has scored 20 runs, cranked 5 homers and he has driven in 19 runs. He has now played in 66 games overall this year for the Red Sox and he is 60 for 226 (.265 avg, .812 OPS) with 34 runs scored, 10 homers and 36 RBIs. Saltalamacchia has whiffed 69 times this year, but it’s not a problem when he’s hitting well like he is right now. The Red Sox hope Salty keeps swinging a good bat for the Red Sox as he gives them some punch at the bottom of the batting order.

27-year old righty swinging 2B Dustin Pedroia is red hot for the Boston Red Sox right now as he has a 23-game hitting streak going right now. Pedroia has played in 21 games so far in July and he is 38 for 93 (.409 avg, 1.192 OPS) with 23 runs scored, 6 homers, 16 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. He has now played in 98 games for the Red Sox so far this year and he is 120 for 395 (.304 avg, .880 OPS) with 69 runs scored, 13 homers, 51 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Pedroia is back to being his old self and it’s really propelling the Red Sox’ offense as they attempt to pull away from the Yankees in the A.L. East.