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OmahaBaseball · 12-26-2025, 04:05 PM

2024 Playoff Recap

What a 2024 Post-Season run for the Boston Red Sox. After just making the playoffs in the final week of the season (I legitimately thought the team was going to tank at the end), Boston went on a run in which they won 13 of 17 games to take home the franchise's 10th championship.

A few things to note from the playoff run. First, I started the same 9 positional players each game, and took away any pinch-hitting or pinch-running opportunities. I was not liking how the bench was being handled by the game's AI, and often seemed to lead to ineffective play. This did not turn out well for Ceddanne Rafaela (.574 OPS), Masataka Yoshida (.636 OPS), or Kyle Teel (.669 OPS), but did seem to spark Tristan Casas (.911 OPS), Rafael Devers (.939 OPS), and Jarren Duran (.969 OPS). While it is hard to argue with the outcome, I am not sure I would follow this same approach in the future.

Next, I benched 2B Vaughn Grissom and started Tommy Edman. While Edman struggled at the plate during the regular season (.544 OPS; -1.6 WAR), Grissom's defense (-19.1 ZR; .863 EFF) was bad and he also wasn't putting the ball in play (.619 OPS; -1.4 WAR). Edman's playoff numbers at the plate were more than I would have hoped for (.860 OPS), and he did not commit an error in 17 games. I am not convinced that either player has a spot on the 2025 team, so I will likely be active in tweaking the infield.

For the rotation, I went 4 pitchers and sent Brayan Bello to the bullpen. While the 4-man rotation worked well (combined record of 10-2), Bello was not impressive and had 3 blown saves and a 5.68 ERA. I am not sure where he will fit into the 2025 pitching staff. I was happy to see closer Liam Hendriks bounce back from his late-season woes, as he secured 7 saves during the playoff run, and posted a 13-1 K/BB rate.

Lastly, I am still rather surprised how the season turned out. While I figured the team would be competitive and perhaps make a playoff push, I did not see winning a playoff round or ultimately taking home the World Series trophy. Because I sim each game, I cannot take credit for any in-game decision and however the game unfolds is what it is. How and why I won it all will remain a mystery...

12-26-2025, 04:05 PM	#584
OmahaBaseball Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Home of the College World Series! Posts: 3,932	2024 Playoff Recap What a 2024 Post-Season run for the Boston Red Sox. After just making the playoffs in the final week of the season (I legitimately thought the team was going to tank at the end), Boston went on a run in which they won 13 of 17 games to take home the franchise's 10th championship. A few things to note from the playoff run. First, I started the same 9 positional players each game, and took away any pinch-hitting or pinch-running opportunities. I was not liking how the bench was being handled by the game's AI, and often seemed to lead to ineffective play. This did not turn out well for *Ceddanne Rafaela* (.574 OPS), *Masataka Yoshida* (.636 OPS), or *Kyle Teel* (.669 OPS), but did seem to spark *Tristan Casas* (.911 OPS), *Rafael Devers* (.939 OPS), and *Jarren Duran* (.969 OPS). While it is hard to argue with the outcome, I am not sure I would follow this same approach in the future. Next, I benched 2B *Vaughn Grissom* and started *Tommy Edman. While Edman* struggled at the plate during the regular season (.544 OPS; -1.6 WAR), *Grissom's* defense (-19.1 ZR; .863 EFF) was bad and he also wasn't putting the ball in play (.619 OPS; -1.4 WAR). *Edman's* playoff numbers at the plate were more than I would have hoped for (.860 OPS), and he did not commit an error in 17 games. I am not convinced that either player has a spot on the 2025 team, so I will likely be active in tweaking the infield. For the rotation, I went 4 pitchers and sent *Brayan Bello* to the bullpen. While the 4-man rotation worked well (combined record of 10-2), *Bello* was not impressive and had 3 blown saves and a 5.68 ERA. I am not sure where he will fit into the 2025 pitching staff. I was happy to see closer *Liam Hendriks* bounce back from his late-season woes, as he secured 7 saves during the playoff run, and posted a 13-1 K/BB rate. Lastly, I am still rather surprised how the season turned out. While I figured the team would be competitive and perhaps make a playoff push, I did not see winning a playoff round or ultimately taking home the World Series trophy. Because I sim each game, I cannot take credit for any in-game decision and however the game unfolds is what it is. How and why I won it all will remain a mystery... Attached Images __________________ Life is Good! Last edited by OmahaBaseball; 12-29-2025 at 09:57 AM.