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Orioles: 2016 AL East Positional First Base Rankings

By Nate Wardle

Oct 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez (13) connects for a RBI single in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians during game three of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez (13) connects for a RBI single in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians during game three of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Hanley Ramirez Travis Shaw
Sep 11, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez (right) is greeted at home plate by third baseman Travis Shaw (47) after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Boston Red Sox – Hanley Ramirez, Travis Shaw (Prediction: 5th, Hanley Ramirez, Brock Holt, Travis Shaw, Allen Craig

Admittedly, I was way off on Hanley.

I expected it to be another long year on the corners for the Red Sox, and it most definitely wasn’t, thanks to Ramirez and also Travis Shaw, who was the primary starter at third base, but also the main backup at first.

Ramirez played in 147 games for the Red Sox, hitting .286/.361/.505 with 30 HR, 28 2B, 111 RBIs, 81 runs and an offensive WAR of 3.3 It was a great year for Ramirez, who helped make up the bottom part of the middle of the Red Sox order.

His power numbers returned to where they were when he was a periennial All-Star for the Miami Marlins, and was fifth in the American League in RBIs.

Defensively, his metrics aren’t fantastic. Ramirez’s dWAR was a -1.3, but if you watched, he didn’t seem to have a lot of limitations. His range factor was also below the league average, but he was not the abject disaster like he was in left field. In fact, Ramirez’s fielding percentage of .996 was good for fifth in the American League for first basemen.

Shaw started just under 30 games at first base, as he started almost 100 games across the diamond. He was on fire in the early going, and then slumped down the stretch for the Red Sox to a batting average below .200. But, more on him when we get to third base.

Next: Baltimore Ravens: Breshad Perriman Is A Problem

As always, if you don’t agree, let me know why in the comment section!

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