Editor’s note: The temperature gauge is a Bill James-created statistic that measures how hot or cold hitters are. We will spotlight Red Sox and opposing team temperatures on game days.
Not long ago, Adrian Gonzalez was one of the hottest hitters on the planet, winning an AL Player of the Week award and leading the Red Sox offense in the absence of David Ortiz. Well, Gonzalez is still performing better than during the first half of the season, but he’s definitely come back down to Earth a bit since his red hot July. That being said, he’s still one of the hottest hitters on the Red Sox, which may not actually be a good sign.
The hottest hitter in the Red Sox lineup is the man at the top of it, Scott Podsednik. The outfielder won’t soon be lauded for his power stroke, but his competent bat and legs will likely earn him a good deal of starts now with Carl Crawford out for the season to have Tommy John surgery.
For the Angels, it’s probably pretty unsurprising that Mike Trout leads the way, as the rookie has put together a historical campaign putting him right up there with some of the game’s all-time greats. Behind him, however, there’s still Albert Pujols (remember him?), who has come on in a big way since his awful April and lackluster May.
Check out the temperatures for both the Angels and Red Sox for Aug. 22, below:
Boston Red Sox
Scott Podsednik 75
Adrian Gonzalez 74
Mauro Gomez 72
Jarrod Saltalamacchia 71
Dustin Pedroia 68
Daniel Nava 67
Pedro Ciriaco 67
Nick Punto 65
Mike Aviles 64
Cody Ross 59
Jacoby Ellsbury 58
Ryan Lavarnway 56
Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout 88
Albert Pujols 80
Erick Aybar 76
Bobby Wilson 73
Maicer Izturis 72
Peter Bourjos 71
Kendrys Morales 69
Alberto Callaspo 68
Torii Hunter 66
Vernon Wells 65
Howie Kendrick 65
Mark Trumbo 63
Chris Iannetta 60
