To say that Kike Hernandez is on anther planet right now may not be an exaggeration. This monster is hitting a ridiculous .435 in the postseason with two homers and six RBIs. He set a Red Sox postseason record with seven straight hits in the ALDS and then drove in the game-winning run in Game 4 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to walk it off as well.
I really don't think it matters who Houston throws out there in the ALCS. Hernandez has a confidence right now that is to the moon.
While Hernandez will be the X-Factor of the ALCS, the whole Red Sox team has been on another level. They hit .328 as a team against the Rays, who, by the way, had a great rotation and bullpen. Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez and Alex Verdugo are swinging the bats at an elite level right now, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. The team is thriving off of each other's success at the plate. They had 11 homers in that series against Tampa Bay while posting that crazy average. God help the Astros pitching staff, as they will be asked to stop an unstoppable force.
The Red Sox pitching staff could use some prayers, too. The Astros had the best offense in baseball all season long. They destroyed my White Sox and, yes, I'm still very bitter. We had the best pitching rotation in baseball this season, and the Astros made them look like James Shields was back on the team and starting every game. Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Michael Brantley and Jose Altuve are all hitting over .300 in the postseason, which is crazy to think they did that against the White Sox staff.
These offenses are crazy good, and Hernandez is this year's Randy Arozarena. Expect him to make the difference in Game 1 and throughout the series.