7 MLB stars who have to step up in September

David Price

The runner-up in last year’s AL Cy Young race signed a blockbuster contract with the Boston Red Sox last offseason. So far, Price has come up well short of expectations. Still, the left-hander with the $200-million contract may be peaking at the right time.

The Red Sox have a very legitimate shot at winning the AL East title, and Price will have to continue his run of strong pitching. Since the All-Star break, he is 4-2 with a 3.19 ERA in nine starts. It’s still hard to say whether those strong results are a sign of Price turning the tables for good this year. His strikeout rate is down in the second half, while his walk rate is up. Price has also allowed over a hit an inning in the second half, but has lowered his home-run rate slightly.

Pitching is weird. David Price got good results in the month of July despite allowing a .377 BABip. In August, he pitched to a worse ERA despite having a freakishly low BABip of .250. Regardless of how the hits fall in September, the Red Sox need Price to be at his best if they are going to chase down the Blue Jays and win the division. From there, it will be up to Price to conquer his postseason demons.