Kevin Pillar’s message on the Red Sox’ struggles this season: ‘If you’re here, you might as well take advantage’

The Red Sox are currently ranked last in the AL East.

Red Sox outfielder Kevin Pillar shared his take on the team's unprecedented seasoning struggles. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

August 6, 2020

2 minutes to read

Despite their 5-0 win against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, the Red Sox have struggled so far this season. The team currently has a 4-8 record, good for last in the AL East, and Boston’s pitching staff is ranked 28th in MLB in ERA at 6.75.

2020 Red Sox starting pitching

Of the 2,564 different teams since 1900, the Red Sox starting pitching ERA (6.75) currently ranks…

2,564th

or

dead last

Now luckily (or unlucky) they have 49 games to dig themselves out of the hole

The target the 1996 Tigers – 6.64 ERA

— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) August 5, 2020

Newly-acquired Red Sox outfielder Kevin Pillar — who gave a blunt critique of the team after their 8-3 loss to the Mets — shared his thoughts.

“If you’re here, you might as well take advantage of it. We’re here,” Pillar said on a Zoom meeting Wednesday, as transcribed by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “We might as well compete. If we’ve got a game, regardless if there’s people in the stands, regardless of the rumors about the season getting shut down, regardless of our own individual thoughts about what should happen or should not happen. If we’re here, we might as well go out and play as hard as we can. If we’re here, we might as well try to go out and try to win a game.

“The same goes for us individually. If we’re here and you’ve got an opportunity to step in the batter’s box, make the best of it. Especially when things aren’t going as well, we start to think about all the possibilities. A lot of us left our family and kids at home. We’re thinking, ‘Ah, I wish I was at home. I wish they would shut down the season. I wish we had a little bit more clarity on what’s going to happen. I wish there was some more transparency.’ These are all just excuses we allow ourselves to make for ourselves, especially when things aren’t going well.”

Pillar is not standing for any excuses either, adding that other teams have performed well despite everything that is going on.

“You see teams that have gotten off to good starts and have been successful. Those teams don’t look like they’re making excuses. They’re not worried about if there’s a game tomorrow or if the season gets shut down. They’re just making the most of the opportunity they have every individual day they step out on the field. I think that’s the most important message I’ve tried to deliver. I know our staff, I know some older players have tried to deliver it.”

He ended his sentiment with a message of positivity: control what you can control.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow. Focus on today,” he said. “We know we’re playing today. We can’t predict the future. We can’t predict that the season is going to get shut down tomorrow, three weeks from now or through the entire thing. It’s not worth our time thinking about. Just make the most of the opportunity we have today.”