Sox Preview!

This is a reprint of a newspaper article I wrote, seeing that the Sox will play this week I believe that a post on the Red Sox is in order. It's long, but it got published so I think it is pretty good.

Opening Day is just around the corner; the Sox will square off versus the Tigers in a match between Jon Lester and 2011 CY Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander. It should be an excellent game, and in case you have been behind on all Sox news—or trying to forget about last year—here is a short preview of the 2012 season by position.

            Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia gets the start as he begins his first full season as a team leader. Salty hit an unimpressive .235 with a .288 OBP, creating a massive hole in the lineup. This causes some concern going into the 2012 season except for the fact that Salty had a decent first half—.251 AVG, .320 OBP—these numbers aren’t very good either, but as Salty develops as a player and builds the stamina required to play a full season I think that his numbers will improve.

            First base: Adrian Gonzalez quickly immersed himself into Fenway Lore as one of the greatest hitters in baseball. Gonzo had a career year last season hitting .388 with a .410 OBP and a .548 SLG. His power was lacking due to a weak shoulder, which took some of the pop from his bat, but he still was able to mash 27 HR and collect 117 RBI’s. I predict that Gonzo will see a dip in his average—due to many boring stats you probably don’t care too much about he had luck on his side last year—but his power numbers will improve. Don’t be surprised if he gets well above the 30 HR mark next season.

            Second base: If the team were to name a new captain Pedroia surely would be the frontrunner. Amid all the concerns over his surgically repaired foot, Pedroia bounced back after an injury-shortened 2010 campaign and proved he is still one of the AL’s best hitters. He set career highs in HR, RBI’s, stolen bases, and OBP. Look for the small yet tough second baseman to improve as he continues to strengthen and recover from his injury proving himself to be the best second baseman in the league.

            Shortstop: Mike Aviles will get the nod on Opening Day, but has never played Shortstop on a consistent basis, so 2012 could either prove GM Ben Cherrington’s genius or make us miss Theo Epstein even more. Aviles is a decent fielder though and has an unproven yet powerful bat. He’s gotten the bulk of the starts in Spring Training and has instilled confidence in the team. Look for him to be average in the field and to put up similar offensive numbers to Marco Scutaro.

            Third base: To say that Youk has been in a decline is like saying Kimball food isn’t all that good, it is a gross understatement. Youk is turning 33 this year, and seems to be nearing the twilight of his career. Named the “Greek God of walks” for his ability to get on base, he had a record low batting average of .258 and OBP of .373. Now, .373 is not a bad on base percentage, but considering his career average is .391 and he hasn’t had a OBP lower than .380 since his rookie year, the decline in numbers isn’t encouraging. Youk is still a great player, but he is reaching an age when small injuries add up and the priority needs to shift to staying healthy and on the field. Youk can’t miss another season due to injuries if the Sox want a lineup as potent as it has been years past.

            Left field: Crawford has been around for a while, but at the young age of 29 he has many years of baseball left in him. While last year he hit .255 with a .289 OBP and a .405 SLG, I think he can turn it around. The first way things change for him is for the Sox to understand that he is not the next Ted Williams, he puts up very average offensive numbers and is never going to be a power threat. What he can do though is play tremendous defense and steal bases. Putting him back in the number two hole to add additional speed to the top of the order will instill confidence and help him get back into a groove, that decision though is up to the manager and depends on whether Crawford can stand up to the pressures of playing for the Sox.

            Center field: Ellsbury had a breakout year last season, setting records in pretty much every offensive categories. After a dreadful 2010 season a lot of questions hung over his shoulder, but he was able to silence the doubters and prove that he is one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. Look for Ellsbury to continue making the adjustments, he may not have a monster season like last year but he will be good.

            Right field: Currently Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeny hold the spot in a platoon. Both players have been around and are great defensive players,  but offensively they come up short. In an article I wrote a while ago I showed that a platoon would be ideal, but definitely look for Ross to get the majority of the starts. His mentality as a competitor, fast style of play, and extra pop in his bat set him above Sweeny as the best candidate for the starting job. Once Ryan Kalish recovers from shoulder surgery look for him to get a few starts in the second half too.

            Well there you have it, the Sox have one of the best lineups going into the 2012 season, with the revamped Rays, Yankees, and Jays it should be a very competitive and tough race for the AL Pennant this year, but what kind of Sox fan would I be if I said they didn’t stand a chance.