The Results
The Red Sox win the battle of outfield, with young stars Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts outpacing sophomore Tyler Naquin and Lonnie Chisenhall in center and right, respectively. And to be fair to the Indians, there may not be a pair of outfielders that can match up with that Boston duo.
Left field and designated hitter ended up with ties, but for different reasons. In left, Andrew Benintendi is likely the safer bet to produce at an above-average level. Michael Brantley has the higher ceiling, having produced a star-like 6.8 WAR just two seasons ago. But coming off multiple surgeries, it’s questionable whether he will be healthy enough to produce at his highest level.
At DH, Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Santana produce similarly gaudy offensive numbers. They are each able to get on-base at a .350+ clip consistently, combined with the potential for elite power.
Come back next week to see who wins the battle of the starting pitching staff. You can find the earlier infield results here, but for now, here are the combined outfield and infield results:
Indians: 3 (1B, SS, 3B)
Red Sox: 3 (2B, CF, RF)
Tie: 3 (C, LF, DH)
Next: Red Sox: Worst outfielders in franchise history
Feel free to leave a comment with any agreements or disagreements, as many positions can go either way with these two powerhouse teams.