The Boston Red Sox has one of the youngest starting outfields in all of baseball. But at the same time, they may have the best.
As we ring in the new year, we prepare ourselves for yet another season of Boston Red Sox baseball. Throughout every season, we see a certain flaw from every team. Whether it is lack of hitting, starting pitching, defense, or a crappy bullpen, there will always be one issue for every team in Major League baseball.
But for the Red Sox, one thing that will NOT be an issue is the starting outfield.
With Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts being the projected starting outfield, the trio is already being looked at as one of the best starting outfield going into the 2017 season.
MLB writer Ian Browne wrote about how people should be excited to watch these players during the upcoming season.
"“Red Sox fans from 40 years ago still flash back to the grace, power, productivity and athleticism of the special trio of Hall of Famer Jim Rice, Fred Lynn and Dwight Evans that roamed the outfield.” Browne said. “The club’s current outfield is creating similar excitement in the early stage of their careers. This trio, from left to right, of Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts shares a key similarity with that former brilliant trio: They were all drafted and developed by the Red Sox.”"
With Betts, he is already a superstar in the making. After finishing second in the MVP voting, Betts is now looked at as one of the most feared hitters in baseball.
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And it’s not like he can only hit. To be looked at as an MVP, you need to stand out both offensively and defensively. And with Betts, he ended bringing home some hardware by winning the Gold Glove award in right field.
The sky is the limit for Betts and the only thing Red Sox Nation can ask from him is to bring the power, speed, and fielding ability he has into 2017.
With Bradley Jr., his story was written out a bit differently.
Like Betts, Bradley was named a starting outfielder in the 2016 All-Star game after a stellar first half of the season where he had a slash of .296/.378/.548.
The issue was his slump during the second half of the season where he had a slash of .233/.315/.412.
Although his hitting was inconsistent, his fielding ability in center field is still one of the best in the business. During the past 2 seasons, Bradley has had 13 assists in each season, making him a threat for any base runner wanting to advance to another base.
I think most of Red Sox Nation knows JBJ’s main goal for the 2017 season, which is staying consistent offensively throughout the entire season.
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Yes, all players are going to hit a slump. But the best players learn what they are doing wrong, and get out of that slump as quick as possibly. With Bradley, he has the tendency to have his slumps last for a few months.
The last and youngest “Killer B” is 22 year old Andrew Benintendi.
With being named the top prospect in all of baseball, “Benny Baseball” is ready to live up to the hype in 2017.
Red Sox Nation got a little taste of Benintendi as he appeared in 34 games with slash of .295/.359/.476. Not bad from a kid who was drafted in 2015.
Also, with Benintendi being a left handed hitter only balances the Red Sox lineup due to the fact that most of the top hitters are righties.
Just like Betts and Bradley, Benintendi has the speed, power, and ability to chase down fly balls to win over Red Sox fan’s hearts.
With who the Red Sox have out there to start the 2017 season, they without a doubt have the ability to be the best outfield in all of baseball.
Next: Red Sox: Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia among best middle infield duo’s
After having one of the best offenses last year, the Red Sox have the ability to surpass the offensive numbers they put up in 2016.