The Results
Despite both teams boasting some of the American League’s top rotations, the Red Sox take the edge in the battle of starting rotations. Sale, Price, and Porcello represent a near-perfect combination of performance and durability, and while the Indians’ Kluber, Carrasco, and Salazar meet the standards on performance, the latter two haven’t shown as much in the way of longevity throughout a full season.
The back of the rotation is split between the two teams, as Bauer has shown more reliability and fewer red flags with Cleveland than Pomeranz has with Boston. At the same time, either one of Steven Wright and Rodriguez have rare upside for a No. 5 starter – upside that Tomlin doesn’t possess.
You can find the earlier infield here, and outfield results here, but for now, here are the aggregate results thus far:
Indians: 4 (1B, SS, 3B, No. 4 SP)
Red Sox: 6 (2B, CF, RF, No. 2 SP, No. 3 SP, No. 5 SP)
Tie: 4 (C, LF, DH, No. 1 SP)
Next: Red Sox: Jackie Bradley Jr. didn’t feel welcome until 2016
Feel free to leave a comment with any agreements or disagreements, as many positions can go either way with these two powerhouse teams.