Red Sox Roundtable: Over/Under predictions for 2018 season
By Sean Penney
David Price – over/under 3.50 ERA.
Brandon – Under. David Price will have a huge season for Boston. He’ll post somewhere between a 2.60-2.80 ERA, and it won’t even be the best from Boston’s starting rotation.
Rick – Under but just barely. I also expect Price to miss a few turns either via a minor injury or manager decision.
Cole – Under. Between 2012 and 2015, Price had a FIP under 3.00. Hes not that much older and, while he’s been sporadic in his time in Boston, he’s shown flashes of being the pitcher that earned a $200 million contract. Last year, Price posted an ERA of 3.38 while coming off an injury. I would expect Price to pitch better with a clean bill of health.
Josh – Under. I don’t really have a concrete basis for this, but he seems different this year. He was phenomenal in his postseason appearances in 2017, and seems devoted to proving himself again. Hitters should watch out for him.
Bryson – Price is going to have an ERA under 3.50 this year and I’d even expect him to keep it around 3.25. When healthy last year, Price was his dominant self. If you think Price will be healthy this year, there is no reason to think his pitching has declined. Price will be the second best pitcher for Boston and carry a 3.25 ERA for the year.
Stephen – Under. I’m projecting Price to win 16 games, with a 3.25 ERA. Price can still be one of the best pitchers in baseball, he’s been dealing with elbow pain for two years but now he is healthy. His contract has overshadowed the fact that he has still been one of the most valuable pitchers in the staff for the last two years. I think he’ll win over Boston fans this year.
Hunter – Under. The Price we saw in the playoffs last season was confident and utterly dominant. That’s who I expect in 2018. He’s been solid for the Red Sox, but due to the lofty expectations that came with his arrival, some fans like to think he’s been miserable. It’s to the point where he can’t win because some fans will always find something to nitpick. Price has a fantastic chance to shut up the haters this year though, and I feel his ERA will be closer to 3.00 than 3.50.