We are just a few short weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training and could the Red Sox see a power shift? After he found his confidence in October, David Price is set to own 2019.
If you’re like me then you are excitedly counting down until Spring Training. With the Red Sox coming off of a historic season that was crowned by winning a World Series, this spring feels a little different. For me, I’m most interested in seeing the dynamic with David Price and Chris Sale. Two alpha dogs that saw two very different postseasons.
Chris Sale has been a rock in the Red Sox rotation since arriving in Boston but some health issues caused him to not be his lights-out self in October. David Price has always been a consistent pitcher but once the calendar flipped to the postseason, he’d disappear. Not this year. With Sale having not only shoulder issues but suffering from a mystery stomach ailment, Price stepped up.
After having a rocky first start against the Yankees, it seemed as if David was going to have his usual playoff slump. But then as if a switch was flipped, he woke up and took his spot as the ace of the rotation. With Sale in and out and not pitching at his best as we’d become accustomed to, Price put an end to his October nightmares.
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David took the role as the top dog and made sure to set the tone for the rest of the team. HIs power performances were confidence builders for not only himself but everyone on the team as well. So now we get back to the question at hand. Will Price surpass Sale as the top ace of the rotation? We all know that Chris will have the ball on Opening Day as the #1 starter, but what kind of pitcher will we see?
Last we saw Sale he was throwing a slider so filthy it made Manny Machado corkscrew himself right into home plate. So even though he had been sporadic during October, he closed the biggest game in the biggest way. So with all intents and purposes, Chris Sale is the #1 guy for Alex Cora and his pitching staff. But don’t take your eyes off of Price.
With his confidence at an all-time high, he’ll be rolling into Fort Meyers ready to do the damn thing. Even if he has a “2” next to his name in the rotation, he’ll be going out each and every day to prove he is still ace. He showed during the playoffs that he has the monkey off of his back and he can go when he’s called on.
I feel that in 2019 Price can once again assert himself back into the top of the rotation. I’m sure that’s more of a pipe dream as we all know Sale will be gunning to erase his performances from the 2018 playoffs. I started this off by saying how I think Price could once again reattain his role as a top pitcher in baseball. And I won’t waver from that. I honestly think he will. But I think he’ll do more than just that.
With Price’s confidence at an all-time high and with how competitive Sale is, I can see these two pushing one another to new heights. This upcoming season will be a major test for the Red Sox as the entire baseball world will be gunning to knock them off the throne. Alex Cora will be sure to have all of his weapons ready to go Opening Day arrives, even if that means carrying two aces into the fight.