Red Sox Roundtable: BoSox Injection staff predictions for the 2019 season
By Sean Penney
Will any Red Sox player finish top-3 on the ballot for MVP or Cy Young?
Rick: Eventually, Chris sale will win the Cy Young, but he needs a 180 innings to do it.
Josh: I think we can safely assume that Mookie Betts will at least finish in the top-3 of the MVP race and that Chris Sale will finish in that range in the Cy Young race. Both are among the best at what they do and Betts is the reigning MVP. While he may lose out to Mike Trout, it should be a tight race once again. Sale, for his part, has fallen just short of winning the Cy Young in each of his big league seasons. If he can stay healthy, this might finally be his year.
Brendan: I believe Mookie Betts is a lock to finish top-3 in the MVP race, and even J.D. Martinez may have a shot with the DH gaining more respect league-wide.
Patrick: No. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez both had huge seasons last year and it is more likely that they will regress in 2019 than put up the same or better statistics. Martinez’s lack of fielding prowess also hurts him in MVP voting and makes him unlikely to finish in the top 3. Sale finished fourth in Cy Young voting last season, but his velocity dipped in September and will be a concern again in 2019.
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Rudi: I think Mookie will be in the top-3 for MVP at the end of the year. I definitely think he can have a similar year to last season. He’s a superstar and I hope he can perform on that level for years to come – hopefully in Boston. J.D. could also be up there, especially with the more modern look at DH’s being established this offseason. For pitching, Chris Sale will definitely be in and around the contenders for what would, somehow, be his first career Cy Young award.
Hunter: It’s impossible to bet against Mookie Betts and Chris Sale for those two awards.
Evan: Call me an optimist, but yes to both. I don’t see a world in which Mookie Betts regresses at all and while Chris Sale’s health is a bit of a concern, I still have a hard time thinking the ace won’t be in contention. I still think J.D. Martinez will be the best DH in the league, but I’m doubtful that he will be able to finish once again in the top 3 if Betts, Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Mike Trout, and others all stay healthy. Like it or not, it’s likely that being a DH negatively impacts his chances in many voter’s eyes.
Brian: I think Chris Sale will finish Top 3 in the Cy Young once again and this might finally be the year he takes home the one award that has avoided his outstanding career so far. I don’t think any Red Sox player will finish Top 3 in the MVP vote, however.