The Red Sox and 2020
I won’t begin to tell you that I have any idea of how this season is going to turn out, I don’t think anyone truly does. There are players that I’m more confident in than others, but that doesn’t mean squat in the big picture. It’s been said to death but the phrase that this is going to be a sprint and not a marathon is the absolute best way to describe 2020. Having less than half a season to work with severely limits the number of mistakes a team can make.
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I’m confident in Ron Roenicke as the manager of the Red Sox as he has the reputation and resume of a manager that can win. He also served under Alex Cora during the last two seasons so he’s a familiar face to the team. Having someone brand new in the captain’s chair would’ve all but sunk this season right from the start. I also have confidence in Chaim Bloom and his ability to evaluate talent. He has a month to figure out the trade waters as well as his farm system, it could be one hell of a debut season for him.
Boston’s offense will be one of the best in the league just as it has been the last few seasons, there’s little doubt there. The pitching is once again the team’s Achilles’ heel but shows signs of promise when the stars line up just right. Like I mentioned in my first slide, I see this side finishing right around 32-28, a hair above .500 but it may get the job done.
Is October baseball out of the picture for the Red Sox? Definitely not. Will it be easy like it was in 2018? Oh hell no. But it’s possible.
There’s a lot to be excited about with this Red Sox team and there’s plenty to worry about. We may run into a situation where they all band together and steamroll this season blowing out all expectations. And on the flip side, it could be a year where the chemistry just isn’t there and we painfully watch the team fail each night. To me though, Nathan Eovaldi, Jose Peraza, and the bullpen can all be major weapons and components to the Red Sox seeing success in 2020.