Red Sox Strength #2: The Top of the Lineup
Boston has been renowned for having strong lineups over the years. When you lose players like Betts you sometimes expect to see a massive falloff. That was the case last season, but, from an offensive standpoint, this ballclub should be able to compete with just about anyone. The top of the lineup isn’t exactly what it was in 2018, but it’s Boston’s biggest all-around strength.
The Sox are expected to open with free-agent signing Kiké Hernandez, who spent the last six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Red Sox manager Alex Cora has said that he likes Hernanez’s speed and energy at the top of the order, believing that there is some ‘untapped potential’ there. The former Dodger has a career OBP of .313, not the most impressive, but if Cora wants to give him that spot then it could be a good thing for the Red Sox.
The only other man who would really be considered for the lead-off spot is Alex Verdugo. Verdugo impressed in his first season in Boston in 2020. The left-handed batter showed great hustle and determination, along with a combination of speed and power at the plate. Dugie has an OBP of .367 in 2020 and is projected to be hitting in the two-hole behind Kiké to start the year.
Hernandez and Verdugo give the Sox a nice dynamic at the top of the order. They’re two players who can get your lineup ticking if dialed in, and there’s a good chance we’ll see that early on. Verdugo was one of the strong spots for Boston last year, whilst Kiké has impressed during his first spring training with the sox, developing a .333 average and a 1.010 OPS.
The three through five spots in the order will be occupied by Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and J.D. Martinez in one way or another. Now, that’s a pretty great top half. Martinez is looking to bounce back after an abysmal 2020 season at the plate and launched his first homer of the spring today with one of his smoothes swings as of late.
You shouldn’t look too closely at last season for anyone, but a player of Martinez’s standard shouldn’t be hitting .212 however long a season is. J.D. is signed for 2021, has a player option for 2022 before becoming an unrestricted free agent the following year. There’ve been murmurs regarding whether or not he wants to be part of a rebuilding roster. But when you have Bogaerts and Devers around you in a lineup, it’s not the worst place to be for a clean-up hitter.