Which Red Sox players have the most to prove in 2022?
The Boston Red Sox proved a lot in the 2021 season. Predicted by pundits to finish fourth in the AL East, they rode an early-season nine-game winning streak to a first-place lead at the All-Star break. Despite struggling in the second half in large part due to a COVID outbreak, the Red Sox grabbed the AL Wild Card on the last day of the season.
They again proved the “experts” wrong in the postseason. They upset the New York Yankees and Gerrit Cole in the one-game playoff, then shocked the 100-win Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. Even though they lost to the Houston Astros in six games in the ALCS, the 2021 Red Sox season cannot be described as anything but a success.
Just because they exceeded expectations last year, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t players on the roster who are still feeling the pressure. Here are the five Red Sox who have the most to prove in 2022.