My projected lineup for this upcoming season
How will Alex Cora manage this brand new lineup?
With all the new additions this offseason, there are many questions surrounding the almost brand-new lineup we will see nearly every night. Now I don’t have the scout’s eye quite yet but just based on what I have seen in the past and have read I have an Idea of what it will look like.
Leadoff, Second, and Third
The top candidate is looking to be the new power lefty from Japan, Masataka Yoshida. Personally, I don’t think he is the greatest choice right off the jump just because we haven’t seen him play American ball yet. I feel his power could be better used further down the lineup, but there are many possibilities with this new crew.
My top candidate for leadoff is Kike Hernandez. He has a career .314 OBP in nine seasons, with a .337 in 2021 and a .291 last season. The RBIs need to go up, but his speed is plenty enough to make him leadoff this season.
For second in line I have Yoshida. I wish I could put him further down but there are others more deserving of those spots, and any lower than that probably wouldn’t be as beneficial.
He has high power and contact which is deserving of a top 5 spot. He had over .400 on-base percentage in Japan, and Fenway is looking to be perfect for him. He will have the opportunity to bring in the bottom guys in scoring position and I think he will lead the team in RBIs next to Devers.
Slotting into the third spot I have the highest-paid Red Sox in history, Rafael Devers. This one is pretty self-explanatory, as he’s done what he’s done for six seasons now.
Cleanup, five, and six
At number four I have rookie of the year candidate Triston Casas. He only had 76 at-bats last season but did show a little of what he’s done in the minors. He can hit for power, and I think we all know that he’s going to go off this season. He had a .766 OPS with a 113 OPS+.
At number 5 I have Christian Arroyo. I know, he may not have the power to other people’s number 5, but he has the contact. Contact is the base of hitting, which I find most important. He missed a lot of games last year while battling Covid about 12 times, but in 280 at bats he slashed .286/.322/.414 with a .736 OPS and a 103 OPS+. He will likely be the starting second baseman, and possibly split time with Adalberto Mondesi.
Penciled into the sixth spot I have the former Brave Adam Duvall. he’s coming off a down year, getting under 300 at-bats with only 12 home runs. He could move up in the order depending on his performance, but I think he’ll give himself a good chance and do pretty well at Fenway. He hit 31 dingers just two seasons ago, and I don’t see why at the age of twenty-eight he can’t achieve that again.
Seven, eight, and nine
For the last three spots in the lineup, I am putting the more questionable fellas who will have mostly everyday spots.
Next, I have Alex Verdugo. Last season was his most productive since being traded to Boston, yet I think his ceiling is a little bit higher still. He’s a valuable lefty for the bottom of the order that can move runners around. I also believe he will be in the top two breakout candidates this year.
At age 38, I believe the eighth spot for Justin Turner is fair. Brought in to replace the declining J.D Martinez (Practically trading DHs), I am not banking on him being a high run scorer but can still get those runners around for RBIs. He has hit 27 home runs three different times in his career, whereas last year he only hit 13. I also think he will be very valuable in the clubhouse, keeping it light, fun and bringing in some new traditions, maybe a new home run celebration?
Like many catchers, the bottom guy is Connor Wong. He did not hit very well last year but he did only get a small sample size towards the end of last season. Granted, he will be splitting even time with Reese McGuire, if I had to pick one I would choose Wong to start. I really like the new catching tandem, although I wish they would have pursued and brought back Vazquez this off-season. I think Wong’s potential is that he can stay in the majors with some work on his batting skills and contact.
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Have to disagree with most of this. Batting orders are overrated, but they primarily matter for a couple of reasons.
First, you want to get more ABs for your better hitters over the course of the year.
Second, you want to bunch your better hitters so they can sustain rallies.
Yoshida’s OBP in Japan is more than 100 points higher than Kike’s career mark. I get that he hasn’t done it in the US, but unless he’s a total bust, he’s your leadoff guy.
Devers bats 2nd because he’s their best hitter, and that’s where the Trouts, Judges and Harpers hit.
I’d bat Turner 3rd and Casas 4th, followed by Duvall, Verdugo and Kike.
McGuire 8th and Arroyo/Mondesi 9th.
It’s actually a pretty good lineup