The 2017 Yankees and AL East Predictions (Part 2)

The Boston Red Sox

The Sox won 93 games last year and the AL East; they look ready to do it all again. Only this year the balance of power might have switched from hitting to pitching. Not that they won’t be great at both, just that they could be better throwing the ball than hitting it.

That is because they switched out stars. Gone is David Ortiz. He took his 38 home runs, 127 RBI’s and .620 slugging home to the DR and into retirement. Those numbers were all easily tops on the Sox and will not be replaced. Boston did not even attempt to bring in a replacement bat.

And why should they? Their best players hit for both average and power: 24-year-old RF Mookie Betts (.318/31 home runs); 24-year-old SS Xander Bogaerts (.294/21); 2B Dustin Pedroia (33 but still in his prime–.318/15); and, 33-year-old 1B/DH Hanley Ramirez (.286/30). And while CF Jackie Bradley might have hit only .267, his OBP was .349, and he hit 26 homers.

The offense is a great mix of youth and veterans who all hit for both average and power. They might not be the same without one of the most dangerous bats in baseball, but they still look like an offensive machine.

David Who?

Fortunately for the Sox, the offense won’t have to be as good.

That’s because Boston brought in yet another ace, Chris Sale. Sale is without a doubt a top five pitcher in baseball and maybe the best pitcher in the division. The 28-year-old has averaged over 200 innings the last five years and well over 200 strikeouts. His 2016 ERA was 3.34 while his WHIP was 1.037. That was a very typical year and good enough for fifth in the Cy Young voting.

But he lost out to new teammate Rick Porcello, also 28. He was busy pitching to a 3.15 ERA and WHIP of 1.009. That was good enough for 22 wins. Fortunately, the rest of the division got a break when Boston’s other ace, David Price, had an off year. His ERA was bloated (3.99), but he still managed to pitch 230 innings and strike out 228 batters. He is hurt now, but this team can more than stay afloat while they await his return.

Add to that knuckleballer Steven Wright‘s 3.33 ERA and this staff looks ready to be the best in the division, and maybe all of baseball.

A Chink in the Armor

The bullpen lags a bit behind the other aspects of the team. It is, though, anchored by Craig Kimbrel and he happens to be one of the best closers in baseball. They brought in Tyler Thornburg and his 2.15 ERA, but they also reached out for reclamation projects Joe Kelly and Carson Smith. There is a lot of shaky ground under Boston’s bullpen.

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The saving grace for the Sox is that they will not need their bullpen as much as other clubs. Thier starting pitchers go deep into games and throw a lot of innings.

Of course, the Sox depleted its farm system to bring in players such as Price and Sale, but it has worked. And they still have the top prospect in baseball, Andrew Benintendi. He has done well enough in spring training (.322 BA/.397 OBP) to earn a starting spot in the outfield. The team just got younger and more talented.

Beyond that, the best Red Sox farm hands, players such as Rafael Devers and Jason Groome, are still years away. But who cares about the future when the Sox have a great now.

The Boston Red Sox have talent all over the field and look ready to compete at the highest level.

Now for the Predictions

Three teams come into 2017 worse than they were in 2016: Baltimore, Boston, and Tampa. The Rays were the worst team in the division last year and will remain so this year.

The Blue Jays and Orioles each won 89 games last year, but the Jays are returning with more talent. The Orioles will finish in fourth and the Jays in third. Neither will make the playoffs.

The Yankees, however, were one of the teams that improved. They have a real ace and a farm system that can either produce a front-line starter or the talent to trade for one. That is a huge advantage over the other teams. Their offense looks ready to be a dominant force in the division, and they will slug their way to second in the East and a playoff berth.

Yankees Sanchez And Bird Form Mutual Admiration Society

But Bird and Sanchez must have seen it, even back in 2014, and thought about playing together in Yankees uniforms. Now those dreams have become reality.

And the Red Sox will repeat as winners of the AL East and one of the scariest teams in the playoffs. They have possibly three aces on the staff and some of the best young talent in the game.

The Yankees have a bright future, and I look forward to seeing their young talent develop. The Orioles and Blue Jays have been slugging their way to the postseason, and now it is starting to be the Yankees turn. But the future is now for the Red Sox. As much as I look forward to the 2018 playoffs and beyond, I might skip watching baseball in late October this year.