Yankees-Red Sox 2018 match up of opening day lineups

The 2018 Boston Red Sox are a team built to win, but how do they match up against the Yankees “Magnificent Seven ” and the “Dangerous Duo” of Giancarlo Stanton and Didi Gregorius?

This might be the last hotly contested battle between arch rivals Yankees and Red Sox for some time to come. The Sox, with their whopping, and MLB high $228 million payroll, are desperate to bring home a championship, but they must overcome a Yankee team on a mission to win No. 28.

Boston must win now because they are in danger of losing their best core players over the next few years. They will tough pressed to re-sign their core stars with that already exorbitant payroll, so look for a sharp decline in their chances to compete for the AL East title after this season.

So let’s match-up the Yankees and Red Sox 2018 projected opening day lineups.

Catcher:

Yankees: Gary Sanchez, age 25 — an All-Star and Silver Slugger winner in 2017. After hitting 20 HR in just 53 games the prior season, he belted 33 HR and 90 RBI — and posted a .278 BA in his first full season in the big leagues. He is also an improving defensive catcher with a shotgun arm.

Red Sox: Christian Vazquez, age 27– hit .290 in 99 games in 2017. Many believe he could become one of the best defensive catchers in all of baseball.

Edge: Yankees

First Base:

Yankees: Greg Bird, age 25 — he showed promise in 2015 before getting injured with 11 HR and 31 RBI in only 46 games. Returning in 2017 from a year-long DL stint, Bird almost duplicated his ’15 numbers, although his batting average dropped significantly. Because he is injury prone, the jury is still out.

Red Sox: Hanley Ramirez, age 34 — the aging three-time All-Star and 2009 NL Batting Champ was only able to post a .243 BA, 23 HR and 62 RBI last season. The Red Sox are hoping he can find some form of his youth, otherwise, the re-signed Mitch Moreland will see an increase in PT.

Edge: Toss-up

Second Base:

Yankees: Tyler Wade, age 23 — he’s putting up good Spring Training numbers that should win him the starting role to begin the year. Debuted last season, appearing in just 30 games, mostly off the bench.

Red Sox: Eduardo Nunez, age 30 — the former Yankee had an excellent 2017 with the Twins and Sox, putting up a career-best season .313 BA,12 HR and 58 RBI. Nunez’s versatility gives the Red Sox flexibility as he can play every infield position, though his defense is sometimes lacking.

Edge: Red Sox

Shortstop:

Yankees: Didi Gregorius, age 28 — posted a robust .287 BA with 25 HR, 87 RBI and a 1.06 OPS in 2017. Sir Didi is poised to have a career year after finishing 20th in the AL MVP voting last year.

Red Sox: Xander Bogaerts, age 25 — once thought of by Red Sox Nation as the face of the franchise, after two brilliant seasons, Bogaerts fell off in 2017 with a subdued .273 BA, 10 HR and 62 RBI in 2017.

Edge: Yankees

Third Base

Yankees: Brandon Drury, age 25 — with Diamondbacks last year, Drury hit .267 with 13 HR and 63 RBI. A versatile infielder with the potential to increase his power numbers in an everyday role, the Yankees expect his offense to ramp up in the Bronx.

Red Sox: Rafael Devers, age 21 — in 222 games in 2017, Devers hit .284 with 10 HR (one off of a 100 mph Aroldis Chapman fastball) and 30 RBI. I believe this kid will be a big star but may need a full season to make adjustments.

Yankees: How do they match up to the Red Sox projected lineup?

The 2018 Boston Red Sox are a team built to win, but how do they match up against the Yankees “Magnificent Seven ” and the “Dangerous Duo” of Giancarlo Stanton and Didi Gregorius?

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