Boston Red Sox 2022 Season Preview

After closing out the 2021 season just two wins away from the World Series, the Boston Red Sox are looking for redemption this season. With departures from Hunter Renfroe, Kyle Schwarber, Eduardo Rodriguez, and others, the Sox have returned 2018 ALCS hero Jackie Bradley Jr, LHP Rich Hill, RHP Michael Wacha, LHP James Paxton, and superstar SS Trevor Story. It was a relatively quiet offseason for the Sox until Chaim Bloom made a splash to acquire the 2x All-Star.

Starting Pitching

It's safe to say that the Red Sox improved from last season, however, a full season from Chris Sale is thrown out the window once again, as he is sidelined with a fractured rib cage. The 6'6" lefty will hopefully begin throwing sometime this week according to boston.com, which makes officials around the organization to believe his return should come sometime in May. Nathan Eovaldi will now take the reigns as the ace of this staff, and he is ready to do the heavy lifting once again coming off of an impressive season finishing 4th in the AL CY Young voting. With James Paxton not able to return until mid-season coming off of Tommy John surgery, what will the remainder of the rotation look like? Nick Pivetta, who had a great finish to his 2021 campaign and stellar postseason performances out of the bullpen, is in the rotation - along with 25 year old Tanner Houck, who's numbers don't tell the story of how promising this young pitcher can be. I believe Michael Wacha will take the 4th spot, leaving an opening for either veteran Rich Hill, or former rule 5 draft pick standout Garrett Whitlock. Whatever happens will be up to Alex Cora, who has been happy with the additions to his staff, and Red Sox fans should be excited to see how these guys hold down the fort until Paxton and Sale return. The starting staff held it down last season until healthy starters returned, can they do it again in 2022?

Relief Pitching

After a pretty rocky 2021 from a group of relievers that had some potential, its all hands on deck to have a bounce back 2022 campaign. Matt Barnes, following an All-Star Game appearance had a disastrous second half of the 2021 season, being left off of the ALCS roster. As seen in spring training, his fastball has been sitting at 92-93 MPH which has caused a bit of concern from the Red Sox front office. Let's hope he can tune up to start the season and have a bounce back season. As for the rest of the pen which includes new pickups Jake Diekman and Matt Strahm, returnees contain the likes of Austin Davis, Hirokazu Sawamura, Ryan Brasier, Phillips Valdez, and rookie Kutter Crawford who was announced to make the team on Monday. Setup man Josh Taylor who suffered a back injury will miss opening day in New York with a back injury - tough news for this group, but the next man up mentality is something the Red Sox are familiar with. This is a pen that although it has many question marks, can surprise some people and I am very excited to see how these guys perform and back the starting staff.

Lineup

I wanted to save the starting 9 for last because there is so much too unpack with this crew. With the addition of Trevor Story, an athletic shortstop with good range and unlimited pop in his bat, I can see him being a fantastic second basemen making an easy transition to the right side of the infield. When it comes to winning, sacrifices need to be made for the betterment of the team, which is a mantra Story is all about with Xander Bogaerts being the franchise SS. Red Sox fans wanted a splash, and they got it with the acquisiton of Trevor Story, who now is the final piece in this loaded Sox infield that includes Devers, Bogaerts, and Bobby Dalbec.

If the world isn't aware of Rafael Devers already, they will be by the end of the 2022 season. We saw glimpses of what he can be last year, and that is a perennial All-Star and future MVP candidate. He is raking so far this spring slashing .435 with six home runs and 12 RBI in just 10 games. Congrats Boston, you have found your guy - extension? We will just have to wait.

Another name that the Red Sox front office is excited for this season is Bobby Dalbec. It isn't a secret that Dalbec struggled last season, however he enters 2022 with a new approach at the plate and it has been paying off so far this spring. Bobby has pressure on him to perform with the hype surrounding Tristan Casas, however, even if Casas does get his eventual major league call up, Dalbec will be a piece that finds his way on the field. He has been taking reps at 3B, and even in the outfield, as he wants to be more versatile in order to crack the lineup and be a contribution to this roster. For now, the Casas talk is left in the background, and it's all eyes on Bobby to have the year Red Sox fans know he can have.

Kike Hernandez, Alex Verdugo, Christian Vazquez, JD Martinez, and Xander Bogaerts all return to the Red Sox lineup with high expectations. Kike Hernandez is coming off one of his best career years, and finally has a permanent home in CF. I expect him to have another big year in the leadoff spot - especially coming off of a red hot postseason at the dish, his confidence is at an all time high. The same goes for Bogaerts and JD Martinez, who are always threats at the plate and two of the most feared hitters in this Sox lineup not named Rafael Devers or Trevor Story.

The back end of the lineup includes Jackie Bradley Jr and Christian Vazquez, who aren't depended on for their offense, however, it's always nice when these guys can contribute, and we know they are capable of having some heroic moments. Jackie is going to patrol RF for the Sox this season, who's defense goes without saying. He is a perennial gold glover coming off of a rough 2021 season with the Brewers. One of the most aggressive, "go get it," minded outfielders in the game - Bradley joins Hernandez and Verdugo in an impressive defensive outfield. As for Christian Vazquez, he will be the opening day backstop for the fifth straight year, coming off a 2021 where he batted .258 with 23 doubles. Although he isn't someone that leads the Red Sox in offensive stats, he is a key piece to this team who has postseason experience.

In a loaded AL East division, the Red Sox are going to have to compete with some of the best Major League Baseball has to offer. The 99 day lockout is finally a thing of the past, and it is time to begin the grind of a 162 game season. The fans are ready, the front office is ready, and most importantly, this team is ready to not only make the playoffs, but to compete for a World Series title. The Red Sox open up their season on Thursday 4/7 @ the New York Yankees at 1:05pm.