Major League Baseball is on their second covid season in 2021 with a full 162 game schedule that started on April 1st. There is one team that half of Greenfield’s citizens love, while the other half hates, and that is why I will focus on the Boston Red Sox.
The Boston Red Sox are a young rebuilding team coming into 2021. Ever since the 2016-18 era where they won 3 straight AL east titles, 1 AL pennant, and 1 World Series, they haven't been in the playoffs and have blown up their roster to set the team up for success in the future.
A huge change from the 2018 World Series team to this year's 2021 team is their outfield. The Red Sox traded all three players Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr. to three different teams. The new players in the outfield are Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe, and Franchy Cordero. Two out of the three players are 26 years old and younger and Hunter Renfroe is 29 and looking a little bit on the aging side, but I can see this Red Sox organization training these three players and making them a really good three piece core. After looking at this roster I personally believe this team will either stay last in the division and really teach the younger guys and grow them to be stars in the next couple of years, or fight for a wildcard spot and play in the playoffs.
There are quite a few baseball fans and Red Sox fans in Greenfield. One fan of baseball that goes to Greenfield High School is Trevor Kucheski, and he had a great opinion on how he believes the Boston Red Sox are going to do this season. “I think they are a young team that is going to progress throughout the season,” said Kuchieski and I happen to agree with him on this one. Trevor also claimed, “that they could be a wildcard team.” This is a great claim.
Los Angeles Dodgers scout Peter Bergeron had some words on how he believes the Boston Red Sox will do this season. “I definitely think they're going to do better than last year. They did not play well at all last year. They have a decent roster and they all had a down year in last year’s season.” Bergeron continued with, “Their roster is talented but their pitching is just awful right now.” Which coming from a scout from the professionals and giving a mixed review of their prospects this could be a good or bad thing to hear as a fan.
Bergeron also claimed that, “The Red Sox don't have much behind them unlike most teams in their division.” In a talented and competitive division they do not have the depth on their bench to keep them going. Teams like the Yankees and the Rays are going to get on top the Red Sox because those teams have way more depth that the Red Sox don't have.
So the Red Sox have a shot, but it will come with a tremendous effort, in training the new guys out in the field and at the plate, and really reworking that pitching staff. With some hard work and a whole lot of luck, they could make something out of this season after all. And picking up six wins in a row, after getting swept in the opening series, there may be some hope.