In ten days Boston Red Sox baseball returns as the 2020 MLB season kicks off with the Baltimore Orioles coming to Fenway Park for a three-game set. The season which will last 60-games will end on September 27th against the Atlanta Braves.
Boston is heading into the season with a lot of unknowns with Chris Sale out of the year due to Tommy John and Eduardo Rodriguez still not clear to train yet due to a positive COVID-19 test. That means Boston’s rotation for the moment will be headed by Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez. Doesn’t exactly bode confidence.
In order for the Red Sox to have success in 2020 their pitching is going to have to limit the damage and the offense will have to be one of the top run producers in the American League. The upside on offense is there even with Mookie Betts out of the equation. Boston still has J.D. Martinez as top tier veteran players and then paired with a still growing Rafael Devers makes a trio of star talent in the lineup.
Outside of these “big three” is upside in players like Michael Chavis, Jackie Bradley Jr., Alex Verdugo, and Andrew Benintendi. All four could have improvements over their 2019 campaign.
One benefit for Boston is going on a hot streak could very well last the full 60-game slate. Prior to the 2020 season when it was still at 162 games the New York Yankees were the clear favorites in the AL East. But in 60-games, anything can happen. The week 1 MLB point spreads prove that to be true, with The New York Yankees opening as (-133) favorite as they take on The Washington Nationals. In the other major game of the day, The LA Dodgers are highly favored over The San Francisco Giants.
Boston will have a 60-player pool to utilize during the 2020 season with the non-game-day roster players expected to be housed at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. This will allow the Red Sox to bring players in as needed with the potential for injuries and COVID-19 creating a whole host of roster issues.
