Author: Brendan Campbell

Defending Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the Boston Red Sox took care of business against Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, beating them 5-3. I was only able to watch the bottom of the 8th and the top of the 9th since I was in class so this might not be the best analysis. HOWEVA, I was following along on Twitter and my impression is that Porcello was rolling up until the seventh, then he gave up three runs. I find it funny that Pablo Sandoval drove in the first run of the season. I tweeted this out earlier, but I really think Pablo can thrive in the 8th spot to begin the year. This will allow him to not be in a ton of high-pressure situations and I think putting him there could help him like it helped Jackie Bradley Jr. during the early parts of last season. Watching Craig Kimbrel close out the game was interesting. Throughout last season, I got anxious nearly everytime Kimbrel took the mound, and that’s how I felt today. A hit batsman and a double off the monster that I for sure thought was a home run. Plenty of suspense for Opening Day.

1 down, 90something to go. 

Tomorrow is Opening Day, one of the best days of the sports year. A true sign that Springtime is upon us. The beer is flowing, the hot dogs are cooking, and every seat is filled. Optimism is present throughout all 30 clubs as the hunt for a playoff spot begins. The Red Sox appear to be favorites in the American League East but health among the team has become quite a concern. With impact players like David Price, Tyler Thornburg, and Carson Smith starting the season on the Disabled List, other pitchers will have to step up. The Red Sox lineup, however, looks to be as dominant as they were last year. The loss of David Ortiz will hurt, but I believe new addition Mitch Moreland will have a nice impact and Pablo Sandoval will have a resurgent year. I also think Chris Sale and Cy Young winner Rick Porcello will be workhorses this season. To summarize, I think the Red Sox will struggle out of the gate, but as the team gets healthier, their performance will improve and I think they are capanle of winning the AL Eeast. Now on to the predictions:

AWARD WINNERS:
AL ROY: Andrew Benintendi
AL CY: Chris Sale
AL MVP: Mike Trout

NL ROY: Dansby Swanson
NL CY: Noah Syndergaard
NL MVP: Bryce Harper

DIVISION WINNERS:
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros

NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers

WILDCARD:
AL: Seattle over Toronto
NL: San Francisco over St. Louis

ALDS: Indians over Seattle; Red Sox over Astros
NLDS: Cubs over San Francisco; Dodgers over Nationals

ALCS: Red Sox over Indians
NLCS: Dodgers over Cubs

World Series: Red Sox over Dodgers

You heard it here first, the Boston Red Sox will defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. Clayton Kershaw will get his, but the three headed monster that is Sale, Porcello, and Price will prevail. Chris Sale wins World Series MVP.

Hello, my name is Brendan Campbell. This is Blogging The Red Sox.

I started this blog in 2017 to share my thoughts and opinions on the Boston Red Sox, a team I have been following my whole life.

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