The 2018 Boston Red Sox lineup should look like this
The Boston Red Sox should win a World Series title in 2018. They need to make a few moves, and this is the lineup that they should have.
The expectation every year is for the Boston Red Sox to compete for a World Series title. They fell short in 2017, but 2018 looks promising.
A strong offseason with a few moves could make a huge difference in the Red Sox offense next season, and I still think that those moves will come. There should be at least one huge signing, followed by a lesser move that still makes an impact. The bullpen and rotation should also look a little different in 2018, but I’ll cover that later in the offseason.
For now, this is what I believe the Boston Red Sox offensive lineup should look like on Opening Day of the 2018 MLB season.
1. RF Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts should lead things off for Boston in 2018, at least to start the year. According to new manager Alex Cora, Betts is expected to fill the #1 spot on the lineup card.
"“I think we can be explosive,” he said. “I come from a place where we want to put pressure on the pitcher right away. You look at the athletes we have, Mookie Betts will be kind of like our George Springer. From pitch one we’re going to try and make the opposition grind and execution, and that’s not easy to do. I feel Mookie is athletic enough, he has extra-base power and he can be aggressive enough in the strike zone to put a good swing on right away and make the game 1-0, or have a man on second with no outs.”"
Last season, Betts was the leadoff man for Boston 81 times and had 16 home runs from that slot. He makes the most sense as the leadoff man for the Red Sox as they’ll look to play a similar style to the Houston Astros of last season.