The 2018 Boston Red Sox lineup should look like this

8. SS Xander Bogaerts

Xander Bogaerts is not really going to impress at the plate, but he holds his own. In 2017 he hit a solid .273 with 10 home runs and 62 RBI in 148 games. He also added 15 stolen bases on the season. It’s possible, and likely, that Xander will bounce back at the plate though. He won’t put up numbers like he did in 2016 when he had 21 homers and 89 RBI, but he should be able to hit around .280 with 15 long balls and 70 RBI for the Sox.

Really though, Boston is not counting on Bogaerts’ production at the plate. He’s one of the best shortstops in the game defensively and he’s posted a .977 fielding percentage over his career. In 2017 he made a career-high 17 errors from short, but that is not likely to happen again. Boston knows they have a great shortstop on their hands, it’s just time for the fans to realize it as well.