Potential Boston Red Sox Opening Day lineup with Spring Training here

Spring Training is here and the Boston Red Sox still haven’t made a big offseason move. This is likely what the Opening Day lineup will look like now.

The Boston Red Sox offense was not up to par last season as the longball evaded them, and the team will hope that changes in 2018. If they can find the home run, perhaps they can perform better in the postseason as well.

In 2017, the Red Sox lost to the Houston Astros in the ALDS. That’s not good enough in Boston, and fans will be hoping for an ALCS or World Series berth this time around. The Red Sox lineup will have to step up though if that’s going to happen.

A big issue here is that Boston hasn’t done anything to change their lineup from last season. J.D. Martinez has been the team’s top target all offseason, but he’s still holding out. The slugger could still choose to sign with Boston before the season begins, but fans and the Red Sox shouldn’t count on it. They could also look to second-tier free agents like Logan Morrison though.

For now, this is the lineup that Boston will head into the 2018 season with. Of note, second baseman Dustin Pedroia is sidelined with an injury to begin the year, but he will be back. Marco Hernandez is the favorite to slot into his position on the field unless a player like Brock Holt or Tzu-Wei Lin has a huge Spring Training.

The Lineup

1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
3. Xander Bogaerts, SS
4. Hanley Ramirez, DH
5. Rafael Devers, 3B
6. Mitch Moreland, 1B
7. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
8. Christian Vazquez, C
9. Marco Hernandez, 2B

This is a fairly solid lineup when you look at it independently. Devers will have some more experience under his belt and should produce solid numbers in the middle of the Red Sox lineup. Boston is likely counting on big seasons from Betts and Benintendi, and even Jackie Bradley Jr. has the potential to get hot offensively. Hanley Ramirez will also have a ton to prove in 2018, and he could be looking to put on an offensive clinic.

The issue though, is that the Red Sox lineup cannot be looked at independently. They will have to find ways to beat an incredible New York Yankees lineup, and they will probably face the Astros in the postseason again at some point. Both of those teams have great lineups, and although Boston has great pitching, they will have to score enough to keep up.

Projected Yankees Lineup

1. Brett Gardner, LF
2. Gleyber Torres, 2B
3. Aaron Judge, RF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Didi Gregorius, SS
6. Gary Sanchez, C
7. Greg Bird, 1B
8. Ronald Torreyes, 3B
9. Aaron Hicks, CF

The Yankees already had a ton of power with Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. Now, they’ve added Giancarlo Stanton. They are going to hit home runs and this is a tough lineup to face, even for pitchers like Chris Sale. It’s going to be tough for Boston to outscore this New York squad.

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Projected Astros Lineup

1. George Springer, CF
2. Alex Bregman, 3B
3. Jose Altuve, 2B
4. Carlos Correa, SS
5. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
6. Josh Reddick, RF
7. Evan Gattis, DH
8. Marwin Gonzalez, LF
9. Brian McCann, C

The Houston Astros lineup is the exact same one that beat the Red Sox in the ALDS last season. They have lots of firepower and will score almost at will. The reigning World Series Champions now have more experience for their young team, and Boston is in trouble if they can’t find their own offensive rhythm.

Next: Red Sox fans should be optimistic in 2018

Boston’s rotation should be able to limit opposing lineups somewhat, but the Red Sox offense needs to come alive. The city has dreams of another World Series Championship, the first since 2013, but right now that looks like a long shot. Personally, I’m hoping this Red Sox lineup surprises me along with every other fan. I would love to see them takeoff immediately, but it just doesn’t appear like that will happen. J.D. Martinez is the one player that can really help Boston now, but even Morrison would have an impact. If one of those two players ends up in a Boston uniform, throw this entire post out the window. The Red Sox would become real contenders in the American League.