Alex Cora, Red Sox Reveal Opening Day Lineup?
I know the NCAA tournament starts today. But maybe just maybe pay a little attention to the Red Sox game today, because for all intents and purposes, Alex Cora just trotted out his opening day lineup.
Today vs. TOR: Betts RF, Benintendi LF, Ramirez 1B, Martinez DH, Bogaerts SS, Devers 3B, Núñez 2B, Bradley, Jr. CF, Vázquez C, Price LHP
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 15, 2018
There’s like two tournament games going on at 1 pm, so maybe just listen to WEEI or something. Watch the game on MLB.TV. There’s a lot of options here guys.
Obviously David Price won’t be starting opening day. That’s gonna be Chris Sale. So when Chris Sale starts opening day, Sandy Leon may be the opening day catcher, hitting 8th, because Sale loves throwing to him. But then again, Leon may not (and probably should not) even make the opening day roster, so who knows.
Is Hanley hitting 3rd a little weird?
Yeah I think it is, but Alex Cora has basically said from day one that Hanley was going to hit 3rd on this team. A manager being transparent and concise, how about that?
Hanley is hitting 3rd because Xander Bogaerts did not hit like a number three hitter last year. If Bogaerts has truly learned to lift the ball and drive it with authority instead of hitting weak-ass dying quails to right field, he could eventually become the three hitter. Benintendi is also in line to potentially become the three hitter when Dustin Pedroia comes back, because Pedroia is not a number seven hitter. But either way, lineup options and flexibility are good. Core was with a Houston Astros team that had those same traits last season, and if I’m not mistaken, they won a World Series.
There are analytical reasons for hitting JD Martinez 4th, so hopefully no one has any issues with that. A team’s best power hitter is supposed to be able to do damage whenever he comes to the plate, but it’s better to start the second inning with an extra base hit than it is to get one with two outs in the first inning. If someone gets on in the first inning, Martinez will hit with a runner on base. It’s really a win-win.
Besides, JD is gonna hit like 60 bombs and drive in 130 so none of this really matters. What people aren’t talking about is how likely it is that JD breaks the single season home run record. And not that fake ass 61 record that Giancarlo Stanton said he was shooting for last year. We’re talking 74 bombs this year for JD. Easy.
–Brian Borders (@bborders12)