NFT: Are the Red Sox running and hiding

I would love to say that is exactly what is happening but, being a realist and someone who has followed baseball for a long time I know it is too ear5ly for that.

The end of May and the middle of June will be far more telling. If the Sox stay hot and have a 10 game lead at the end of May, middle of June then they close in on the run away and hide scenario.

Its like the hitter who has a huge April and then nothing much the rest of the year, or a single game in the NFL, it is too small a trend and data set to make a determination yet.

Not sure if the Red Sox are running and hiding but they obviously have put themselves in a fantastic spot. If their best players play most of the games they'll certainly be in the playoffs.

Betts is playing like an MVP candidate again, Benintendi is really good and still getting better, Boegarts adjusted his approach at the plate and was on fire prior to injuring his ankle, Devers is a pup with tons of power potential, Hanley Ramirez is in shape and seems to have turned the clock back 5 years, JD Martinez is starting to rake and somehow Mitch Moreland is OPSing 1.025

Frustrating that they are 15-2, but I doubt every one of these guys has a career year

in the same year I may just give up on sports. It's a real long season so they haven't run away with it yet, but as a Yankee fan it's hard not to take notice of their start.

That being said, Yankees (or Astros, etc.) could easily finish 10 games behind a "historic" Red Sox regular season team and get hot in playoffs and win it all.

Ok maybe this was just therapeutic for me. Hate the Red Sox

Nice little soft start to the schedule...but since then they’ve taken it to the Yanks, Os and Angels. They sure look for real right now.

I've seen several other really hot Aprils followed by equally cold Mays and Junes (and also vice-versa) to get too worked up by anything this early. Besides, us old guys will recall, with bitterness on my end) that we had a juicy lead going in through the summer until the we slumped, culminating in the "boston Massacre" and that horrible, horrible thing that happened afterward. Which also brings to mind that there are way too many games where they play head to head and ground can be made up quickly nowadays. Personally, I hate that because I think it actually dilutes the excitement of the head to head and also any rivalry that may exist.

I will say that I don't think that there are many of the Sox players who are playing beyond their talent level. It's not a case of people who look to be having outlier years. So, that may lead to some stability in team performance going forward.

And Dave, yeah their offense looks to be doing very well and the player you mentioned are performing well over the past several games. However, their record, IMO, is more a function of their starting pitching which has been near league-best (I think either they or the Astros are at the top). Their top 3 pitchers are going lights out and that's been consistent.

And then watched the Yanks play in the ALCS.

Winning the division only guarantees that you make the playoffs. The Sox can run, but they can't hide.

In comment 13920029 Jim in Tampa said:

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And then watched the Yanks play in the ALCS. Winning the division only guarantees that you make the playoffs. The Sox can run, but they can't hide.

Obviously.

4 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA 02215.

Mookie isnt going to hit 400 and Porcello is not a 1.5 ERA pitcher. Hanley isn’t going to hit 350 all season. Their bullpen isn’t that good outside of Kimbrell and will be exposed. The Sox will flutter back to earth.

That said, some of the extravagant predictions for the Yankees assumed that the lower part of the lineup would be much better than it is. Drury and Bird on the DL hurt and also assumed the starters outside of Severino led be better than they are.

If the Yankees don't improve their SP, they are going to find it hard to over take them.

...run away with the division.

Yanks better wake up... and real fast!

In comment 13920075 Beer Man said:

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If the Yankees don't improve their SP, they are going to find it hard to over take them.

This

people make too much out of April. Happens all the time. You can say...its a marathon, but you don't actually believe it otherwise this post wouldn't exist. It's stupid. ITS APRIL! The Yanks haven't even played a game in 50 degree weather yet. Geez.

In comment 13920184 Keith said:

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people make too much out of April. Happens all the time. You can say...its a marathon, but you don't actually believe it otherwise this post wouldn't exist. It's stupid. ITS APRIL! The Yanks haven't even played a game in 50 degree weather yet. Geez.

Not sure that entirely accurate. Houston started pretty hot last year and just kept on trucking.

silly to have this thread in mid-April.

But what a hot start does, especially one as white hot as this one for the Sox if they keep it up is it takes some pressure off during the dog days.

If your goal is 95 games and you finish April at 24 - 4 (just making this up - no clue how many games they have in April).

You can realistically go slightly over .500 (.530) the rest of the entire season and win 95 games (71 - 63)

there would be no cause for concern - you know they're coming back to the pack. The Red Sox, however, are good enough to go wire to wire. I find myself scoreboard watching already.

Get a fucking grip

the yankees fans are downplaying the sox 15-2 start. If the Yankees started 15-2, all the fans would be talking World Series already..

This Sox team is legit. Stacked lineup top to bottom, and deeper starting pitching than the Yanks. Most of their hitters hit for average and power.

are sober enough to know that this pace is untenable and we have a realistic view regarding the holes this team has. That said you play the games one day at a time and you build a cushion for when you do slump or the injury bug bites. People forget that last year several key Sox players had off years and some are rebounding back. Betts' production was off last year but he's stepping it up now. Same with Bogaerts who was decidedly average last year and hit with injuries. Hanley is playing to get paid. He needs to be in the line-up to reach his incentives, so he has an extra reason to preform. Porcello is inconsistent from year to year. Two years ago he wins the Cy Young. Last year he was dreadful. This year he is poised to preform well again. I'm pretty confortable with our starting pitching

I do worry about their offense over the length of a long season, especially near the bottom of the line-up. The bulpen will probably be a challenge later in the year but I expect that Dombrowski will make trades at the deadline to address any problems.

were alive to watch the 1978 pennant race?

It's NEVER over in April. Play until the end.

Wake me in October.

and it's early. Reality will happen.
Sox haven't played but 1 top end team, Yanks will get healthy.
'Zup up with the Mets?! I thought theyd be dogmeat, but what a start!
1986 again?

In comment 13920013 mfsd said:

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Nice little soft start to the schedule...but since then they’ve taken it to the Yanks, Os and Angels. They sure look for real right now.

The Yanks won 1 game in Boston. I wouldn't say the Sox took it to the Yanks. If they would have swept them, that would be different.

Isn't it still April?

14 quality starts out of the 17 games. They still have Pomeranz to add to the back end of Sale/Price/Porcello/ERod. We'll see how long this lasts :).

Nobody's saying they should fold up the tents and go home, but it'd be wise to start piling up some wins soon.

Vegas had Boston for 91.5 wins and the Yankees for 94.5 wins. Not too much separated them, and I think there was a lot more Yankees buzz thsy could've inflated the ein total. Now, with a nice lead so early, It's a good bet Boston wins the division. But there is still 90% of the season left.