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As part of our 2020 season preparations, we are going digging into the fantasy options for every Major League Baseball team.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 Boston Red Sox from a fantasy perspective.
You can find all of our 2020 fantasy baseball MLB team previews here.
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Starting Lineup
| # | NAME | POS |
| 1 | Andrew Benintendi | LF |
| 2 | Rafael Devers | 3B |
| 3 | Xander Bogaerts | SS |
| 4 | J.D. Martinez | DH |
| 5 | Mitch Moreland | 1B |
| 6 | Michael Chavis | 2B |
| 7 | Christian Vazquez | C |
| 8 | Jackie Bradley, Jr. | CF |
| 9 | Kevin Pillar | RF |
- Better in OBP formats: Jackie Bradley, Jr.
- Worse in OBP formats: Kevin Pillar
- Better than his ADP: Andrew Benintendi (108)
- Worse than his ADP: Rafael Devers (21)
- Bench bat(s) worth rostering: Alex Verdugo
- Player(s) most likely to lose a starting spot: Kevin Pillar, Michael Chavis
Quick Thoughts: Boston’s lineup clearly took a big hit with the trade of Mookie Betts, and it will need Rafael Devers to not regress after an outstanding 2019. J.D. Martinez remains the anchor, though, so the Red Sox won’t be overly lacking on offense.
Pitching Rotation
| # | NAME | R/L |
| 1 | Eduardo Rodriguez | L |
| 2 | Nathan Eovaldi | R |
| 3 | Martin Perez | L |
| 4 | Ryan Weber | R |
| 5 | Brian Johnson | L |
- Better than his ADP: Nathan Eovaldi (297)
- Worse than his ADP: Martin Perez (542)
- Starter least likely to stick in the rotation: Ryan Weber and Brian Johnson
- Non-starter most likely to enter the rotation: Collin McHugh (when healthy) and Darwinzon Hernandez
Quick Thoughts: While Boston’s offense should not be a problem, the pitching rotation is a different story. Chris Sale’s elbow injury forces each pitcher to slide up in the rotation, and it puts the pressure on the entire staff. Nathan Eovaldi can handle his upgrade as long as his own health issues don’t get in the way.
Bullpen
- Projected closer: Brandon Workman (Job Security: HIGH)
- Top backup: Matt Barnes
- Premier holds option: Matt Barnes and Josh Taylor
- Sneaky holds option: Heath Hembree
Quick Thoughts: Brandon Workman and Matt Barnes are each coming off career years — Workman with his ERA and Barnes with his strikeout rate. They provide an excellent 1-2 punch at the back end of a decent bullpen.
Prospects
- Relevant in 2020: Bobby Dalbec, Bryan Mata, and Tanner Houck
- Worth a look for 2021 and beyond: Jeter Downs, Triston Casas, and Jay Groome
- Don’t believe the hype: Jay Groome
Quick Thoughts: Despite being listed in the “worth a look for 2021 and beyond” category, Jay Groome is also the prospect that carries the most unwarranted hype. He’s now entering his fourth year of professional baseball after being drafted in 2016, but he has thrown a total of four innings since the end of the 2017 season. Tommy John surgery has derailed what appeared to be a relatively clear path for Groome, and while he is absolutely still worth a flier, he has a long way to go before living up to the name value he had during his draft year.
Other Helpful Fantasy Info
- Park Factor: Fenway Park often gives the illusion of a hitter-friendly atmosphere, but it actually suppresses home runs from both sides of the plate. Overall, it favors hitters — and ranks second-best for doubles — but is relatively average everywhere else.
- Green Light Rating: HIGH if using Ron Roenicke’s managerial tendencies from his time with the Milwaukee Brewers.
- Scheduling, the good: June 29th through July 22nd, where series include Mariners, at Pirates, at Blue Jays, Orioles, at Royals, and Blue Jays.
- Scheduling, the bad: May 5th through May 24th, where series include Angels, at Yankees, at Braves, at Rangers, Rays, and Astros
- Likeliest 2020 roster moves: Alex Verdugo is likely to get a fair shot at a starting job — probably pushing out Kevin Pillar. There is also a high probability that only Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi start more than 25 games, giving ample opportunities to some of Boston’s young arms.
- Bold Fantasy Prediction: Andrew Benintendi breaks out as a complete, well-rounded hitter, batting near .300 with at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
- Bland Fantasy Prediction: J.D. Martinez finishes the season as a top-five fantasy hitter in the league.
Check out all of our 2020 Fantasy Baseball MLB Team Previews.
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Mario Mergola is a featured writer at FantasyPros, as well as the creator and content-editor of Sporfolio. For more from Mario, check out his archive and follow him @MarioMergola.