The Top 5 Reasons Why the BOSTON RED SOX Will Win the World Series

Every fan thinks that their favorite team is going to win the world series. So of course, I think that the Red Sox will win the world series. But unlike other fans, I believe that I have some pretty good reasons for thinking that. I offer five points to explain my reasoning:

#5, Pitching

The Red Sox pitching has improved drastically from previous years. This postseason the Sox will most likely use Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Jake Peavy, and John Lackey in their rotation. 

Buchholz: Unfortunately, Buc spent most of the season on the DL. When he wasn’t on the DL, he posted a 12-1 record with a 1.74 ERA. He is back, he is healthy, and he is ready to dominate in the postseason.

Lester: He established himself down the stretch as the ace of the Sox rotation. His current record is 15-8 but don’t let that fool you. After starting the season 8-6, Lester settled down, going 7-2 since July 23rd. His record over the month of September is 1.80. Lester is, as they say, “coming in hot.” 

Peavy: Jake was acquired at the trade deadline. He has gone 4-1 since joined the Red Sox. Peavy gives it his all every game. He can frequently be seen yelling at himself after making mistakes. While most would disagree with his style, I like his desire to be excellent. That’s the kind of guy you want on your playoff-bound team.

Lackey: Lackey should win an award for underrated player of the year. He was the fifth starter in the Sox rotation. He currently has a losing record of 10-13. What most people didn’t notice is that his ERA was 3.52 with a WHIP of 1.16. The only reason he didn’t win more games is because of poor run support.]

Also, I cannot forget to mention Koji Uehara. Uehara was a bargain if I’ve ever seen one. He was signed to a one-year, 4.25 million dollar contract during the offseason. He started off as a set-up man but after injuries to Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan, Uehara was called upon to be the closer. He has been phenomenal. Don’t let the fact that he has less saves than a lot of closers fool you (he has only been closing for about half the season!). One of his accomplishments this year is an incredible streak where he retired 37 batters in a row! This was the second longest streak by a relief pitcher in MLB history. If he comes in with a lead, the game is as good as won.

I would also like to point out that the Red Sox are 3rd in the Majors in quality starts (94). Can you imagine how much higher that number would be if Bucholz had stayed healthy?

 

#4, Offense

The Red Sox currently lead the majors in runs (830), on base percentage (.348), and slugging percentage (.444). They are also second in batting average (.275). This offense led to them having a run differential of +190 which is the highest of any team in the league. This team can hit. New aqcquisitions Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino have contributed to the potent offense (Napoli has 23 HR’s and 90 RBI’s). Sox are also winning games on the base path. Jacoby Ellsbury has 52 stolen bases and Shane Victorino has 21. The Sox also had three players in the top ten rankings in terms of WAR (Pedroia, Victorino, and Ellsbury).

Another thing they have done a good job of is at working the counts. The Red Sox have seen more pitches per at bat than any other team in the league. They are going deep into counts, making pitchers work hard. By doing this, they are able to get to the bullpen quickly. The average outing length of starters this season in 5.92 innings. Starters facing the Red Sox only last on average 5.43 innings. This makes a big difference when facing teams who rely on their starters to win games (I’m talking to you Rays and Dodgers).

 

#3, They Tear It Up at Home

The Sox have the best home record in the American League. Why is this significant? Because the Sox have secured home field advantage in every series throughout the playoffs. At home, they have winning records against all of the playoff bound AL teams.

They also have perhaps the most imaginative cheers in the MLB. Examples: “You use ster-oids” clap clap, clap clap clap (that one was directed at A-ROD) & “Let’s Go Red Sox” clap clap, clap clap clap (very clever…). The fans at Fenway Park are fanatics. They know the game. They love the game. They are going to cheer, taunt, and boo all game long. Former Angels outfielder Gary Matthews put it this way,

“You know, Fenway is one of those places where it can be hostile if you’re not accustomed to it, depending on what kind of player you are emotionally, It’s not that friendly. Your first time in there it takes some getting used to. They’re loud, they can be obnoxious.”

Gary, we take that as a compliment. By the way, how is your baseball career doing? #tookHGH #releasedbythemets

Fenway Park is a difficult place to play for any opposing team. The strange dimensions can make playing the outfield difficult for people who aren’t used to it (specifically, left field).

 

#2, Record vs. Potential Opponents

The Sox proved this season that they can beat good teams. Here are their records this season against potential opponents:

Cleveland: 6-1

Detroit: 3-4

Oakland: 3-3

Tampa Bay: 12-7

Los Angeles (Dodgers of course): 2-1

After reading that you might be thinking, wait a second. They had a losing record against Detroit. That is very true. What you might not know is that is primarily because they lost 3 out of 4 earlier this season at Detroit. Their final series against Detroit was in Boston. They took two out of three, outscoring the Tigers 22-7. In that series, they also proved that they can beat the Tiger’s ace Max Scherzer, handing him his second loss.

It is also important to note that the Sox had the best interleague record in the MLB. They finished with a 14-6 record against the NL which includes winning two out of three AT Dodger Stadium during a period when the Dodgers hadn’t lost a series for over two months.

#1, Boston Bombings

On April 15, 2013, the city of Boston was rocked by two bombs that went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three spectators were killed: Krystle Marie Cambell, 29; Lu Lingzi, 23; and Martin William Richard, 8. 264 other people were injured including 16 people who lost limbs. Our prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy. This is no joking matter. The city had to overcome the physical and emotional trauma by this event. One of the things that united this city was the Boston Red Sox. In a speech at Fenway Park five days after the bombing, David Ortiz said the following:

 “This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red Sox. It says Boston. We want to thank you, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick, the whole police department, for the great job that they did this past week. This is our f***ing city! And nobody’s going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.”

While I disagree with Ortiz’ vocabulary, I think he summed up what everyone was thinking. The city of Boston is united. The city of Boston is strong.

One of the great things about Baseball is that it unites people. It excites people. It can give people who are hurting a little distraction. The Red Sox know that. They will be playing for more than just their own victory. They will be playing for the entire city.

 

That is why the Boston Red Sox will win the 2013 World Series.

–Patrick