It’s a whole new season, and the Red Sox enter it the same as everybody else: tied for first place, and tied for last.
Where they finish this season, however, is anybody’s guess.
With new manager John Farrell at the helm, the Red Sox will attempt to rebound from last year’s last-place finish and make their way back into the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Jackie Bradley Jr., Shane Victorino, and Jonny Gomes are among the notable new faces joining the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester and Will Middlebrooks on the Red Sox roster.
Lester will take the mound on Opening Day against the New York Yankees, and the hopes of Red Sox Nation will be riding with him. After the Sox have gotten out to slow starts the past few years, the pressure will be on for the team to start strong — and continue that momentum over the course of the season.
With the Toronto Blue Jays stockpiling talent north of the border, the Tampa Bay Rays poised to continue their success and the upstart Orioles out to prove last year wasn’t a fluke, the American League East might be the most competitive that it’s ever been. It will certainly be exciting to see how things shake up, and to find out how the new-look Sox will fare in 2013.
