The 2018 Boston Red Sox have high expectations. You already knew that. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski didn’t assemble the highest payroll in baseball to watch his team miss the playoffs or get bounced from another American League Division Series.
But who, specifically, will shoulder those high expectations?
There are a few obvious answers — plenty of eyes will be on new manager Alex Cora, while All-Stars like ace Chris Sale and outfielder Mookie Betts should play central roles in the team’s success.
In this space, though, we’re focusing on the players with the most to prove in 2018. That means, say, a young shortstop who appears to be at a career crossroads or a former Cy Young winner looking to bounce back in a big way.
The microscope will be trained on these five players, who all have the chance to silence their critics this season — or give their detractors more fodder to work with. Click the link below to read on.
