Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has a litany of new pieces to pencil into the starting lineup this season.
With several departures and additions this offseason, there are only three players — Kiké Hernández, Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo — who earned the start on Opening Day last year who are expected to be in the lineup when the Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles on March 30.
Cora could go many different ways when it comes to his lineup. But he has already made it known he wants balance throughout the batting order, meaning he doesn’t want to put left-handed hitters back-to-back.
With that in mind, here’s a projected Opening Day lineup for the Red Sox:
1. Masataka Yoshida, Left field
2. Kiké Hernández, Shortstop
3. Rafael Devers, Third Base
4. Justin Turner, Designated Hitter
5. Alex Verdugo, Right Field
6. Adam Duvall, Center Field
7. Triston Casas, First Base
8. Christian Arroyo, Second Base
9. Reese McGuire, Catcher
Slotting Yoshida, a Red Sox newcomer and former Japanese standout, won’t be as easy as it seems for Cora. Yoshida is touted for his incredible plate discipline and ability to get on base, making him a natural fit to hit leadoff.
But the 29-year-old corner outfielder is also making a massive jump to the majors and having him try to set the table for the rest of the order is a tall ask as he tries to get acclimated. It’s why Casas could be lower in the lineup than Red Sox fans might prefer to take some pressure off the 22-year-old rookie at the start of the campaign.
The cleanup spot is an interesting one since the Red Sox don’t have a true power hitter besides Devers. Cora will probably lean on the comfort of experience in Turner, who has driven over 80 RBIs in each of the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That lineup would presumably leave catcher Connor Wong, outfielder Rob Refsnyder and infielders Adalberto Mondesi and Yu Chang on the bench. But with Mondesi’s status for Opening Day in doubt — hence why the Red Sox signed Chang Thursday — as he continues to recover from ACL surgery, that might open the final spot to Jarren Duran or Bobby Dalbec.
