The Rotation

The Red Sox may have won the offseason last December when they sent top prospect Yoan Moncada and three other players to the White Sox in exchange for five time All-Star southpaw Chris Sale. Sale has not disappointed this spring; in 16 innings pitched in Grapefruit League action, he has struck out 20 with a WHIP of 1.06, and even held the Yankees, Boston’s biggest rival, to just two runs over six innings pitched on Tuesday in Tampa. Coupled with 2016 Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Steven Wright and backed by Drew Pomeranz and Kyle Kendrick, this rotation is arguably one of the best in the league, making the team early favorites to win another World Series.

Price will begin the season on the DL due to elbow issues that popped up during camp, but he is gaining strength day-by-day and, with effective monitoring and a full-blown throwing program, should return to the team within a month after the season begins. One pitcher who won’t return is Clay Buchholz whom, after ten up-and-down seasons with the Red Sox, Boston traded to the Phillies in December.

The Outfield

Remember last season, when Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley, Jr., and Mookie Betts would conclude each win with a celebratory dance in the outfield? Expect to see that more this season, as all three return to their respective positions (left, center, and right field). Backed by Chris Young and with spot starts from Brock Holt, this will be another strength of the team.

The Infield

The middle infielders, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts, remain anchored at second base and shortstop, respectively. With David Ortiz enjoying all his retirement gifts and looking forward to seeing his number retired at Fenway Park in June, the Red Sox tapped last year’s primary first baseman, Hanley Ramirez, to replace Big Papi as the designated hitter. To fill this void, the Red Sox signed free agent Mitch Moreland, who won a Gold Glove at that position last fall with Texas. With no other backups, Ramirez should still see some spot starts at first.

Third base is another story; with Travis Shaw traded to the Brewers, the opportunity is there for former World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval to reclaim the position the Red Sox intended him to play when they signed him to a hefty $95 million contract after the 2014 season. The Internet was abuzz in December when photos appeared online of a slimmer Panda lifting weights and he reported to spring training camp last month looking more physically fit. Results to date this spring have also been promising; through yesterday, he had a .364 / .375 / .660 split in 15 games played. Consider him an early favorite for 2017 Comeback Player of the Year honors.

The Backstop

Slammin’ Sandy Leon returns for another season and was recently tapped as the Opening Day starter behind the dish; whether he returns to form at the plate with a bat in his hand is another story that will develop as the season progresses. Joining him will likely be Christian Vazquez, whose arm appears to finally be back at full strength after undergoing Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2015 season. Blake Swihart is also in the mix for a spot on the 25 man roster but will likely start the season in Pawtucket as Vasquez is out of options and Boston doesn’t want to chance putting him on waivers.

The Bullpen

Carson Smith, whom the Red Sox brought in last year to serve as the set-up man for closer Craig Kimbrel, is now nine months removed from Tommy John surgery and only recently threw off the mound this spring. Right now, it looks like he will not return until midseason. With Junichi Tazawa joining the Marlins and Koji Uehara joining the Cubs as free agents, Boston had hoped to fill Smith’s void with Tyler Thornburg, whom the team acquired in the aforementioned deal with the Brewers. Unfortunately, Thornburg has dealt with arm issues in camp and has made only two Grapefruit League appearances to date. Whether or not he joins the team in Boston on Opening Day is still in the air; either way, Joe Kelly will likely take the ball in the eighth inning if the Red Sox have the lead.

The home run also proved to be number 504 in Big Papi’s career, which ties him with Eddie Murray for 26th all-time in MLB history. After Murray, his next target on the all-time list would be Gary Sheffield (509), followed by Mel Ott (511), Ernie Banks (512) and Eddie Matthews (also 512). He now also has 446 home runs with the Red Sox, which puts him six behind Carl Yastrzemski for second place (452) and well behind Ted Williams with 521, whom he has a chance to catch only in the career total category.

How to determine the franchise record for Opening Day home runs depends on how you define the criteria. In terms of home run totals, use of the Play Index at Baseball-Reference.com (purchase a subscription if you don’t already have one) reveals the following:

Yaztrzemski and Evans are tied at the top for home runs hit on five separate Opening Days, but Yaz bests Dewey by one in the total home run department thanks to two home runs hit in the opener in 1968 versus the Detroit Tigers. Likewise, Pedroia is currently tied with three others players (Williams, Rice, and Ortiz) with home runs in three individual openers, but he has four total courtesy of the two he hit in last year’s opener in Philadelphia versus the Phillies.

Other players who have hit home runs for the Red Sox on different Opening Days include Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, Tim Naehring, Jackie Jensen, Bobby Doerr, and Tony Conigliaro.

For the curious, the major league record in terms of home run totals across multiple Opening Day contests is eight, held by Frank Robinson (eight individual games), Ken Griffey Jr. (seven games), and Adam Dunn (six games).

It matters not that the season may have started a week earlier in Detroit.  It matters not that Boston is at the bottom of the American League East standings.  It matters not whether the team is picked to contend or finish as also-rans.  No, the focus of today is the return of baseball to one of the most beautiful ballparks in all of baseball.

It’s the perfect setting; the towering Green Monster in left field; the Pesky Pole at the end of the right field foul line; the manicured green grass; the infield dirt gently watered; the smell of fresh roasted peanuts; the call of the vendors; the applause for our players and coaches; the roar of the crowd as hits are made and runs are scored; and, if fortune favors us, a win and the home team briefly celebrating on the field post-game.

To me, there are few things more satisfying than Opening Day at Fenway Park because that means that baseball, the sport I love most, and the Red Sox, the team I love most, have returned for another season.  Game on.

Pitchers (13)
Alfredo Aceves, Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Daniel Bard, Josh Beckett, Michael Bowden, Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, Jon Lester*, Mark Melancon, Franklin Morales, Vicente Padilla, Justin Thomas

Catchers (2)
Jarrod Saltalamacchia*, Kelly Shoppach

Infielders (6)
Mike Aviles, Adrian Gonzalez*, David Ortiz*, Dustin Pedroia*, Nick Punto, Kevin Youkilis*

Outfielders (4)
Jacoby Ellsbury*, Darnell McDonald, Cody Ross*, Ryan Sweeney*

On the disabled list to begin the season are outfielders Carl Crawford (left wrist) and Ryan Kalish (left shoulder) and pitchers Andrew Bailey (thumb), Chris Carpenter (right elbow), Rich Hill (left elbow), Daisuke Matsuzaka (right elbow), and Andrew Miller (left hamstring).  Crawford, Hill, Matsuzaka, and Miller begin the season on the 15-day DL, while Bailey, Carpenter, and Kalish are on the 60-day DL.