My intention was to post Red Sox hitter projections but it appears that Charlie Saponara has that covered. Since my system does not account for park affects – it was developed for fantasy baseball – Sponara’s will certainly do a better job with new players, if not all. So instead of a quantitative analysis, the following will be qualitative giving both an optimist and pessimist view for 2011.
Dustin Pedroia
Optimism: The former MVP is entering the magical age 27 season or when players usually have their career years. The season ending injury should not hurt Pedroia’s bat. He will likely come to bat with runners on base and see a lot of fastballs that the second baseman kills. Pedroia is ready for a big season.
Pessimist: Even though Pedroia hurt his foot, with an extreme all-out swing that must have good timing, he could have an issue after missing more than half of last year. It would not be a surprise for him to have another slow start with the stick like in 2007. The foot could also hinder his range in the field, turning the double play and on the base paths.
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Since 2003, Tom Fratamico is the writer for El Guapo’s Ghost and can be followed on Twitter @ElGuaposGhost