The 2019 series on team offense begins with the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox finished first in the majors in 2018 with 5.41 runs scored per game.

I am using RotoChamp as a source of default lineups. That Alex Cora order is plugged into the Lineup Analysis Tool (LAT) using Musings Marcels as the batter projections. That information produces the following results (Runs per game):

• Best lineup: 5.51
• Probable lineup: 5.39
• Worst lineup: 5.10
• Regressed lineup: 4.85

The Red Sox put together an excellent default lineup. When I typed it into the LAT, I assumed someone would be inserted between Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. I thought it might be Mitch Moreland, but Jackie Bradley works just as well (lineup 14 matches my expectation). I also suspect that Bradley batting in the ninth slot instead of Pedroia has to do with the uncertainty of Pedoria’s health. If he was really going to post a .353 OBP, bottom of the order secondary-leadoff hitter would be the right role.

It is a scary lineup, given that five of the good hitters in the order are in their primes or younger. Martinez’s Marcels prediction is a drop from last year, but even at those levels he might win an MVP. It’s a deep lineup that gets on base and hits for power, and Cora does a good job of arranging the players. Once again, Boston should be fun to watch.

You can follow the data for the series in this Google spreadsheet.

Previous posts in this series:

• Introduction (From last year, still using the same methods and regression equation.)