New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox 2018: Strength against strength
By Cory Claus
A Natural Progression
Boston added last year’s Cy Young runner-up LHP Chris Sale, prior to last season. The Yankees had by then only seen the debut of Gary Sanchez. As historic as it was, .299/.376/.657 with 20 home runs in 53 games, it was not nearly enough to scare the Red Sox.
They had, after all, won 93 games and the division that year (2016). They weren’t worried about any young Yankees and their partial seasons.
No, not when they had already seen full breakout seasons from SS Xander Bogaerts and RF Mookie Betts, as well as a 34-game, peek at left fielder and baseball’s top prospect Andrew Benintendi.
And they already had a lefty ace on the staff: David Price. So, when the Sox put Price on Sale, they had only one motivation: Win the World Series.
Similarly, that the Yankees have now arrived in 2018 with three of the most dangerous right-handed bats in baseball also occurred without provocation. Sanchez and Aaron Judge were in the Yankees system long before Price or Sale were on the Sox.
Giancarlo Stanton, meanwhile, fell into their laps.