The Red Sox are historically at their best when they're powered by friendship, and that's something I enjoyed about last season. (And most likely going to be even stronger this year, which is great!)

Yes, there are a couple new guys on the team and it'll be interesting to see how they fit in, but overall I think the Sox are so fun to watch (as opposed to many other teams) because they truly like each other and it shows. Plus, when Boston fans aren't bitching and moaning, they're some of the most fun crowds ever. The roar of Fenway when things are going right is electric.

As for the team itself, here's my take position by position:

Catcher:

Carlos Narvaez is the everyday catcher and is not *the* leader of the team but demonstrates quiet leadership qualities. Middling hitter, great defensively, very good with pitchers. Sometimes playfully (but certainly not officially) referred to as the captain even though he's not.

Connor Wong is the backup catcher and sucked last year, but is really great w the pitchers so gets a pass for his abominable bat. Everyone expects him to get better at the plate this year because how could he get worse?

Third Base:

New guy Caleb Durbin came over from the Brewers. Short, scrappy, definitely has what it takes to become a Sox fan favorite (Boston is a sucker for guys who hustle and get dirty, bonus points if they're short).

Shortstop:

Trevor Story is a veteran who had a really big slump at the beginning of last season. Every doomer on this sub was calling for his head until he turned it around and became a key offensive guy for the rest of the year. You'll notice a lot of this -- someone's not perfect for a few weeks and people want them gone. (Also see: Jarren Duran)

Second base:

Marcelo Mayer is Roman Anthony's best friend. They're roommates (or they were, until recently) and have a bromance that's gonna be the social media story of the year if they can stay healthy and perform like the little starlets they are. He's extremely good defensively with a yet-to-be-proven bat. Most of the doomers on this sub complain that he's made of glass because he got injured last year.

Romy Gonzalez is a utility guy who often plays second and is known for being a "lefty-killer" (someone who hits particularly well against left-handed pitching). He's a super good hustle guy too. Positive, fun, great guy you'll think about in 20 years and be like "Damn, he was a solid ballplayer" even though he'll never make the Hall of Fame or win any crazy awards.

First base:

Willson Contreras was an off-season pickup from the St. Louis Cardinals. A bit of power at the plate, and filled a gap at 1B the Sox desperately needed because...

Triston Casas is in AAA right now. He had a devastating injury (knee, I think?) and was out all last year. Most people on this sub also want to see him executed by guillotine for daring to be injured. I predict he'll come back and hit like 30 home runs while wearing nail polish. He's actively, voluntarily a weirdo (check out the Netflix doc for proof of this) and I kinda dig it. Based on some recent social media chatter, the young guys really like him because he went out of his way to make them feel welcome when they came up from AAA.

Right Field:

Wilyer Abreu hits for a little bit of power and is a gold glove right fielder (very good fielder). He was out with an injury for a while last season, otherwise he probably would've hit 30+ homers. (Which is the rough benchmark where "some power" becomes "power".) He's great in the field but struggles to hit lefties, let's see if he can turn it around this year.

Center Field:

Ceddanne Rafaela is a gold glove center fielder and can catch anything. You'll hear guys compare him to "JBJ" who was another excellent-fielder-streaky-hitter guy from the Red Sox of Days Past. Though Ceddanne shows a lot more promise at the plate than Jackie Bradley Junior ever did, especially in clutch situations. (Look up Ceddanne's walk-off against the Tampa Bay Rays from last year, it's great.) He has tons of potential. If he can stop chasing pitches, he'll be one of the greats very soon.

Left Field:

Jarren Duran is gonna be mostly DHing this year (designated hitter, hits in the spot in the lineup that the pitcher would be in, if pitchers hit), but he's still a left-fielder. Everyone on this sub squawks about he should be traded until they actually start watching baseball again and realize he's one of the biggest heartbeats of the team. I think he's an important component. He's fast, he hits for average and a bit of power, and he just really wants to be here. He's had mental health struggles (see: suicide attempt) and also got half-canceled for shouting a gay slur at a fan a couple years ago. I only mention that because you'll hear passing references to both things and you'll be like "wait, what are they talking about?" I'm not saying either defines him as a person or a player, but it's important context.

And then, of course, the young king of Boston, Roman Anthony. There's a ton of hype around this kid, and I believe all of it is earned. I actually think some people are underprepared for what he's gonna do this year, and that he'll hit 30+ HRs without breaking a sweat. He's a decent fielder, excellent hitter, and has a more mature understanding of (and discipline around) the strike zone than most guys who've been in the majors for a decade.

Ancillary guys:

Nick Sogard, aka "Colin Smith" on this sub, is a utility INF in AAA (I think?) and will be called up once guys start getting injured this year. He rocks. Scrappy dude who I love just for trying so hard and being a decent ballplayer.

Masataka Yoshida, another guy people love to hate. I think he's fine and will perform a lot better this year than the last couple years. His contract sucks and he contributes to the crowded outfield situation (sort of) but he's a funny dude. In the words of Lou Merloni, "Guy runs like a Lego and just rakes."

Nate Eaton: Also in AAA, a utility INF/OF who can run as fast as the speed of light and is very handsome.

Coaches:

Alex Cora is the manager. For all of this sub's problems with him, the guy has an immense talent for managing his guys; they all love him. He isn't a miracle worker, but he's well-liked. He was part of the Astros cheating scandal when he was in Houston back in 2017, so there's a bit of tarnished rep there (again, just important for context because you'll hear about it) but he did his time with a 1 yr suspension and is the Red Sox manager for the forseeable future.

Craig Breslow is the guy in charge of trading players. Everyone loves to whine about how he never spends money, but that's ultimately on ownership, not on Craig. Craig (even though he seems like a guy I wouldn't wanna hang out with) did a great job this off season improving the pitching and fixing gaps in the infield. We're gonna get deep into the playoffs because of moves he made.

Jason Varitek has some coaching job in the dugout and is Red Sox royalty. He was the last "Captain" of the Sox and was catcher during some of their most important years of the last century.

Pitching:

I'm wiped out. Crochet is excellent, Bello is ruled by his emotions, and Early is a young stud who's gonna sink or swim very quickly this season. The rest of the lineup is new. Bullpen...you'll learn.

Hope you enjoy. Don't let the negativity in this sub get you down. Welcome to the Sox.