One thing that is great for baseball is the fact that the yankees and Red Sox rivalry is relevant again. Both are heavy postseason favorites and could very well meet in October, something that has not happened since the rivalry's peak in the early 2000s when they met in the ALCS in 2003 and 2004. Much has been talked about at the start of the season regarding which team will potentially win the division vs. a wild card spot. Some say the Red Sox were the favorite, but many picked the Yankees.
So which one is it? It is incredibly early so conclusions cannot be made, however, one cannot be unimpressed with the way the Red Sox have come storming out of the gate.
They improved to 9-1 after beating down on the Yankees 14-1 at Fenway Park the night before. The Yankees themselves sit at 5-6 as they are off to a slower start than many may have anticipated. Things can and probably will heat up for the Yankees as they boast their firepower-filled lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, but the Red Sox cannot be overlooked, either.
Yankees' flash vs. Red Sox stability
Last year's New York Yankees squad surprised the baseball world as they won 91 games and made it to within one win of the 2017 World Series. The Red Sox won the division with 93 wins, but the young Yankees got the attention. The "Baby Bombers" featured rookie Aaron Judge hitting 52 home runs with 33 more from Gary Sanchez as the team totaled 241 long balls.
This year they added 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 59 home runs last year. With the addition of Stanton, the Yankees lineup on paper seems unfair.
Boston on the other hand has a very solid squad with not as much flash in the lineup, but elite talent nonetheless. Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts will not be the massive sluggers like Stanton or Judge, but they are hitters that will get on base and contribute to run scoring.
The main home run guy in the lineup is Hanley Ramirez since David Ortiz retired. Most of the flash that the Red Sox have is in their pitching staff with ace Chris Sale, David Price and closer Craig Kimbrel. These are two teams filled with talent but built differently.
Favorites to win it
The Red Sox definitely have the better start, but there are 150-some games left.
No doubt this Yankees lineup will heat up. Stanton will not be slashing .196/.288/.457 forever, and Judge is off to a very good start. Their starting staff with Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray will suffice, but they may be looking to add another guy at the deadline.
Still, the Red Sox can very well be the ones to win the division. Their starting staff on paper is better and they are a very fundamentally sound baseball team. They may not have the flashiness of the Bronx Bombers, but they have the talent to win the division. The battle between the two teams this season will be entertaining, no doubt. Unless major injuries happen, it seems more than likely that both teams will indeed be playing October baseball -- it is only a matter of who will be the Al East champ and who will be a wild card team.
