The 2014 Red Sox is generally an old team. With a few key exceptions, most of their players are in their 30s. But a veteran-heavy roster doesn't mean one that lacks exciting young talent.
For example, Jackie Bradley, Jr., who is 23-years-old, is ready to take over as centerfielder - and put last season's false start behind him. It looked like it was going to be his year in 2013 after a sizzling spring training catapulted him into the Opening Day lineup. But it quickly became clear that he was overmatched against big league pitching. After he batted below .100 in the first two weeks, and David Ortiz came off the disabled list, Bradley was demoted to Triple-A in mid-April.
Bradley played sparingly after that, bouncing up and down between the majors and minors and not seeing regular at-bats again until September. Despite hitting well with the PawSox, he failed to distinguish himself after he was left off the postseason roster.
His debut was very different from XanderBogaerts', the crown jewel of Boston's farm system. Bogaerts didn't get his first taste of the Show until Aug. 20, but showed flashes of promise in the late-season. He earned the confidence of manager John Farrell and went on to play a key part in Boston's postseason run, hitting .296 with a .412 on-base percentage and scoring nine runs in the playoffs.
Despite their varied levels of success last year, both have starting roles with the 2014 Red Sox. Bradley has big shoes to fill as Jacoby Ellsbury's replacement in center field, while Bogaerts is expected to be Boston's first long-term homegrown shortstop since NomarGarciaparra.
Just 21-years-old, Bogaerts ranks second in this year's top-100 prospect lists compiled by "Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus," FanGraphs and MLB.com (Bradley, on the other hand, was between 23 and 50.) The polished offensive skills, strong defense and overall maturity he showcased during last year's playoffs indicate he's ready to become a star, possibly as soon as this year. There's every reason to believe Bogaerts will break out and emerge as one of the league's top rookies.
Bradley is not projected for the same level of stardom, but should be able to hold his own. If he struggles again, at least the Red Sox have alternatives. In right field they have Shane Victorino, who won three straight Gold Gloves while patrolling center field for the Philadelphia Phillies and is still agile enough to play the position. There's also Grady Sizemore, an intriguing possibility given his past levels of excellence and recent injury history.
But for Bogaerts, failure isn't really an option. Boston traded away Jose Iglesias, their other young shortstop, to acquire Jake Peavy from the Chicago White Sox last summer. They've been unable to persuade Stephen Drew, last year's shortstop and still a free agent, to return. The only other player with major league shortstop experience is utility infielder Jonathan Herrera, but using him as a full-time player would diminish Boston's infield depth. He's more valuable as a backup.
But the Red Sox can cross those bridges if, or when, they get to them. Meanwhile, they should be excited about their best rookie tandem since Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia helped spark the 2007 team to a World Series championship. If Bradley and Bogaerts make a similar impact, the Red Sox could do something they haven't done in almost 100 years: win back-to-back World Series.
Tyler is a junior who is majoring in economics. He can be reached at Tyler.Maher@tufts.edu.
