What We Got Right—and Wrong—About the Red Sox After 12 Games

The Boston Red Sox have been the butt of plenty of jokes to begin the new season, and though a last-place standing isn't ideal through 12 games, the series win over the Milwaukee Brewers could help start some momentum.

Most of us who cover the Red Sox didn't foresee this being a last-place team, and there should be some things that self-correct. But we still have to admit when we're surprised, and 12 games is enough of a sample to at least start admitting we were wrong on some accounts.

Everything is still subject to change, but here's where we feel we were right and wrong about this club in terms of preseason expectations.

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Willson Contreras is a spark plug

The Red Sox needed a spark, and new first baseman Willson Contreras gave them one this week when he reignited some old hostilities with the Brewers. He did his best to win him that game, which they lost to drop them to 2-8, then he seemed to wake them up to win games two and three.

All the while, Contreras has been the team's second-best hitter behind Wilyer Abreu and looks positively slick on defense at the cold corner.

Turns out the rotation is far from infallible

Obviously, every pitcher is entitled to a bad start from time to time. But the Red Sox were supposed to have one of the best rotations in all of baseball this season, so to rank 23rd in starter ERA and 20th in strikeouts through 2 1/2 rotation turns feels out of place.

Specifically, Ranger Suárez and Brayan Bello have been the main concerns so far. Suárez had a brutal spring and has given up far too much loud contact, while Bello’s improved whiff rate has been accompanied by some old inconsistency issues.

Too many position players is definitely a pain point

They say there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, but they’re wrong. The Red Sox didn’t alleviate the outfield logjam in the offseason by trading someone away, and now they’re paying for that indiscretion.

On Wednesday, with the Red Sox needing a win against a left-handed pitcher, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida were both on the bench. Roman Anthony even got a day off early in the season. It’s going to be difficult for everyone to stay in a rhythm when they’re constantly being shifted around.

Roman Anthony has red flags

The most viral story of the Red Sox’s season so far has been their 21-year-old superstar outfielder’s awful throwing. That wasn’t a subplot the coaching staff could have seen coming before the season, and it’s not welcome when there are so many outfielders trying to get in the lineup every day.

Certainly, one can trust that Anthony has the mental fortitude and work ethic to cure whatever is ailing him right now. But these struggles have made it clear that those of us who expect greatness too soon are often left disappointed.