Let’s predict the 2020 Red Sox record

How many games do the Red Sox win?

  • Less than 20

    Votes: 25 9.3%
  • 20-25

    Votes: 64 23.9%
  • 26-30

    Votes: 95 35.4%
  • 31-35

    Votes: 68 25.4%
  • 36-40

    Votes: 9 3.4%
  • 41-45,

    Votes: 3 1.1%
  • 46+

    Votes: 4 1.5%
  • Playoffs - yes

    Votes: 24 9.0%
  • Playoffs - no

    Votes: 82 30.6%

  • Total voters
    268

canderson

Mr. Brightside
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
39,432
Harrisburg, Pa.
This season will be the most bizarre of any we have ever seen. This Red Sox roster is ... interesting. Offense might be ok but who again are these guys we have pitching?

So, just curious where everyone sees this team finishing. Let’s pretend the “full” season gets played, even if you believe the season won’t play out.

I added two choices at the bottom as well about making the playoffs.

I voted 20-25, no playoffs. I think they end up around 24-36.

Interested to see where people are, I have little hopes.
 

DeadlySplitter

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 20, 2015
33,253
26-30 is the median outcome, I'd imagine.

they have 13 games against the O's and Marlins. they'll cream enough opponents to get there.
 

OurF'ingCity

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 22, 2016
8,469
New York City
I also voted 26-30. If I had to pick an exact record I’d go for the perfectly mediocre 30-30. Not exactly a bold position since their over/under in most places is around 31.5 (if I were a betting man I’d take the under, since I think there is a much greater chance they go, say, 20-40 than they do 40-20).
 

ookami7m

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,657
Mobile, AL
31-35, the offense will carry them in some games to be slightly better than 500, but the playoffs question is too tough to call as there will be so much more randomness than usual. Gut says they make as a wildcard and lose the coin-flip game
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
26-30 is the median outcome, I'd imagine.

they have 13 games against the O's and Marlins. they'll cream enough opponents to get there.
This is a good point. I have very little faith in the pitching staff but they are going to play some bad teams that make up a greater percentage of the schedule this year, and they will win some slugfests.
 

scottyno

late Bloomer
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2008
11,305
I voted 31-35 because I wanted to be positive and say 31-29 instead of 29-31, the lineup is still really good
 

RIrooter09

Alvin
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2008
7,254
Changing my vote to 26-30 with news of ERod still suffering from COVID complications. This feels like a .500 team.
 
Last edited:

Yelling At Clouds

Post-darwinian
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
3,405
27 wins, never really “in it,” not truly terrible but mostly kind of boring. Which some would say is worse. Maybe they give Downs and Duran a look at some point, though. (I said something similar in March, not sure why it’d change.)
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,284
AZ
I can't see myself getting all that worked up about wins and losses this year.

I'm just glad there will be baseball. I think they are going to be under .500 but I find that I don't care and I'm way more interested in whether they get to 9/1 than record. That to me will be a win, because the Mookie thing is going to be really hard for me to take if they don't get the tax reset.
 

Hee Sox Choi

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 27, 2006
6,133
Ryan Weber pulls a 2005 Aaron Small and fools batters for 12 starts which gets us to 30-30. 16-team playoff we squeak in.
 

effectivelywild

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
466
I'm the 2nd one to vote 40-45.
Making note of that just in case.

I'm sure I overshot, but hey, being optimistic is fun.
That's assuming 60+ games are played though.
Um, how would they play more than 60 games? I was pretty certain that 60 games was going to be the absolute longest the regular season would be able to go, if it even makes it there. Unless you are thinking they make the playoffs and you are counting postseason wins. Which would be cool and anything can happen in this crazy season.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,725
With 13 of the first 23 against NYY and Tampa, we'll fall way behind early, then play the kids and experiment for the second half of the "season."

Although if they do expand the playoffs, we won't bail and play the minor leaguers as soon, and may win a few more games, maybe around 27 in that scenario.
 

WheresDewey

New Member
Nov 18, 2007
131
Taiwan
I decided to be optimistic and went with 31-35, but expect them to be a mediocre team on either side of .500. Here's hoping Eovaldi can stay healthy for a short season and a few of the scrubs catch lightning in a bottle.
 

Salem's Lot

Andy Moog! Andy God Damn Moog!
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
14,465
Gallows Hill
I voted less than 20 because I'm taking the "the season gets cancelled after 30 games" angle.
That’s where I am as well. “Will they win 20 games?” Nein. That’s right, a 9-12 record when they cancel the season.
 

staz

Intangible
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2004
20,660
The cradle of the game.
I voted less than 20 because I'm taking the "the season gets cancelled after 30 games" angle.
Not to pick on BSJ, but I don't get all the 'impending doom,' vibe that persists. Teams have already been together for 2.5 weeks and where's the outbreaks? No doubt, some clubs will lose major pieces (some more than one), but instituting the 60-man pool plus 2 teams of FAs tells me MLB is going to push through. It may take crippling outbreaks in 4 or 5 clubhouses for MLB to shut it all down.

That said, team health will play a major role in the standings, and Mass.' relatively low infection rate provides an advantage for the Sox. What if Blake Snell and Austin Meadows get sick in Tampa for 3 weeks and the Sox stay mostly healthy in Mass.? The outcome of even five games could mean the difference between a sub .500 season and a Wild Card.

I voted 20-25 wins, but that could very easily slide up to 35, depending on how the (ahem) wind blows.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
I voted 31-35 and no playoffs, however if they expand to 16 playoff teams, then I think they get in.

My guess is they go something like 33-27 and I actually think playing NYY and TB so often in the beginning of the season helps them more than it hurts the (as in perhaps the teams come in more on even ground than they would had they actually played 13 times in late July having started in April as teams find their stride)

Offense I think is still one of the top in the AL. Pitching - obviously not, but I think it will be better than expected.
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

Don't know him from Adam
SoSH Member
Mar 14, 2006
9,422
Kernersville, NC
I voted 31-35 and no playoffs, however if they expand to 16 playoff teams, then I think they get in.

My guess is they go something like 33-27 and I actually think playing NYY and TB so often in the beginning of the season helps them more than it hurts the (as in perhaps the teams come in more on even ground than they would had they actually played 13 times in late July having started in April as teams find their stride)

Offense I think is still one of the top in the AL. Pitching - obviously not, but I think it will be better than expected.
This is my line of thought as well. The pitching is horrible, but the offense is well above average.
 

johnnywayback

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 8, 2004
1,421
I think there's enough offense, and enough games against total disaster teams, to get over .500. People really underestimate just how much better our lineup is than most teams'.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Not to pick on BSJ, but I don't get all the 'impending doom,' vibe that persists. Teams have already been together for 2.5 weeks and where's the outbreaks? No doubt, some clubs will lose major pieces (some more than one), but instituting the 60-man pool plus 2 teams of FAs tells me MLB is going to push through. It may take crippling outbreaks in 4 or 5 clubhouses for MLB to shut it all down.
The impending doom persists because up until this week, teams were in their own bubbles. Now that the season proper is starting, they're going to be traveling the country...airports, hotels, ballparks. Much harder to control potential exposure, especially given how many teams reside in current hotspots where preventative/protective measures are inconsistent at best. And that's only considering if there's an outbreak amongst the teams. There's also the possibility that we have cities/states react to local surges by withdrawing permission for games to happen. PA just rejected the Blue Jays plan to base themselves in Pittsburgh citing the added risk involved. What's to stop them from deciding the Pirates or Phillies (and their opponents) coming in and out of town is too great a risk and shutting them down too? Doesn't matter how big the taxi squads are to fill in for players who test positive if a couple more teams are suddenly homeless for reasons outside their control.
 

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,299
deep inside Guido territory
I voted 20-25. I just don't think the pitching is good enough to win a lot of games. If the first exhibition game is a microcosm of the season, I'm not optimistic at all. I'll be excited to watch baseball, but overall I am just not confident enough in the pitching staff. If Eovaldi or Rodriguez(when he gets back) struggle or get hurt, you may be looking at one of the 2 or 3 worst starting rotations in all of baseball.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,725
The owners have a huge financial interest in finishing the season and having a postseason, so they will make that happen, even if some teams have half their 60-player pool out with the virus.
 
Jul 5, 2018
430
The various Power Rankings list the Sox from 18 to 20th and the odds makers at 20th, all of which would indicate a sub-.500 season. The Sox best chance for making the playoffs would have been if every other team had had two starting pitchers opt-out.
 

JimD

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2001
8,681
I voted 31-35 because I wanted to be positive and say 31-29 instead of 29-31, the lineup is still really good
This is where I'm at. The offense will be there and I think the pitching will be not quite the train wreck that everyone is predicting *if* EdRo bounces back from his Covid. Still out on the playoffs though.
 

ShaneTrot

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Nov 17, 2002
6,402
Overland Park, KS
I voted 20-25. I just don't think the pitching is good enough to win a lot of games. If the first exhibition game is a microcosm of the season, I'm not optimistic at all. I'll be excited to watch baseball, but overall I am just not confident enough in the pitching staff. If Eovaldi or Rodriguez(when he gets back) struggle or get hurt, you may be looking at one of the 2 or 3 worst starting rotations in all of baseball.
This is how I feel. The pitching is atrocious and this is a post-Mookie offense. I think the offense will be good but not spectacular enough to carry this lousy pitching staff. Has there been this lousy a pitching staff in the Henry era? They always have had an ace or a very good #2 starter.
 
Jul 5, 2018
430
This is where I'm at. The offense will be there and I think the pitching will be not quite the train wreck that everyone is predicting *if* EdRo bounces back from his Covid. Still out on the playoffs though.
I see the starting pitching to be an absolute train wreck. There will be 2-3 be planned and/or defacto bullpen games every time through the rotation.

I don't say this from a doom and gloom perspective. I'm happy to finally seeing some MLB and will be watching a clean shaven Cole take on Strasburg tonight.
 

Hee Sox Choi

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 27, 2006
6,133
16 playoff teams now! 30-30 might get the Sox in.

The agreement is now subject only to ratification by the owners, but they're sure to be on board given the added revenue. It must be made official by the first pitch between the Yankees and Nationals on Thursday night. The expectation is that 16 teams will be invited to the 2020 postseason, as opposed to 10. ESPN's Buster Olney reported earlier that the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 seeds in each league -- the division winners -- would be able to pick their opponent among the other five clubs during a televised selection show.
 

pk1627

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
May 24, 2003
2,514
Boston
I now doubt ERod ever pitches this season. Sucks. Sox might win 26.

The good news is the season is short, it’s a good year for Sale to have his surgery, they play enough to reset the cap (I hope) and maybe one of the pitchers Chaim has brought in will turn out to be okay and helpful next year.
 

Rovin Romine

Johnny Rico
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
23,692
Miami (oh, Miami!)
I have a very boom or bust hope for this 1/3rd "official" season. If they go all the way and win the WS, I'm fine with that, even though it won't quite be the WS.

Otherwise, I'm looking more toward 2021 in terms of free agents, draft picks, and the luxury tax.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
I now doubt ERod ever pitches this season. Sucks. Sox might win 26.

The good news is the season is short, it’s a good year for Sale to have his surgery, they play enough to reset the cap (I hope) and maybe one of the pitchers Chaim has brought in will turn out to be okay and helpful next year.
Based on him having mild symptoms, I really cannot see him not being able to pitch all year - even in a short year -

Now that they amended to the 16 team playoff pool, I think the Sox get in. I just think their offense is still too good for them not to have the 7th or 8th best record (at worst) in the AL.

Other than the Yankees, Rays, Twins, Astros and Oakland, what other teams in the AL would you actually bet on definitively being better than Boston? I think they get in as the 7th or 8th seed. My guess would be Yanks/Rays in the East, Twins/Indians in the Central, Astros/Oakland in the West, and then the Red Sox and White Sox as the other two likely playoff teams.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Based on him having mild symptoms, I really cannot see him not being able to pitch all year - even in a short year -

Now that they amended to the 16 team playoff pool, I think the Sox get in. I just think their offense is still too good for them not to have the 7th or 8th best record (at worst) in the AL.

Other than the Yankees, Rays, Twins, Astros and Oakland, what other teams in the AL would you actually bet on definitively being better than Boston? I think they get in as the 7th or 8th seed. My guess would be Yanks/Rays in the East, Twins/Indians in the Central, Astros/Oakland in the West, and then the Red Sox and White Sox as the other two likely playoff teams.
Myocarditis isn't really a mild symptom. Mild symptoms might allow him to keep working out and throwing, but myocarditis has him shut down entirely for an indeterminate amount of time. Maybe he recovers and can ramp up, but I'm starting to think if he pitches this year, it may only be as an opener or in relief. I don't expect he'll get to a point where he's throwing 80-100 pitches an outing.

That aside, I agree that the expanded playoffs give the Sox a pretty reasonable chance of making the tournament. They'd have made an 8-team AL playoff field last year. I imagine it won't take more than 28-30 wins to get in.
 

scottyno

late Bloomer
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2008
11,305
53-7, in order to be extra safe no teams are going to travel and they just play the same team 60 times right?
 

Pablo's TB Lover

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 10, 2017
5,959
Somehow I missed this, but belatedly am going in on 32-28 (only because I saw 31-29 above). Obviously would make the playoffs with that record. Then with basically no pitching, one series and done in the postseason.