The Red Sox may have a good chance to repeat as AL East champions this season, but a report from a major sports website has ranked them worst in a vital component of a baseball team. The criticism involves two positions in Boston’s infield, including that of former World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval.
According to Jonah Keri of cbssports.com, the Red Sox corner infielders are the worst in all of baseball. Those two positions are made up of Sandoval at third base and Mitch Moreland at first, neither of whom played in any games for Boston’s division-winning team last year.
The club that ousted the Red Sox, meanwhile, should have one of the best corner infield tandems in 2017. Cleveland already has a potential star in José Ramírez at third, and they signed free agent slugger Edwin Encarnación to play first. base.
As impressive as that duo looks, they may still be no match for the corner infielders of the Chicago team that beat Cleveland in the World Series last October. The Cubs have the top two MVP candidates filling those spots, with 2016 MVP winner third baseman Kris Bryant and MVP runner-up Anthony Rizzo at first.
Here are five other clubs that have great tandems at the corner infield positions.
los angeles dodgers
Having re-signed free agent Justin Turner to play third, the Dodgers can be sure he’ll team up with slugger Adrián González to give the team a powerful left-right combo in the middle of the order.
Kansas City Royals
Injuries forced Mike Moustakas to be replaced in third place last year, and Eric Hosmer remains a key part of the team that won back-to-back pennants.
Chicago White Sox
Todd Frazier is an All-Star third baseman who hit more than forty home runs last year, and first baseman José Abreu is a potential MVP.
detroit tigers
Nick Castellanos is a commendable competitor at the hot corner, and Miguel Cabrera is a future Hall of Famer in Cooperstown.
baltimore orioles
His corner duo of Manny Machado and Chris Davis is a big reason Buck Showalter’s team has made perennial trips to the postseason. Machado is a star third baseman, while Davis remains one of the prolific sluggers in the game.
