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David Schoenfield
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ESPN Senior Writer
Senior writer of SweetSpot baseball blog
Former deputy editor of Page 2
Sam Miller
Been with ESPN.com considering that 1995
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ESPN.com
ESPN baseball columnist/feature writerFormer editor-in-chief of Baseball ProspectusCo-author of “The Only Rule Is It Has To Work”
When the coronavirus reshuffled the Major League Baseball schedule this previous week, the Yankees very first home series of 2020 ended up being a weekend battle with their biggest rivals, the Red Sox. That normally would be a dish for Bronx bedlam, but with the Red Sox restoring– well, as much as a group like Boston ever does– and no fans in the stands, this isnt exactly a common set between the 2 teams. Sure, the viewing experience on tv so far has felt quite regular, but part of the lure of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is the bloodlust in between Yankees fans and Red Sox fans. After a few years where the competition waned in interest– the Yankees were mediocre, the Red Sox had some bad years– its picked back up again in current seasons, and as the Yankees title drought now extends past an entire decade, their fans were starving to kick Bostons tail in 2020. Schoenfield: Bostons rotation isnt precisely what you would anticipate from a Red Sox group– they ran out Ryan Weber and Zack Godley in the first two games of their series, with Austin Brice beginning Sunday– and with Eduardo Rodriguez out for the season due to a heart condition, possibly stemming from COVID-19, Nathan Eovaldi is the only identifiable name right now.
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Its a face-off in between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox like youve never seen before.
When the coronavirus reshuffled the Major League Baseball schedule this previous week, the Yankees first home series of 2020 became a weekend battle with their biggest competitors, the Red Sox. That normally would be a dish for Bronx chaos, but with the Red Sox rebuilding– well, as much as a team like Boston ever does– and no fans in the stands, this isnt precisely a typical set between the 2 groups. Still, theres plenty to try to find as the AL East squads fight tonight on ESPN (7 p.m. ET).
To get you all set, we asked baseball press reporters Sam Miller and David Schoenfield some key concerns about the game.
Just how much various does a rivalry series like this feel without fans in the stands?
I do not in fact require fans to inform me that Yankees-Red Sox is real baseball, with genuine stakes, played by gamers who care very much about smiting their opponents. I d most likely bite my nails viewing Yankees-Red Sox on mute.
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Sure, the seeing experience on tv so far has actually felt pretty regular, but part of the lure of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is the bloodlust in between Yankees fans and Red Sox fans. After a few years where the rivalry subsided in interest– the Yankees were mediocre, the Red Sox had some bad years– its selected back up again in current seasons, and as the Yankees title drought now extends past a whole years, their fans were hungry to kick Bostons tail in 2020.
Aaron Judge blasts a crowning achievement to right-center field, and Jackie Bradley Jr. gets his foot caught in the wall advertisement as he attempts to climb up to make the grab.
Yes, its early– but should the Red Sox currently be considering next year?
Miller: We should all be thinking about next year! No, the Red Sox should not forget about this year. Barring a complete catastrophe, thats going to be real no matter how numerous times you ask me: Ill be very surprised if the Red Sox arent within a six-game winning streak of a postseason area when the season reaches the last week.
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Schoenfield: Bostons rotation isnt exactly what you would expect from a Red Sox team– they ran out Ryan Weber and Zack Godley in the very first two video games of their series, with Austin Brice beginning Sunday– and with Eduardo Rodriguez out for the season due to a heart condition, potentially stemming from COVID-19, Nathan Eovaldi is the only identifiable name right now. Provided that the AL likewise consists of some apparent bottom-feeders, the Red Sox have a good chance at sneaking in.
Which Yankees slugger is the scariest for a pitcher to see right now: the slimmed-down Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge or Gleyber Torres?
Miller: Stantons 121 mph homer on opening weekend– the second-hardest homer ever tracked– need to be a warning to all pitchers, third basemen and low-flying objects that might obstruct of his next solid contact. However Judges crowning achievement on Wednesday was almost more excellent, in a different way: It was a fastball up and probably out of the zone, and Judge seemed to simply pop it up. But the ball kept bring up until it was clear of the wall, with Orioles pitcher Asher Wojciechowskis baffled/disgusted response face stating all of it. So put it in this manner: Stanton is probably slightly more most likely to break the scoreboard, however Judge is probably a little more likely to break the pitchers ERA.
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Schoenfield: Judge, primarily for this reason: Hes pulling the ball once again. In 2015, he pulled just 6 of his 27 crowning achievement. In 2018, it was 9 of 27. But in his novice season in 2017, it was 23 out of 52. Three of his very first 4 crowning achievement this season were pulled to left. Yes, Judge is still an excellent bet to belt a majority of his crowning achievement to center field and best field, but pulling those house runs is a good sign that hes healthy, that the bat speed is there which you much better be careful if you think you can jam him inside with hard stuff.