Sox in Six: Balance, Daniel-San!

The Red Sox have found balance.

Remember that scene in The Karate Kid when Mr. Miyagi has Daniel stand up in a row boat doing karate moves, then shakes the boat so he falls in? "Must learn balance, Daniel-san!" the  sensei yells, and while Daniel hates the chill and calls him crazy, the master's intent becomes clear a few scenes later.

Baseball is a game where titles are won by teams achieving a proper balance -- with pitching, hitting, fielding, and baserunning all playing a part. A team can always use a big star or two in the lineup or rotation, but role players who can jump in and produce when asked are also key ingredients.

As they stand today atop the American League East, the Red Sox are achieving this balance with the best record in baseball. What are the key reasons? That's the focus of today's Sox in Six: 

Passing the Buck to Buchholz

Buchholz has had near no-hit stuff this season.

Coming off yet another win last night at Toronto, Clay Buchholz is emerging as a staff ace capable of winning 20 games and maybe even a Cy Young Award.

His April was, quite simply, one of the best in Red Sox history. It was only the fourth time a Sox pitcher had five victories during the season's first month, putting Clay in the company of Josh Beckett (in 2007), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Babe Ruth (1917).

Including last night's seven shutout innings versus the Blue Jays, Buchholz ranks first in the majors in victories (6-0), second in ERA (1.01), and tied for fourth with 47 strikeouts in a MLB-high 44.2 innings. Not since Roger Clemens 2001 has a Boston pitcher had an ERA this low after six starts. 

Clemens, Martinez, and Ruth -- that's pretty good company. 


Strong Supporting Cast

Carp in contemplation.

As dominant as Buchholz has been, the true strength of the Boston rotation has been the lack of a weak link among the top foursome. Lester (4-1), Ryan Dempster (3.32 ERA), and Felix Doubront (3-0) have all been effective, going deep into games and piling up the strikeouts (the Sox had 255 in April, a team record). 

Even the fifth spot recently vacated by the oft-injured John Lackey has not been a total washout, with Lackey and Triple A Pawtucket ace Alan Webster turning in some solid efforts. Fellow fifth man Alfredo Aceves has been the only real disappointment, proving so ineffective and immature that he was sent to Pawtucket to (hopefully) regain his form. 

All told, Boston starters have an ERA hovering around 3.20 and a 16-4 record -- the best mark of any MLB starting staff. Giving the managerial reigns to a successful, well-liked pitching coach in John Farrell seems to be paying off for Red Sox ownership.      

The Lineup: Touching Them All 

Another run for the Red Sox.

While Boston pitchers keep opponents off the board, Red Sox hitters are racking up runs without the benefit of their traditionally large home run totals. 

Boston ranks just seventh in the AL (tied with Texas) with 31 homers, but is still scoring with abundance thanks to doubles (second in the AL with 61), triples (first with 9), and walks (third, with 101). Six regulars in the lineup are hitting .280 or better, and even .200 hitters Stephen Drew and Will Middlebrooks have had clutch hits to help win games.

The backups, when called upon, have been dependable. Outfielder/first baseman Mike Carp is hitting .480 (12-for-25), Pedro Ciriaco has provided his usual grit and versatility, and David Ross has shown pop in spelling Jarrod Saltalamacchia at catcher.

One would expect Carp to be leading the team with his lofty average, but that's not the case here because...

Papi is Channeling The Kid

Papi lets one rip. 

Each time the experts (and many fans) think David Ortiz's days as a huge factor in the Red Sox lineup are over, the big guy comes back to surprise us again.

A major heel injury sidelined Ortiz almost all of last year's second half, the bulk of spring training, and for the first 16 games of this season as well. Most figured it would take Papi several weeks to get back his bat speed, and his .222 average in a brief rehab stint at Pawtucket surprised no one.

What he's done since coming back to the big league lineup, however, has been nothing short of astounding. Not since Ted Williams has a Red Sox player returned from a prolonged absence with such ferocity. Ortiz is batting .487 in 10 games with 3 homers, 7 doubles, 15 RBI and a ridiculous OPS of 1.409. He also has a 22-game hitting streak dating to last year, the longest of his career.

Most hitters emerge from major injuries rusty at the plate. Papi is hotter than ever, a feat that Williams, the Hall of Famer acknowledged by many to be baseball's greatest all-time hitter, performed often during his career.

In 1941, for instance, a bad ankle hobbled The Splendid Splinter for a month during the end of spring training and the early season, but he batted .462 in his first eight games back en route to a .406 season -- the last .400 campaign in big league history.

After a Triple Crown season in 1942 (.356, 37, 137), Ted missed all of 1943-45 while a Navy pilot during World War II. He didn't skip a beat, however, coming back in 1946 to hit .342 with 38 homers.

Williams served his country yet again as a Marine fighter pilot during the Korean War, and missed most of the 1952 and '53 seasons. Unlike most big leaguers he rarely touched a baseball during his absence, yet returned late in 1953 and hit an incredible .407 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI in just 37 games.

So while Ortiz may be doing something astounding, it is not unprecedented in Red Sox history. Just ask the really old-timers at Fenway Park.

No Whining, Just Winning

 John Farrell -- still smiling after a month. 

Bobby Valentine received a nice bouquet of positive headlines when he was brought in to succeed Terry Francona as manager in 2012, but the good vibrations didn't last long.  

By the end of April, Valentine had already alienated one of the team's most popular players, Kevin Youkilis, by suggesting that the veteran known for playing hard and hurt was not putting forth his best effort. Given a chance to alter his comments, Bobby V stayed firm -- a stance that set the stage for a season of griping and sniping among the manager, players, and press.

This year's club epitomizes team harmony. The firing of Valentine and appointment of Farrell to replace him, had some pundits scratching their heads. His record in two years leading the Blue Jays was uninspiring, but Red Sox players (some of who knew him as the club's pitching coach from 2007-10) have quickly embraced his approach.

There has been literally no controversy in the clubhouse or elsewhere, a direct contrast to last year. Even those situations where problems could have emerged -- Jose Iglesias' demotion upon Drew's return from injury, despite a .450 batting average and sterling defense; Joel Hanrahan not getting back his closer's role upon his return from the DL -- have passed without incident.

Everybody is doing and saying the right thing, and those positive vibes are surely helping guys stay loose and productive. It also makes them more fun to watch than the dugout brooders of last year, because on this club there are....

No Stars, Just Success

Nava is in the thick of things. 

Yes, Ortiz is an elite player with more than 400 homers; sure Dustin Pedroia has a Rookie of the Year, MVP, and two Gold Glove trophies to his credit. Jon Lester has won a World Series clincher and appeared on several All-Star teams.

But while nobody is denying the importance these established veterans bring to the table, this is a Boston team seemingly devoid of superstar "types" -- the prima donnas that can bring down a ballclub. Papi is keeping things lose and relishing in the terrific start of new first baseman Mike Napoli -- currently leading all of baseball with 31 RBI and 14 doubles.

The breakthrough start by Daniel Nava, whose story is one filled with roadblocks to success, has been widely celebrated by his teammates, as has the re-emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury as a 50-steal threat. Everyone loves seeing Buchholz dominate, but relievers like Alex Wilson and Koji Uehara helped the club to a team record-tying 18 April wins. 
  

The club's improvement over this point last year is stunning. Boston was 11-14 and in last place in the AL East after 25 games in 2012, and didn't win its 18th game until May 18. There is still plenty of time for this club to falter as well, but right now the Red Sox look poised and primed to hang around.

Sox in Six: Pride, Pitching, and Another Curse Broken

Plenty to smile about so far.

A week after ending the longest sellout streak in major professional sports annals, the Red Sox helped fill hearts with pride after one of Boston's darkest days. Then they continued their own shocking revival.

Nobody could have predicted the horrific events that struck the city on Marathon Day, and few could have anticipated the start that has quickly reestablished the Sox -- at least for now -- as a viable force in the American League. Timely hitting, near-historic starting pitching, and a new attitude infused by new manager John Farrell has resulted in the AL's best record (13-6, tied with Texas) out of the gate.

Even more surprising than the speed with which Farrell seems to have turned around the clubhouse mojo is how quick the Red Sox have regained the respect of fans disillusioned by the woeful 2012 season and the calamitous reign of Bobby Valentine. It is still too early to compare this team to the feel-good squads of 1967 and 1975, but as they did in those memorable summers, the Sox are winning with a roster that has few established superstars but plenty of likable characters for whom it's easy to cheer.

Here's a look at the Sox in Six:

Give Papi a Bleeping Break

Papi spoke from the heart.

The events of last Saturday, from the majestic entrance of the Hoyts and other heroes to Neil Diamond's live crooning of "Sweet Caroline," have been well-documented elsewhere. But before moving on to the team itself, a thought on David Ortiz's much-discussed pregame speech in which he told fans, "This is our [expletive] city, and nobody is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong."

While expletives like the one Papi uttered are usually frowned upon in a public gathering, especially with thousands of kids listening in, this is one case where we should give the big guy a pass. My preteen son and I heard his address over the radio, where the word in question appeared to be blocked out, but when Jason asked me what I thought Ortiz had said, I countered with, "I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it's OK."

There are times when tough times warrant tough words. Papi's pride for his adopted homeland and city shone through in his comments, and to me this seemed a time parents could say to their kids, "That's not a nice word to say, but sometimes adults are so angry they can't help themselves."

As Ortiz reporters after the game, he wanted to get things "out of my chest." In doing so, he spoke for millions of people in New England and beyond.

No Chicken Around Here

Co-aces once again.

Larry Lucchino, Sam Kennedy and Co. certainly hoped that Farrell's successful stint as pitching coach for Boston from 2007-10 would help him turn around the club's disappointing starting staff as manager. The early returns have been very encouraging; in fact, they've been unlike almost anything seen before.

In helping the team to its best start (12-4) in more than a decade, Red Sox starters allowed three runs or fewer in the first 16 games of the season through last Saturday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this feat had been accomplished just twice in American League history -- by the 1978 and 1981 Oakland A's -- and the Sox were one ground ball single off Sunday's Game 1 starter Ryan Dempster from stretching the streak to 17 straight. Entering tonight, Boston is the only team in baseball that has had no starter allow more than 4 runs in a game.

Leading the way through this stretch has been last year's biggest flops -- Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. Boston is 8-0 in games started by the top two men in the rotation, and Buchholz leads the American League with an 0.90 ERA entering tonight (Lester is fourth at 1.73). 

K Men

Dempster brings some heat.

It's tough to win if you can't hit the ball, and Boston pitchers have been piling up strikeouts at a fantastic rate. 

Entering tonight, the Red Sox lead MLB with 189 strikeouts and 9.94 punchouts per game. Sox starters and relievers have combined for 12 games with at least 10 strikeouts, and starters Lester, Buchholz, Dempster, and Felix Doubront have registered 106 whiffs in just 96.2 innings. The relievers have not been too shabby either; closer Andrew Bailey, for instance, has 17 strikeouts in 10.1 frames.

Speed Demons

Ellsbury is on the run again.

While the pitchers are blowing away opposing batters, Boston base runners are turning on the speed as well. Boston trails only Oakland in the AL with 18 stolen bases, led by a resurgent Jacob Ellsbury -- tops in the league with 9 steals in 9 attempts. 

Speed has also been key for Boston on defense, where new additions Shane Victorino and Jackie Bradley have tracked down many a deep fly ball in the outfield and the infield of Will Middlebrooks (3B), Dustin Jose Iglesias/Stephen Drew (SS), Pedroia (2B), Mike Napoli (IB), and Jarrod Saltalamacchia/David Ross (C) has been airtight. Boston's 4 errors are the fewest in baseball, and its .994 fielding percentage the best.

Napoli a Net Gain

Napoli drives in four -- with one swing.

Boston's well-rounded offense has been another key to its great start, but Napoli has stood out in the clutch.

Although his .278 average is fifth among Red Sox regulars, his 25 RBI (on just 22 hits) leads the team and the majors. Last night he had 5 RBI including a grand slam, and he's had at least one ribbie in 8 of the last 10 games.

Napoli's career high in RBI is 75 -- and he's already one-third of the way there.

The (Next) Curse has Been Lifted

The truth shall set you free.

Another more ballyhooed curse may have been toppled by the Red Sox nine years ago, but when Fenway Park attendance fell below full capacity in the second home game this season, it marked the end of another streak.

Any fan who has attended games since the September swoon of 2011 or watched on TV has observed many contests in which there were thousands of empty seats at Fenway, yet the Red Sox' home sellout streaks "officially" reached 794 regular season games and 820 overall (including playoffs) before mercifully ending on April 10 against Baltimore. The sellout stretch had started on May 15, 2003, nearly two full seasons BEFORE the Red Sox captured the 2004 World Series.

Management always maintained it had sold enough tickets to qualify home games as sellouts, but media and fans scoffed at the splotches of blue and red throughout Fenway and stories emerged of the team literally giving away tickets online during the last-place 2013 season.   Now that the pressure is off, the Sox can focus on playing well enough that the park is full or nearly full most of the time.

The strategy seems to be working pretty well so far.

Opening Day at Fenway--What a Difference Seven Months Makes

The energy has been infectious early on.

From the moment one turned off Brookline Avenue and onto Yawkey Way on Monday afternoon, the change was apparent.

As the sun shone down and hawkers handed out "K" cards reading "NEW TEAM-OCTOBER DREAM," fans approached Gate A at Fenway Park for Opening Day displaying vastly different emotions from the somber crowd that departed the ballpark last Sept. 26. Whereas that dismal home finale served as just one of the eight straight losses that capped the worst Red Sox season in a half-century, those entering the ballpark seven months later had good reason to be smiling and laughing.

By winning two of three in both New York and Toronto to start the 2013 campaign, Boston was 4-2 and in first place as it readied to take on the Baltimore Orioles. New manager John Farrell had the club playing with an energy that was sorely lacking last year, and numerous newcomers like outfielders Shane Victorino and Jackie Bradley Jr., shortstop Jose Iglesias, and first baseman Mike Napoli were making their presence felt in the lineup and in the field. Pitching, a big problem in 2012, also appeared to be solidified with excellent starting performances and a lights-out bullpen during the first week.

Buchholz kept "K" card holders busy.

Well before right-hander Clay Buchholz took the mound in this contest, Fenway was awash with positive vibes. The Red Sox honored their 60-year partnership with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and its Jimmy Fund charity during pregame ceremonies, which featured a stirring rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" by current and former cancer patients, family members, and Dana-Farber staffers. Cancer survivors from each of the last seven decades paired up with past Sox players in a simultaneous first pitch, and young patients and their siblings yelled "Play Ball!" with help from former Boston ace Pedro Martinez.

Once Martinez and Co. were done, Buchholz and Orioles lefty Wei-Yin Chen did their best Pedro impersonations in a game that was scoreless through six. There were not many baserunners for either side, but fans didn't seem to mind the lack of offense. There were great fielding plays by both sides, a slew of strikeouts by Buchholz, and (thank you Larry Lucchino) two-for-one Fenway Franks and $5.00 beers.

Inspiration from the Jimmy Fund Chorus

After another scoreless frame for Buchholz -- punctuated by a strikeout of Steve Pearce on his 113th and final pitch -- the Jimmy Fund Chorus came back out during the seventh inning stretch to offer renditions of "God Bless America" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Fans joined in with fervor that matched anything heard at Wrigley Field during the Harry Carray years, and perhaps the feel-good moment woke up the Sox bats. After two men reached against Chen in the bottom of the frame, Daniel Nava smashed a pitch across Lansdowne Street for a 3-0 lead.

The only blemish on the day was a shaky ninth inning from Joel Hanrahan, who allowed a home run to Adam Jones and put the tying runs on base before finishing up the 3-1 win. But even when Hanrahan struggled, the boo-birds did not emerge. This was too much of a feel-good crowd to resort to its familiar habit of bashing closers for not being Jon Papelbon. 

Now its up to yet another newcomer -- tonight's starter Ryan Dempster -- to keep the good times rolling. And even if he's bombed, he can always lead the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The guy does a killer Harry Caray imitation.

Big League Brian and fans all had a ball.

What must new Red Sox do to make chemistry worth it?

Time to see if the new Red Sox have the right fuel.

Much has been made about the concerted effort by the Red Sox to go for character over sex appeal in reconstructing their roster. But if they want to rebound from their worst season since the Beatles played Boston, the Sox need performances to match the chemistry.

Case in point among the newcomers facing the Yankees on Opening Day this afternoon is Shane Victorino. Everyone agrees he's a great guy with a great glove. But can he adjust to the vast expenses of Fenway's right field and hit enough to justify an everyday spot in the lineup? He's hit as many as 18 home runs in a season, but had just 2 in 53 games with the Dodgers last year -- and none in 45 at-bats this spring training.

Can Dempster deliver more than a quick wit?

Then there is Ryan Dempster, the newest member of the starting rotation. Good with a joke (which was surely handy on the Cubs), he comes here boasting durability (an average of 199 innings for the past five years). But John Lackey arrived in town with much the same credentials -- and experience as a World Series winner. How's that turned out so far?

The new closer is Joel Hanrahan, who put up some pretty gaudy strikeout numbers in the low-stress atmosphere of Pittsburgh. But Eric Gagne whiffed all comers as well with the Dodgers, and he was a disaster when put into the Boston pressure cooker. Boston is still seeking a closer with the eye of the tiger Jonathan Papelbon possessed; Hanrahan is next to make the attempt.

Will Farrell be loving on Gomes come June?

Jonny Gomes was not expected to be the starting DH, but David Ortiz's uncooperative heel has necessitated it for now. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe calls Gomes "baseball's chemistry professor, a positive clubhouse presence wherever he goes." That will only take him so far if he fails to start strong, and last year he had a .220 average through May with Oakland. And what's with the missing "h" anyway?

The rookies in today's lineup, also apparently strong pieces in the chemistry mix, have to prove they can be everyday big leaguers.

Shortstop Jose Iglesias, another guy getting his Opening Day shot due to an injury -- Stephen Drew's concussion -- already has Gold Glove skills. His bat, however, has been very suspect in limited MLB trials (although his .294 spring training performance was encouraging). Ozzie Smith spent several years early in his Hall of Fame career as a .220 hitter, but it's hard to imagine Boston fans being that patient with Iglesias -- especially with Drew and minor league phenom Xander Bogaerts waiting in the wings.

Iglesias (left) and Bradley will both get their shot.

Projected to make his debut at Yankee Stadium is a 22-year-old who was the best story of spring training for the Red Sox -- left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. He was Mr. Everything during the Grapefruit League schedule, hitting .419 with power and running with poise and purpose on the field and the basepaths. He's the guy Boston fans can't wait to see at Fenway, but the annals of baseball are filled with rookie phenoms who went bust before the All-Star break.

There is, of course, one other newcomer on the team -- Manager John Farrell. He's not an unfamiliar face to Red Sox fans, having been a well-liked and successful pitching coach with Boston from 2007-2010. But reviews of his performance as Blue Jays manager were mixed, and the results (a 154-170 record) rather tepid. Ownership thought Bobby Valentine was the answer last year, and the result was a chemistry explosion. Farrell seems a better fit for Boston in the early going, but you can be sure Joe Kerrigan (the last Red Sox pitching coach elevated to manager) is on his mind.

Unless Farrell and the other newest parts of the Red Sox potion perform at a high level, nobody will much mind whether they keep the clubhouse happy and help old ladies across the street. In fact, the old ladies will likely be kicking them in the shins if they try.

Can Lester and Red Sox withstand power outage?

Lester has Sox fans tickled green with excitement.

Pitching and timely hitting. The Red Sox are getting plenty of both this spring training, but will it be enough if they can't hit the ball out of the park?

It was on Sunday, when the green-clad Sox got six perfect innings from Jon Lester and allowed just one ninth-inning infield hit in a 5-1 victory over the Rays at Jet Blue Park. The big left-hander and projected staff ace is now 3-0 with an 0.90 ERA, six hits allowed, and 16 strikeouts in 20 Grapefruit League innings. 

Those numbers are very encouraging, and he is just one of numerous Boston pitchers having a terrific exhibition season as the staff aims to rebound from a dreadful 2012. Starters Lester, Clay Buchholz,and Ryan Dempster are a combined 6-1 with an 0.88 ERA, and even John Lackey is 2-0 with an improved physique and attitude. At least three of these guys should top last year's team "high" of 11 victories by Buchholz and Felix Doubront.

Simon Says Buchholz (left), Lester  are ready to roll.

The relief pitching, including Daniel Bard(!), has been solid as well, and the staff ERA of 3.54 leads all of baseball during spring training (their WHIP of 1.25 is second-best). Having former pitching coach John Farrell back as manager is clearly making an impact on the staff. 

But on the other side of the ball, so to speak, is a stat that jumps out as cause for potential concern. Through 23 exhibition games, the Red Sox have hit 13 homers -- tied with the Brewers for LAST of all 30 MLB teams.

Sure, this is spring training, and you can throw the numbers out once the real games start. However, there is no denying that while the Red Sox have turned in a solid 13-9-1 record in Fort Myers, they've done so without the power that has been their calling card for much of the last decade.

Jonny Gomes -- 20-homer potential.

The Sox have hit their fair share of clutch non-homers, often with men in scoring position, and this was the case again Sunday when Jonny Gomes notched 4 RBI with two singles and a double. Putting the ball over Green Monster South or anywhere else outside the field of play has been another story.

How are their AL East rivals doing by comparison this spring? Toronto, heralded by many experts as the most-improved club in baseball, has 23 homers including 4 from Andy LaRoche and 3 from Jose Bautista (no Red Sox has more than 2). The Orioles, who are projected to fall back to earth a bit after their surprising 2012, have 26. Interestingly, the Rays (15) and Yankees (14) are just above Boston and Milwaukee at the bottom of the charts.

Injuries are partly to blame for the power outage. Boston's best home run hitter, David Ortiz, has been out of the lineup the entire exhibition schedule with a bad heel. New York, meanwhile, has been minus its two top power threats -- injured first baseman Mark Teixeira and outfielder Curtis Granderson. The Yanks, in fact, will enter Opening Day versus the Red Sox on April 1 at the Stadium without 8 of the 10 players who hit double-digit homers for them in 2012; five are no longer with the club and three (Teixeira, Granderson, and Alex Rodriguez) are on the DL. 

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have plenty of their own question marks when it comes to power. Ortiz was on pace for 40 homers when he went down last summer, and his inability to even run on his bad heel two days in a row this spring has been a huge disappointment to management -- which signed Big Papi to a two-year contract hoping he could anchor the middle of the order through 2014.

Big Papi and son wait for his heel to heal.

Take Ortiz out of the lineup, at least for April, and you have just two other players with 30-homer seasons on their resumes: Mike Napoli and Jacoby Ellsbury. Both may be long shots this year. Napoli had 30 in 2011, but has had trouble staying healthy. Ellsbury had a fantastic 32-homer-39-steal year in 2011, but he too was injured for half of 2012 with a bad shoulder and hit just 4 homers in 66 games after his return -- leaving many to speculate that he has lost some of his power. 

What does it all mean? Are the Red Sox capable of competing as they did in 1990, when they won an AL East title with just one player -- Ellis Burks at 21 -- hitting more than 15 homers? There is no Roger Clemens in his prime atop this rotation, but Lester and Co. may keep the Sox in the hunt even if Papi and Ellsbury can't return to form.

Napoli hopes to get out of the cage, onto the field.

Red Sox fans would just prefer not to have to find out.

Bradley Jr. and Red Sox work at "restoring the faith"

Jackie Bradley Jr.: Great so far.

Maybe you caught the ad on RedSox.com. A determined-looking David Ortiz stares out on one side of the page as a message flashes across the other:

"162 CHANCES...TO RESTORE THE FAITH"
"SUMMER TICKETS...GET YOURS NOW"

It's starting to look more and more like Ortiz and his aching achilles will not be there for the first of those 162 chances, but there are plenty of other players who are helping get fans excited again this spring training after the worst stretch of Red Sox baseball since Billy Herman and Pinky Higgins.

Jackie Bradley Jr. has been the talk of Fenway South, with a .500 average (10-for-20) and terrific defensive work in center field. Manager John Farrell has said Bradley is not likely to make the team out of camp because he wants him to get regular at-bats in the minors rather than ride the pine in the big leagues. Still, it's good to know that Bradley -- who hit a combined .315/.482/.911 with 42 doubles and 24 steals at Salem and Portland last year -- is waiting in the wings if incumbent centerfielder and pending free agent Jacoby Ellsbury winds up hurt or elsewhere.

Allen Webster can bring some heat.

A highly-touted prospect for the Dodgers picked up in last summer's blockbuster trade, right-hander Allen Webster was also slated for Pawtucket this year but is making a good case to stick with the big club. He's struck out 11 and walked just one over eight innings, and is throwing his fastball 98 miles an hour. Like old friend Derek Lowe, Webster also has a very nice breaking pitch that induces lots of ground balls, and he seldom is hurt by the home run -- last year allowing just two homers in 131 innings.

On the other end of the experience spectrum among incoming pitchers, Ryan Dempster has looked impressive on the mound and off. He has not walked a batter in his first three starts, and in one outing threw 25 of 28 pitches for strikes. The 16-year MLB veteran is also just the type of free spirit innings-eater this staff may need to keep things loose; since he wasn't here for the meltdowns, he shouldn't be under pressure to rebound. If he wins his 12-15 games, everyone will be happy.

Napoli is fitting in fine.

Mike Napoli may not be the big-name guy Sox fans hoped to see the team acquire to take up the first base slot, and the non-stop talk about his degenerative hip and pending contract only made things worse. But Napoli has shown good pop early on and is chasing down balls left and right. His hip appears to be fine.

Among the holdovers, Dustin Pedroia has looked great with a .412 average in Grapefruit League play. The little second baseman with the big heart and bat is the kind of guy you love to watch at any time of year -- along the lines of a Trot Nixon or Rick Burleson. You can tell how much he cares about winning; his emotion is the real deal and not just macho bravado.

Jon Lester: Early results positive.

Lefty Jon Lester has also been terrific, first by being appropriately remorseful to reporters and fans about his forgettable 2012 season, and then by holding opponents to a .103 average over his first three starts and nine innings. Clay Buchholz, another guy eager to put last year behind him, has looked sharp too and free of the hamstring pain that derailed him last summer. Any talk of a winning season in '13 starts with these two guys at the top of the rotation, so it's crucial that both get off to good starts.

As for John Lackey, well, his uniform certainly fits better than last year. Whether a reduced waistline results in a reduced ERA, however, remains to be seen (and early outings have not been very promising). Farrell is confident Lackey can rebound well from Tommy John surgery, and general manager Ben Cherington is counting on Big John starting 25 to 30 of those 162 aforementioned chances. Still, if fans are counting on this pitcher to restore their faith, it may be a long summer.