Who will save the day for each MLB team?

Boston Red Sox: David Price

The American League East looks like it’s going to be a two-horse race between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. They’ve both had busy offseasons making huge moves. The Yankees traded for slugger Giancarlo Stanton while the Red Sox signed coveted free agent J.D. Martinez.

Their lineups appear to be somewhat evenly matched at this point. But it looks like New York’s rotation has an edge on Boston right now. However, that could change if David Price starts looking more like he did a couple years ago.

The Red Sox signed the left-hander to a massive seven-year, $217 million contract ahead of the 2016 season, but they didn’t initially get the Cy Young pitcher they paid for. He went 17-9 with a 3.99 ERA. Those are fine numbers, to be sure. But nowhere near the elite level we’re used to seeing from Price.

An injury-riddled 2017 limited him to just 74 2/3 innings of work, but even in that small sample size, it was a step in the right direction. He pitched to the tune of a 3.38 ERA with a 1.192 WHIP. Not quite where he wants to be, but a big improvement from his 2016 season.

If he can keep that momentum and be an ace-caliber pitcher behind Chris Sale, the Red Sox could wind up having one of the best rotations in the league. Just two short years ago, he was phenomenal for the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. If that’s the David Price the Red Sox get this season, they’re a legitimate threat to win the World Series.