Fansided

5 reasons the Yankees will finish ahead of the Red Sox

By Rucker Haringey

BOSTON - APRIL 11: Boston Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly and first baseman Mitch Moreland fight with the Yankees' Tyler Austin after he charged the mound in the seventh inning. The Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees in a regular season MLB baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on April 11, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - APRIL 11: Boston Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly and first baseman Mitch Moreland fight with the Yankees' Tyler Austin after he charged the mound in the seventh inning. The Boston Red Sox host the New York Yankees in a regular season MLB baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on April 11, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – MAY 2: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox bats during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on Wednesday May 2, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mookie Betts
BOSTON, MA – MAY 2: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox bats during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on Wednesday May 2, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mookie Betts /

2. Mookie Betts will cool off

It’s entirely possible that Mookie Betts is the hottest hitter in baseball at the moment. He’s been on an absolute tear to start the season. Betts has already generated an astounding 2.3 oWAR for the Red Sox in just 30 games.

He can’t keep this pace up for an entire season. The idea that he’ll finish the season with a batting average of .355 and an OPS of 1.252 is just too much to believe. Unlike Stanton, you can expect Betts’ statistics to regress to the mean.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to have a great season. He’ll still finish the year with excellent numbers. Betts may even be a legitimate AL MVP candidate when the season is done and dusted.

It’s also possible that he will undergo a prolonged slump. He’s a talented hitter but there’s a reason he only hit .264 one season ago. Betts isn’t the most talented hitter in MLB. That’s the way he’s playing at the moment, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll finish the season in that vein.

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