Here’s why the Red Sox will overpower Yankees, win the AL East
By Cody Rivera
4. New manager in charge
The Red Sox were given a fresh start in 2018 when Alex Cora was hired to be the new manager, replacing John Farrell, who had managed the team from 2013 through 2017.
Farrell was a polarizing figure in Red Sox Nation. Some fans loved him because of the number of things he accomplished during his tenure, such as a World Series title in 2013, and back-to-back division titles in 2016 and 2017. Other fans hated him because of his constant tendency to either over-manage or under-manage (I was firmly a member of this camp). I watched Farrell manage the Sox for five seasons, and I lost count of how many bone-headed moves I watched him make.
The hiring of Cora brought in a new face and a new style. He’s a laid-back manager for the most part. Usually, he just lets his players go out and play baseball, not trying to constantly be the center of attention by making move after move throughout games. He utilizes his bullpen well most of the time; he doesn’t make TOO many pitching changes, but he also knows when it’s the right time to get a fresh arm out there. And he doesn’t shake up the lineup too often, which is a good thing. After all, why change something that has won you 31 games midway through May?
Lastly, over the last 14 years, first-year managers in Boston have typically had great success, with the exception of the Bobby Valentine debacle in 2012. But before that, Terry Francona led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2004, ending the 86-year drought. Later, in 2013, Farrell took over the club after Valentine ran it into the ground, and led the Red Sox to a worst-to-first World Series championship.
Will the trend continue with Cora this year? Only time will tell.