Sox enter '20 with excitement and curiosity

BOSTON -- The Red Sox go into this sprint of a 60-game season loving their offense -- yes, even without Mookie Betts. They also go into it with a ton of question marks about the pitching staff.

Can the offense carry the team enough to stay competitive?

Will the pitching staff -- filled with a plethora of low-risk, low-cost acquisitions by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom -- be better than expected?

These are the questions that will start to get answered in the coming days. But like the other 29 big league teams, the Red Sox go into this unique 2020 season with excitement and curiosity.

"Looking at the club from a big picture standpoint, you look at this position player group, it's a really good group," said Bloom. "There's a lot of good options for [manager] Ron [Roenicke] on a daily basis. I got to see as an opponent exactly what kind of wrecking crew that offense could be. If we do a good job of keeping them in the game, they should be able to do some damage."

What needs to go right?
The Red Sox need to hit -- a lot. They have the talent to do it. Andrew Benintendi and J.D. Martinez should be a dangerous 1-2 duo at the top of the order. The middle will be filled by Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts, who were both lethal last season. That top four could rival just about any team if they all hit to their capabilities.

There are several other solid hitters at Roenicke's disposal, including Christian Vázquez and Mitch Moreland. Jackie Bradley Jr. is streaky but a force when he's on the right kind of streak. The Sox should also have some good bats off the bench, including Kevin Pillar and Michael Chavis.

Big question
Can Nathan Eovaldi be the ace the Red Sox need him to be over the 60-game season? The righty has a history of being dominant at times, and he never timed it better than the 2018 postseason. Eovaldi has sometimes had trouble with his health and consistency over 162 games, and that's why this season might be set up perfectly for the flame-throwing veteran. Eovaldi came into Spring Training looking strong and powerful, and he did the same thing in Summer Camp. It all starts for real when he takes the ball on Friday for the first Opening Day start of his career.

Prospect to watch
Corner infielder Bobby Dalbec has plus power and a strong work ethic and is nearing the end of his developmental phase. Now all he needs is an opportunity. The Red Sox have Moreland, Chavis and Devers locked in at the corners. But if there is an injury or under performer in that group, the club's No. 3 prospect could get his chance. The 25-year-old was late to Summer Camp due to testing positive for COVID-19, but Dalbec was asymptomatic and has been able to catch back up fast enough.

On the schedule
The Red Sox have a stretch from Aug. 7-23 in which they play 17 games in 17 days. Their pitching will have to be up to that challenge if they are going to stay in the postseason race. Included in that stretch? A four-game series at home against the Rays (Aug. 10-13), immediately followed by four on the road against the Yankees and two at home against the Phillies. A similar stretch in August went woefully off track in 2019, all but ending Boston's hopes of reaching the playoffs.

Team MVP will be ...
Devers. This is his time. The 23-year-old was a wrecking machine in 2019, and there's no reason that shouldn't be the case again in this shortened '20 season. Devers can hit to all fields and rake against righties and lefties.

Team Cy Young will be ...
Eduardo Rodriguez. The lefty will miss the first week or two of the season, but there's no reason he can't dominate when he comes back. Rodriguez blossomed into an ace down the stretch in 2019 and there's no reason he can't bring that momentum into this season. He has the best stuff on the staff.

Bold prediction
Unheralded free-agent acquisition José Peraza will become one of the most important players on the team, using Fenway's cozy dimensions in left to take his game to the next level offensively and using his versatile glove to make sparkling plays at various areas of the diamond.