2014 Season Expectations and Fan Satisfaction

[Pedroia's Itchy Nose]

This thread isn't so much intended as a prediction thread as it is a place to discuss how the team's performance last year has shaped and influenced your expectations for this season and what you think the team will need to do in order to make you happy.
 
The Sox winning it all in 2013 was amazing, in no small part because it was both unexpected by most (certainly by me) and because it happened in the context of a really fun atmosphere and a general step forward for the organization in talent development as well as in on-field success.
 
In the Winter of 2012-13 I expected the Sox to struggle some in 2013 with an upside of competing for a playoff spot and then compete a bit more in 2014. If player development turned out to be aggressively successful, I expected the team to be very good in 2014 with a legitimate shot to go deep into the playoffs. If the younger players developed more slowly, I expected this level of competitiveness to emerge perhaps in 2015.
 
Now that the Sox went all the way in 2013 I am not quite sure how to think about this season. On the one hand, if they are second-tier competitive it'd be a disappointment compared to last year. But on the other hand, I also thought in the past that this year might be another stepping stone on the path to sustained success -- and I would have been happy with that.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I think we'll win the East and would consider any season in which we make the playoffs a success.  After that, who knows...
 
That last question is kind of stupid, to be honest.  Who answers no to that?

 

[Todd Benzinger]

It's true that "Did 2013 impact your expectation" isn't much of a yes/no question, but how 2013 impacted your expectations might be worth discussing. I expect much more of 2013's Champs than I did of the inheritors of the disaster of 2012 (a team we almost all viewed with trepidation at this time last year).... But at the same time I feel way more laid back about the Sox than ever. I guess, IMHO, they've earned a bridge year... even if the team doesn't happen to look like a bridge-year team, and the competition in the AL East looks less fearsome than a year ago. I am, perhaps foolishly, not worried about the 2014 BJs.

 

[JimD]

For the first question, I voted for 'Make the Playoffs as a Wild Card' because I think the AL East will be a dogfight again this year.  I could honestly see the Sox finishing anywhere from first to fourth, depending on the health and performance of all five teams in the division.

 

[ivanvamp]

I've been pleasantly surprised that they've stayed on course from the 2012-13 offseason, emphasizing smart, short contracts and the farm system.  2013 was a huge surprise, just an incredibly enjoyable season.  Not only because they won it all, but because they didn't sacrifice their system to do it.  So not only are they defending champs, they STILL have a stacked farm system.
 
This year I expect them to win low 90's, make the playoffs, and who knows.  And I expect a good percentage of the kids to contribute this year, and more still by 2015.

 

[rembrat]

I'm still on a 2013 high so it would take the Sox charter flight ending up off the coast of Perth to bum me out in 2014. The books are great, the farm is stacked, we got some kids in the lineup, and the Yankees suck. 

 

[glennhoffmania]

I think we'll win the East and would consider any season in which we make the playoffs a success.  After that, who knows...
 
That last question is kind of stupid, to be honest.  Who answers no to that?

 
I agree it's not a great question but I answered no.  The team is different this year and any expectations or predictions should be based on the current team, not what last year's team did.

 

[Rasputin]

I think we'll win the East and would consider any season in which we make the playoffs a success.  After that, who knows...
 
That last question is kind of stupid, to be honest.  Who answers no to that?

 
I also answered no to that. If the Sox had, say, lost to Detroit, or even missed the playoffs with most of the same individual performances, I don't think my view of 2014 would be much different. 
 
In a lot of ways, the 2014 is better than 2013. In a lot of ways, it isn't. If the team had won 90 games instead of 97, would there be that much difference?

 

[Why Not Grebeck?]

2013's win is still fresh, so 2014 feels like playing with house money.
 
I want to feel like we're on the cusp of an exciting new era in talent, I want to see some more Papi bombs, and I'd like to win enough games to make the playoffs. If Boston goes cold at the wrong time or runs into a playoff rotation buzzsaw, so be it - happens to everyone. 

 

[ivanvamp]

I'm still on a 2013 high so it would take the Sox charter flight ending up off the coast of Perth to bum me out in 2014. The books are great, the farm is stacked, we got some kids in the lineup, and the Yankees suck. 

 
Agree with everything except those last three words.  I think the Yankees are going to be pretty good.  Much better than we want them to be.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I think the Red Sox are the best team in the AL East, and see them coming out ahead of Tampa/Baltimore by 5 games or so. Those two teams are good, and interesting, but the Red Sox are just all around better. The Yankees, I feel, are just a mess.
 
It's unreasonable to expect a World Series, as anything can happen in a 5 or 7 game series, but I do expect the Red Sox to get deep into the playoffs and to be competitive against their opponents. The caveat for me is no losing a postseason series to Tampa, Baltimore, New York or the Dodgers, because I pretty much loathe those teams for a variety of reasons.
 
The last question, I guess, is a yes for me. I predicted 89-91 wins for the Red Sox last season, even after the awful 2012. I'm putting them down for ~93 wins this season (with TB/BAL getting around 87-89, NY maybe 80-82 and Toronto somewhere in the low-mid 70s). Had the Sox flopped last season, I can't really say what my outlook on this season would be.

 

[dbn]

I voted "win the AL East" because I'd pick them over any other team to win the AL East, but I'd pick the field over the Red Sox (as I expect most of us would.)
 
I can be satisfied with the season even if they miss the playoffs if several of the options 5-9 happen, particularly the chemistry one. 

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

 
I also answered no to that. If the Sox had, say, lost to Detroit, or even missed the playoffs with most of the same individual performances, I don't think my view of 2014 would be much different. 
 
In a lot of ways, the 2014 is better than 2013. In a lot of ways, it isn't. If the team had won 90 games instead of 97, would there be that much difference?

 
Agreed. I wasn't as surprised as some people by the 2013 team anyway--not that I expected them to go all the way, but I thought they'd be pretty good and very likely make the playoffs. The franchise right now is pretty much where I would have expected it to be 18 months ago, except with one more ring.
 
I said they'll win the AL East because I think they're at least as talented as any of their rivals. As for question 2, I always want them to play in October, but for me the dividing line between a good year and a bad year is if they're still playing meaningful games after Labor Day, so I said "contend."

 

[Rasputin]

 
Agree with everything except those last three words.  I think the Yankees are going to be pretty good.  Much better than we want them to be.

 
I can see where that comes from, but I also think they have a greater chance of completely falling apart than most of the teams in the AL East. They're putting an awful lot of trust in an awful lot of players who are pretty old and/or injured.

 

[ivanvamp]

 
I can see where that comes from, but I also think they have a greater chance of completely falling apart than most of the teams in the AL East. They're putting an awful lot of trust in an awful lot of players who are pretty old and/or injured.

 
Yes, no doubt.  There's a reasonable chance of that.  There's also a reasonable chance they'll win the division.  

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

I can see where that comes from, but I also think they have a greater chance of completely falling apart than most of the teams in the AL East. They're putting an awful lot of trust in an awful lot of players who are pretty old and/or injured.

 
True, but historically they get away with that. 

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

 
I also answered no to that. If the Sox had, say, lost to Detroit, or even missed the playoffs with most of the same individual performances, I don't think my view of 2014 would be much different. 
 
In a lot of ways, the 2014 is better than 2013. In a lot of ways, it isn't. If the team had won 90 games instead of 97, would there be that much difference?

 
Probably not in these scenarios, but the question asked about the team's success in general, not about its success in a playoff series.  You can certainly justify a "no" answer if you interpret the question in a specific manner, but that just makes the question and its results pointless anyway.
 
In general, only a crazy person would not update their expectations for a baseball team based on its degree of success in the previous year.

 

[glennhoffmania]

 
Yes, no doubt.  There's a reasonable chance of that.  There's also a reasonable chance they'll win the division.  

 
I think saying something like "they suck" has to be put into context.  It's pretty tough to be completely awful when you spend about a quarter billion on payroll.  But if they're one of the better teams in the AL I think it would be surprising.
 

 
Probably not in these scenarios, but the question asked about the team's success in general, not about its success in a playoff series.  You can certainly justify a "no" answer if you interpret the question in a specific manner, but that just makes the question and its results pointless anyway.
 
In general, only a crazy person would not update their expectations for a baseball team based on its degree of success in the previous year.

 
It depends on what your expectations were for them last year.  Some of us were more optimistic than others and thought they'd make the playoffs.  How much higher than a playoff berth should expectations be for this year?

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

I thought the 2013 team was just barely going to miss the playoffs.  Glad to have eaten some crow there, obviously, but last year's success did significantly change my opinion of the major league roster going forward.  To answer the questions above, I'm picking them to win the AL East, after that it's the playoffs so it's tough to be certain about anything.  For it to be a successful season I want to see them make the playoffs, even if it's as a wild card, since I still expect Tampa to be right there down the stretch and wouldn't be shocked to see the Orioles in the hunt as well.  Toronto, with some good injury luck and a bounce back from a couple of players could make it interesting as well.  But assuming the Sox don't have an abnormal amount of bad luck with injuries, I'm guessing they win the division and would be very surprised to see them miss the playoffs.
 
Additionally, I do want to see the top prospects in the lower minors make some progress this year, as I think they need to keep that prospect machine churning for their long term strategy to keep paying off (just call me Captain Obvious), have one of the young kids (or more) on the major league roster take a step forward whether it's Bogaerts keeping the dream that he ends up an MVP caliber player in his prime alive with a strong rookie season, JBJ showing he really is ready to be the team's center fielder full time or Middlebrooks walking the fan base back off the ledge (or pulling their heads out of Garin Cecchini's ass, if you prefer) with regards to his own future with the club, and too keep baseball fun for themselves and the fans.  I'm not as big a believer in chemistry or the lack thereof being the primary cause of the 2011 collapse, but that clubhouse was definitely pressing in September of that year.  Last year's club convinced me that a team having fun is more likely to avoid getting into a general funk in the first place and it's tough to imagine that that doesn't have an impact on the season, even if it materializes on a small scale in streaks of winning or losing games more than being the driving force of an entire season.
 
As for the Yankees, I left them out of the division talk above because they have an uphill climb and it's a steep one.  There are too many old players on that team to feel all that comfortable about predicting them challenging for the division.  They'll need to be as lucky with injuries or luckier than Toronto to pull it off.  With some good luck, or a shitload of HGH, yeah, they can stay healthy and stay in the division race, but even then they are building up from a team that had 79 Pythag wins last year and had to replace Cano, Granderson and Alex Rodriguez.  Yeah, ARod is a trainwreck, but he's still an above average bat at a position that isn't loaded with offensive talent at the moment.  Ellsbury, Beltran and McCann may bring them back to being a 79 win team or so, and they're hoping to have a healthy season of Jeter, no drop off from Soriano, no further decline or a bounce back from Sabathia, same from Kuroda, a strong rookie season from Tanaka, and... oh yeah... they have to replace Mariano Rivera.
 
That's just too much for me to be worried that they're going to challenge the Sox or Rays for the division.  I think they battle it out with Toronto for the cellar all year.

 

[Reverend]

I want blood.

 

[luckysox]

I loved last season; it was fabulous and perfect and happy and the bestest ever.  But in the end, it doesn't matter to me when I'm watching and rooting for this season. If they suck, or don't make the playoffs because of a bad pitching staff, or tank like 2011, or suffer an agonizing amount of injuries that basically sink the ship, I'll be miserable. And I don't think my misery will be all that quelled by the 2013 title.  I mean, sure I can put in the dvd and relive some awesome moments, but I don't watch baseball on a nightly basis and live and die with every pitch so I can just fall back on last season when things go crappy. I want stuff to go well again - especially knowing this is a talented and well run team.  They have every chance to win again, and while I won't be depressed if they don't repeat, I really won't be happy if they don't make the post season.  I understand lots of folks may not feel this way, but I don't think winning the WS last season does much to reduce my expectations regarding this year. If anything, my expectations are higher than they were last spring training.

 

[Dahabenzapple2]

I'm a hoping that I can draw on the wonderous 2013 title but my history shows like the Rev that I need and want blood.

 

[Rasputin]

Yes, no doubt.  There's a reasonable chance of that.  There's also a reasonable chance they'll win the division.  

 
Obviously there is some definitional squishiness with the word "reasonable" but I would suggest that no, there really isn't. They are, at best, the third most likely team to win the division. Their infield is terrible, their depth is nonextistent, and pretty much every tweaked hammy is going to result in them playing someone terrible.
 

True, but historically they get away with that. 

 
Fuck history.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Fuck history.

 
They say those who fuck history are condemned to ...
 
What is it, again?

 

[Rasputin]

 
They say those who fuck history are condemned to ...
 
What is it, again?

 
Get hit with a paternity suit by someone who just realized their degree is worth pigeon piss.

 

[Plympton91]

I expect the Red Sox to have a payroll near the luxury tax ceiling and a top farm system all the time given their position in the revenue heirarchy of MLB.  So, I expect them to field a team every year capable of winning 92 plus games and contending for the playoffs.  Thus, last season had no impact on my expectations for this year, and I consider any season in which they miss the playoffs to be a disappointment and absent catastrophic injury luck like 2001, 2006, 2010, and 2011, a red flag on organizational competence or commitment.
 
This year, I worry about all of last season's karma catching up with them and about the improvements in the rest of the league while the Red Sox basically treaded water at best while losing their second most dynamic offensive player.  The starting pitching should keep them very competitive, and the bullpen should be at least as good on average as any regression from Uehara should be more than made up for by Mejia taking the Bailey Hanrahan disaster innings, but the offense scares me with the crapshoot in center field and third base along with the catchers nearing retirement, Victorino being unproven against righthanders as a righthanded hitter, and likely BABip regression to still good but not great production from Carp and Nava.  They've also downgraded the defense at SS and, if Sizemore is the starter, CF.  That can be offset by a full season of Popi, a healthy season from Pedroia, and a rookie of the year campaign from Bogaerts.  But there's a lot of questions, more so than I would have wanted.
 
I'm going with they have a decent season but disappoint by missing the playoffs.

 

[richgedman'sghost]

Who's Mejia?

Mets Rookie Pitcher?

 

[dewystoetap]

2013 was a magical year where everything came together! To expect a repeat of that would not be logical. My hope and desire is to see it again, but logically I want to see the kids proceed and the dynasty begin in 2015.

 

[NJ_Sox_Fan]

I voted that making the postseason would be a success. That being said, assuming they do, my expectations/hopes will immediately go up - like always.

 

[alwyn96]

Last season was such an out of nowhere joy that I think at the time I told myself that I wouldn't even care what happened this year I was so happy. 2012 was so grim, and 2013 was the complete opposite in almost every way. 2013 was like a crazy unexpected gift that overwhelmed my incredibly low expectations. But of course now here we are, and my expectations are high again. Damn expectations. 
 
Now, I think the Red Sox were the beneficiaries of some excellent luck last year, and I expect in 2014 that luck will bounce back and the Red Sox won't be the class of the AL again. Still, I think they should compete well for the playoffs, which is pretty much all you can ask without verging into entitled Yankee fan territory. 

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

It depends on what your expectations were for them last year.  Some of us were more optimistic than others and thought they'd make the playoffs.  How much higher than a playoff berth should expectations be for this year?

We're getting into silly territory at this point and I suspect its something that we don't actually disagree about.

My point is simply that the events of the previous season - the quality of individual player performances, the aggregate team success - are always going to shape our expectations and perspective on the coming season. Even when people claim not to do this, they're doing it at least subconsciously. Human beings are wired to be Bayesians and that's a good thing.

 

[dbn]

 
Obviously there is some definitional squishiness with the word "reasonable" but I would suggest that no, there really isn't. They are, at best, the third most likely team to win the division. Their infield is terrible, their depth is nonextistent, and pretty much every tweaked hammy is going to result in them playing someone terrible.
 
 
Fuck history.

 
You should clear your browser history so that doesn't show up.

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

The question was, "Did the team's success in 2013 have a substantial impact on your expectations for 2014?"
 
To me "substantial impact" implies a change. It implies that before the 2013 season, you had certain expectations for the 2014 season, and that after the 2013 season, those expectations were different. And to the extent that I had any notion whatsoever in March 2013 of what the 2014 team would be like or how good it might be, it is pretty much now what it was then.
 
I agree we're in silly territory, but I think the silliness is in the question itself, not in anybody's responses to it.

 

[Rasputin]

Earlier today I realized that if we win the Series each of the next three years Papi will have more rings than Jeter.

I would like to see that happen.

 

[Sampo Gida]

I was at 88 +/- 7 last year (or 87+/-8) due to all the uncertainty and recognizing 2012 was as much about injuries and waving the white flag with the Adrian Gonzalez trade as Bobby V.
 
This year there is less uncertainty, although there are new guys at 3 key positions (C, SS. CF).  There was also a bit of luck last year in terms of health of position players and BABIP (although some of that may have been due to better medical staff/training and a roster well constructed for the park), and David Ortiz is 1 yr older, so I expect a bit of regression.  
 
The Red Sox went 13-6 against a disabled Yankee team and while the Yankees might not have done enough to compete for the division, they might be a bit more competitive if they are healthy (big if).
 
All in all, taking last years success as a starting point and expecting a bit of regression, they may win fewer games, and the post season may not go as well as last year since its a bit of a lottery.  However, I don't think fans will gripe much if the team regresses much more than this for whatever reason, such as a rash of injuries.  Winning last year gives the team a bit of a cushion for a couple of years in terms of fan satisfaction.  Its only when they miss the playoffs for a few years that the nation gets hungry and bitchy.

 

[soxfan121]

2013 was a gift from the baseball gods. As long as the team continues to build toward the next truly great Red Sox team, 2014 will be a success for me. Establish some of the prospects as regular contributors. 
 
I have a feeling the 2014 pitching is going to disappoint a lot of you and provide lots of opportunities for the kids to swim in the deep end of the pool when injuries and ineffectiveness take its toll. 

 

[Papi's fan]

I'm content with the Red Sox contending for the playoffs every year. I'm for positive consistency. During the regular season I enjoy seeing young players grow into their roles and veterans fulfill expectations or surprise. As for the 2014 Red Sox I do not expect a quick start however I do believe these players will eventually gel into another team of gamers because the blueprint has been witnessed by all. Papi, Lester and Gomes will lead the troops to the ALCS where the Tigers will be tough to beat.

 

[glennhoffmania]

We're getting into silly territory at this point and I suspect its something that we don't actually disagree about.

My point is simply that the events of the previous season - the quality of individual player performances, the aggregate team success - are always going to shape our expectations and perspective on the coming season. Even when people claim not to do this, they're doing it at least subconsciously. Human beings are wired to be Bayesians and that's a good thing.

 
 

The question was, "Did the team's success in 2013 have a substantial impact on your expectations for 2014?"
 
To me "substantial impact" implies a change. It implies that before the 2013 season, you had certain expectations for the 2014 season, and that after the 2013 season, those expectations were different. And to the extent that I had any notion whatsoever in March 2013 of what the 2014 team would be like or how good it might be, it is pretty much now what it was then.
 
I agree we're in silly territory, but I think the silliness is in the question itself, not in anybody's responses to it.

 
I agree with both points.  I think a better question would've been, did winning the WS last year change what you'd consider to be a successful outcome in 2014?

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

 
 
 
I agree with both points.  I think a better question would've been, did winning the WS last year change what you'd consider to be a successful outcome in 2014?

 
Agreed on that.  And I would answer no to that question, as I imagine you (and Savin) would too.

 

[Drek717]

1. I chose "win the World Series" because to me they look like the best team in baseball right now.  I expect the best team to come out the winner.  Obviously a lot of variables change and the best team doesn't always win the extremely compressed microcosm that is the MLB playoffs, but they've got the best shot out of anyone in the league from where I'm standing and so that's what I'm looking for.
 
2. Win the division.  I don't think anyone in the division have improved as much as the Red Sox have.  They've made more upgrades to their 25 man rosters maybe, but the Red Sox have by far and away the deepest farm with a huge talent wave maturing to the AA/AAA ranks where they can help the big club.  In the war of attrition that is the ML regular season that carries more weight than any handful of 25 man roster additions.
 
3. 2013 definitely impacted my expectations.  I felt they where a wild card contender with upside going into last season, assuming that guys like Lackey, Lester, Napoli, and Victorino were on the downhill slide and that Ortiz was likely about to fall off the cliff himself.  Instead all those vets came through with years on par with their career norms, making their sluggish 2012's look like the aberration.  At the start of 2013 I viewed 2014 and the arrival of the young talent as the time when Boston would get back into serious competition for the division.  Now they have that same wave of young talent but instead of taking over the roster they're backstopping a team of World Series winning veterans.  That to me moves them from competing for the division into the division favorites.

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

 
Agreed on that.  And I would answer no to that question, as I imagine you (and Savin) would too.

 
Actually that's a question I would say yes to. Having just won a Series makes me feel like I'm in the bonus round for 2014--just contending will be enough. If we had fallen short, and particularly if we had failed to make the playoffs again, I would have set the bar for 2014 higher.
 
Maybe there's confusion here over the meaning of the word "expectations" in question 3. I was relating it to question 1: how well do you think they will do? Sounds like maybe some are relating it to question 2: how well must they do to satisfy you? 2013 changed my answer to 2, but not to 1.

 

[smastroyin]

My expectations are different in the sense that I expect them to remain a fun team to watch and root for.  I will be a bit disappointed if they aren't a 90+ win team but mostly the only thing that would truly disappoint is if they descend into 2012 land again - boring and irrelevant.

 

[topps148]

I prefer that the laundry I'm rooting for be worn by players for whom I enjoy rooting.  Perhaps that's an overly modest definition of a successful season.  So be it.
 
In that regard, my biggest concern is that we get the 2013 John Lackey attitude rather than the 2011 version, though I'm a bit concerned that the "Jon Lester face" may be becoming the successor to the "Derek Lowe face."

 

[dbn]

As long as they win the Mayor's Cup I'll be happy.

 

[OCD SS]

2013's win is still fresh, so 2014 feels like playing with house money.
 
I want to feel like we're on the cusp of an exciting new era in talent, I want to see some more Papi bombs, and I'd like to win enough games to make the playoffs. If Boston goes cold at the wrong time or runs into a playoff rotation buzzsaw, so be it - happens to everyone. 

 
This is where I stand (I was surprised there wasn't a "house money" option in the poll).
 
Once I get involved and invested with the 2014 season this may change, but right now I feel like 2011 & 2012 were washed away and I can just sit back and enjoy baseball. God, I miss baseball.

 

[m0ckduck]

Sitting here in late March, it's easy for me to type that we're playing with house money and I'll be happy however the season ends up so long as the team is relevant and likable.
 
The problem with that statement is: the AL East is perennially loaded and the intra-division rivalries have gotten so intense that it'd be hard to get bested by NY, Tampa or Baltimore at this point and feel equanimous about it (note: NY and Tampa are obviously the key rivalries, but I throw the O's in there too on account of Showalter and the 2011 regular season finale). So, for that reason, I have to be more jaded and say, as long as we continue to wear the pants within the division, I'll be happy with whatever transpires. Or: if one of those teams finishes above us but has an entirely futile postseason adventure, that can work, too. Or: if Toronto wins-- I have no problem currently with Toronto that I can remember. 

 

[glasspusher]

I enjoyed last year second only to 2004. I think the team's depth allowed it to weather a lot, in both the regular season and the playoffs. A little luck never hurts. I'm confident they can compete and at least make the playoffs...and I think the Rays are more to worry about than the yanks...

 

[Al Zarilla]

Sitting here in late March, it's easy for me to type that we're playing with house money and I'll be happy however the season ends up so long as the team is relevant and likable.
 
The problem with that statement is: the AL East is perennially loaded and the intra-division rivalries have gotten so intense that it'd be hard to get bested by NY, Tampa or Baltimore at this point and feel equanimous about it (note: NY and Tampa are obviously the key rivalries, but I throw the O's in there too on account of Showalter and the 2011 regular season finale). So, for that reason, I have to be more jaded and say, as long as we continue to wear the pants within the division, I'll be happy with whatever transpires. Or: if one of those teams finishes above us but has an entirely futile postseason adventure, that can work, too. Or: if Toronto wins-- I have no problem currently with Toronto that I can remember. 

Not on the same scale with the other three rivals in the AL East, but how about the way they boo Farrell when the Sox play up there? The guy just went back to work for an obviously superior organization in an obviously far better overall baseball town, so just STFU when he walks out on the field. 

 

[Dogman]

74 wins.

 

[Plympton91]

PECOTA has them at 88 wins and 3 games behind the Rays. That seems about right in terms of wins to me, but I expect one of the Yanks, Blue Jays, oe O's to also exceed 88 wins. It all depens on Bogaerts, Middlebrooks, and Sizemore; the pitching should be strong.