| 25 March 2010
Click a name to make other 2010 projections:
Jonathan Papelbon - Daniel Bard
Tim Wakefield - Clay Buchholz - Daisuke Matsuzaka
John Lackey - Jon Lester - Josh Beckett
J.D. Drew - Mike Cameron - Jacoby Ellsbury
Adrian Beltre - Marco Scutaro - Dustin Pedroia
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Youk has become a fan favorite thanks to his viking-style beard and gritty play. After bouncing around between Pawtucket and Boston early in his career, Youkilis has evolved from a decent hitter with a very good eye, to one of the more productive hitter in the American League.
The RedSox will be counting on him to continue that development in 2010. Jason Bay is gone. David Ortiz is a question mark. And Victor Martinez is the only other guy we can count on to come close to 25 homers and 100 RBI.
Youk has never hit 30 ding dongs in a season, but he's come close the past two years, and although he isn't likely to change his approach at the plate, he's settling in to the prime of his career. As the cleanup batter, in what many have called a weakened lineup from years past, people will be looking for some extra from Youk this season.
Last year, Youk lost a few at-bats due to a nagging leg injury, but he still hit 27 homers and drove in 94 runs. With a shot at 550 at-bats, he's capable of finishing with 30 and 100+... but like the rest of the batters in the AL East, he'll be facing some tough pitching from the Yankees and Rays on a regular basis.
Will Youk succumb to the pressures of what should be an extremely intense divisional race this year... or will 2010 be his best season yet?
Bottom Line Projection: 550 AB, 29 HR, 39 2B, 111 RBI, 102 R, .291, .950 OPS, 6 SB
Make your predictions using the form below. Just plug in your email address and the stats you expect to see from Youk this season and hit the SUBMIT button. We'll give away some prizes during the offseason for those who come closest...
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