Boston Red Sox Projection: Where They Will Finish the 2012 Season

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After ending the 2011 season with a thud, the Boston Red Sox are excited and ready to start spring training in 2012 and get the ball rolling to a third championship in the 21st century.

This will happen due to the experience most of the players have in the September collapse which they hopefully have learned from and will push through adversity during the season to become the 2012 World Series champions in the end.

Rotation: Two 20-Game Winners

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Ignore Kevin Youkilis in this picture and you are left with Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, who are the top two pitchers in the Boston Red Sox rotation.

Lester and Beckett will both finish with 20 wins in 2012 and will fight and claw their way to the World Series. One of them will win the Cy Young and their ERAs will be around 3.00 and neither of them will miss much playing time with injuries.

Beckett had one of his best years with a 2.89 ERA in 2011, but only 13 wins. He may be a rollercoaster ride as a starter, but 2012 he will want to help the Sox make it back to the postseason.

Lester will be the lefty ace that the Sox have been asking of him since 2009. He will be able to remain on the field (hopefully) and will lead the league in wins and ERA.

Batting Order: Five Batters with 25 or More Home Runs

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The Boston Red Sox lineup will be very tough to beat in 2012 thanks to the likes of David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez. But other players will step up in key moments throughout the season.

Kevin Youkilis will crank 30 home runs in a year where he will avoid the DL and will be able to find a groove with Mike Aviles starting at third base occasionally. Dustin Pedroia will have a career-high with 28 homers and around 95 RBI and will be in the running for AL MVP. Jacoby Ellsbury will finish with 27 dingers and steal 40 or 50 bases. His speed is his strongest asset, so the Red Sox will utilize this ability more often in 2012.

Gonzalez will lead the team with 45 homers and 135 RBI after having less than 30 homers for the first time since his first full season in the majors, 2006.

Ortiz will smash 30 pitchers deep and finish with 99 RBI. This will be the final year for Big Papi as he will be turning 37 in 2013 and will lose the strength in his legs, but he will go out with a bang.

First in AL East, Yankees Finish Third

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The Boston Red Sox won't start off the season with a losing record after 10 games and will be the best team in the AL East. Some people think the Red Sox will finish third in the AL East, but that will not happen for the third year in a row. They are just too strong offensively.

Sure, pitching is the key, but if the first three starters remain healthy, then there is no telling what this team will do.

The New York Yankees are getting older with their offense and who knows how effective their young starters will be. It may be too early to predict this, but the Yankees will be the team that finishes third in the AL East.

Record: 101-61

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The Boston Red Sox will dominate the entire year and will win over 100 games to win the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays will finish second with a 95-67 record. The New York Yankees will finish 94-68.

The Red Sox offense will carry them when their pitching is not too great, but also the pitchers will be able to go deep into games and the bullpen will blow only four saves all season.

Playoffs: World Series?

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Any team can get hot entering the postseason and maybe this year it will be the Boston Red Sox. They should be able to go deep into the playoffs and meet the Atlanta Braves in the World Series in 2012.

They could win it with their pitching or hitting, but when the time comes closer we shall see how the Red Sox can do in the playoffs.