4 Reasons to Believe Red Sox Will Turn It Around

The Boston Red Sox are in a total state of disarray.  The team currently finds itself in the cellar of the AL East at 12-19, 7.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. And Josh Beckett's day at the golf course has put the fanbase in an uproar and created a media firestorm at the worst time.

But as bad as it looks at the moment, it'd be foolish to give up on the Red Sox now.

Here are four reasons the Red Sox will soon begin to ascend the East's standings. 

Adrian Gonzalez Will Start Hitting

While it's not as if Adrian Gonzalez is having a horrific year, he clearly isn't playing to his capabilities and hasn't been what the Sox need him to be.

Since Gonzo has become an everyday player in 2006, he's never slugged less than .500. And in his last three seasons, he has .406 OBP. But through 127 at-bats in 2012, he sports a slash line of .283/.343/.402.  

His struggles are actually quite mystifying. Gonzalez has said he is finally fully healthy after shoulder surgery after the 2010 season. And I don't buy the talk of him being unable to deal with the pressure of playing in Boston, considering how well he performed last season. 

Gonzalez has proven to be one of the best hitters in all of baseball, and he will play like it soon. There's simply no reason for him not to.

As he said himself, "Trust me, it's going to happen."

Jon Lester Will Return to Form

The Red Sox starting pitching has been horrific in 2012. As a whole,the team has a 6.01 ERA, good for 29th in the major leagues. 

While Jon Lester has been their best starter, he hasn't been very effective (4.29 ERA and 1.36 WHIP). Given the uncertainty with the rest of the rotation, if the Red Sox want to have a chance this year, he needs to return to the 200-strikeout and low-threes ERA guy he's shown he can be.

In his past three starts, that ability has been flashed, as he's only allowed four earned runs in 18 innings pitched. He still is having trouble striking batters out (seven in past two starts), but his velocity is normal, so the K's should come shortly.

Expect Lester to be the staff-ace many thought he'd be.

Daniel Bard Can Make the Transition

Daniel Bard's transition to the rotation hasn't gone very smoothly, but there's reason to believe he can turn it around. 

He's proven during his time with the Red Sox that he has great stuff, so that's not the issue. What many have wondered, though, is if he can pitch deep into games. 

But Bard said after his last start that he's learning how to pitch with fatigue.

It will definitely take some more time, but once he completely settles into his new role, he should be very effective.

Jacoby Ellsbury Returns Soon

The Red Sox have suffered some truly significant injuries. While Carl Crawford and Andrew Bailey are a long ways from returning, Jacoby Ellsbury is about a month away. 

Ellsbury, who only played in seven games before injuring his shoulder on April 13th, is coming off a magnificent 2011 campaign.  He scored 119 runs, hit 32 home runs, knocked in 105, stole 39 bags and hit .321.

While Marlon Byrd has been decent (.281 average) as his replacement, Ellisbury brings so much to the table, and his return will instantly make them a much better club.