Boston Red Sox's Midyear Evaluation

Here the defending world champion Boston Red Sox stand, at practically the halfway point of the season: 50-32, first place in the A.L. East by one-half game over Tampa.

Most Red Sox fans are optimistic about the second half and the Red Sox's prospects for the rest of the season. Two World Series titles in four years tend to give you that feeling. We know we’re in the hands of rock-solid ownership, a front office that will be open to putting the team in a position to win another title by late July, and a foundation of youth that should carry the franchise in the future.

The offense appears to be destined to continue as a force in the American League, clearly without a need at the deadline to upgrade like last year (remember the Dye rumors)?

The Red Sox are third in runs scored behind Chicago and Texas, third in hits behind the same teams in reverse order, sixth in baseball and third in the AL in home runs, second in baseball in total bases, and second in OPS behind the Cubs.

They may not be the murderer's row that was the 2003 Red Sox, but this group surely has enough weapons to once again peak in the postseason and prove more than sufficient down the stretch.

Jacoby Ellsbury is a clear weapon at the top of the order with his speed and on-base skills, Dustin Pedroia is headed for another .300 campaign, Drew, Manny, and a healthy Ortiz form a trio of run producers.

Youkilis and Lowell are solid as always with the lumber, and the bottom of the order can often be frustrating with Varitek, Crisp, and Lugo, but it’s stronger than some teams can tout.

The pitching is a bit more controversial. There is always the constant debate of, "do they need to make an upgrade?" The Red Sox rank seventh in baseball in team ERA at 3.81, and that number has been climbing from where the Sox staff stood as a group at the end of April.

More impressively, the staff is third in baseball in BAA and second in strikeouts, with 602, compared to 295 walks. The staff ranks fifth in OPS-against, fifth in quality starts, and 11th in home–runs allowed. All in all, those numbers are pretty good.

We all expect Josh Beckett to lower his ERA to the low-threes by August; his peripherals and pedigree are way too strong to suggest otherwise. Nobody is suggesting the Red Sox don’t have pitching that can anchor the staff in October; this is partially why the Sabathia-to-Boston talks are nothing to seriously consider at this point.

Matsuzaka is a formidable No. 2, and Jon Lester is transforming into the starter we all envisioned before his bout with cancer, and is more than capable of receiving the ball for any Game Three start. After that, Francona has options: Masterson, Wakefield, Buchholz, and Colon. There is no pressing need to upgrade the rotation at this point.

The bullpen is more of a question mark.

Jonathan Papelbon is the obvious anchor and shutdown closer. People get anxious because he’s human once in a while, but he’s still one of the most dominating closers in baseball when the chips are on the table.

Manny Delcarmen got off to another rocky start, but has been absolutely lights out since mid-May, and he will prove a force down the stretch. Craig Hansen, David Aardsma, Javier Lopez, and either Buchholz or Colon in the postseason round out the bullpen.

The point of concern is Hideki Okajima and whether he can handle eighth-inning duties. He didn’t make it out of the eighth again tonight, and this may prompt a deal by Theo on July 31 for 'pen help.

Overall, the Red Sox stand in a strong position as the second half gets underway. They are the first team to 50 wins, have played an equal amount of games at Fenway and on the road, own a +75 run differential, showing they are not a fluke, and can boast a top-five pitching staff and lineup.

There are no pressing needs at this point, so you may see a quiet deadline from Theo and Co.

Where do you see the Red Sox at this point in the season? Do they need to make a move, or can they stand pat? And how confident are you for another October run at glory?

Also, check out Tim and Paul’s first half breakdown here.