Boston Red Sox: Biggest Obstacles to Winning a Title

When the acquisitions of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford were made this past offseason, the Boston Red Sox were anointed the favorites to win the 2011 World Series Championship. 

Upon the start of the season, things didn't go as planned, the Red Sox lost 10 of their first 12 games and seemed as though they could do no right. 

But, since that 2-10 start, the Red Sox are 68-33 and sit pretty atop the tumultuous American League East. 

Despite the recovery from the rough start and first place standing, the Red Sox are no lock to win the World Series.

Here are five things that could stop the offensive juggernaut, that is the Red Sox, from winning the World Series. 

Lack of Right -Handed Outfield Depth

The Red Sox have a solid starting outfield with Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury and Josh Reddick.

There's just one problem, they all bat left-handed.

The only other outfielders on the roster are J.D. Drew, also a lefty, and Darnell MacDonald.

MacDonald has yet to show that he can be counted on this season as he carries a batting average of .165.

They say pitching wins championships but with the uncertainty in the rotation beyond Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, the Red Sox will have to out slug teams and with big-time lefties such as C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels all but guaranteed to be in the postseason, MacDonald will see playing time and is .165 average just won't cut it.

Lack of a Reliable Bridge in the Bullpen

The back end of the Red Sox bullpen is set in stone, the rest, not so much.  

The eighth inning belongs to Daniel Bard and the ninth inning belongs to Jonathan Papelbon but the in-between guys have been kind of shaky.

Alfredo Aceves and Matt Albers have been the most solid, but Albers isn't postseason tested, and Aceves seems more fit for a long reliever role as opposed to a one-inning bridge man.

The man who was supposed to hold this role, Bobby Jenks, has spent most of the season on the disabled list and may not even be on the postseason roster. 

If the Red Sox want to win the World Series, they will have to find someone, internally or externally, that can solidify this role for them. 

The New York Yankees

Yes, the New York Yankees could be as big a reason as any as to why the Red Sox do not win the World Series.

Despite popular belief in Boston that the Red Sox are the best team in baseball, there are other good teams, and the Yankees are one of them who could stand directly in their way.

All signs point to a Yankees-Red Sox American League Championship Series, and the Red Sox are not guaranteed to come out of that series.

The Red Sox are 10-2 against the Yankees this season, but anything can happen in the playoffs, case in point, 2004 when the Red Sox won four straight to win the ALCS after dropping the first three to the Yankees.

Boston beware, the Yankees are a very, very dangerous team. 

Clay Buchholz's Back Injury

Buchholz's back injury leaves a lot of question marks for the Red Sox in the back end of their pitching rotation. 

In a five-game series, Beckett and Lester will be able to pitch four of the five games, but in a seven-game series, they will need to get three games out of the back end of the rotation.

Tim Wakefield is out of the question so the Red Sox postseason fate relies on the shoulders of Erik Bedard and John Lackey.

Bedard had an OK first game with the team but will need to show that he can be relied on in the last two months of the season if the Red Sox are going to use him in a big role in the playoffs.

Lackey, who has been horrible for a good part of the season, has shown signs of his old self but still needs to show consistency in order to be a factor in the playoffs.

This could very well turn out to be the Achilles heel of the 2011 Boston Red Sox. 

The Philadelphia Philles

The biggest threat to a Red Sox World Series title is, of course, the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies hold the best record in baseball, 74-40, and are the odds-on favorite to come out of the National League come playoff time.

They can counter the Red Sox lefty heavy lineup with two of the best lefties in the game, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels.

Not to mention, they have the best pitcher in baseball, Roy Halladay, in front of the two lefties in the rotation. 

If the Red Sox want to beat the Phillies in the World Series, they will need to bring their bats with them because the Phillies pitching rotation can throw up goose eggs if your offense isn't in stride.