Over the last three seasons, the Boston Red Sox have not been easy to predict. The 2012 season saw them finishing in last place in the American League East at only 69-93, their worst record of the millennium. However, the next season they were able to climb all the way back to first, with a record of 97-65 and even win the World Series, only to fall back to last place at 71-91 last season.

Baseball seems to be full of trends lately (the San Francisco Giants have won every other World Series since 2010) and we would not put it past this year’s Red Sox to continue its “worst to first” pattern. With the signings of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, the Red Sox have bolstered their lineup with even more hitting prowess than they already had. These two hitters fit perfectly amongst the likes of sluggers David Ortiz and Mike Napoli, creating a formidable lineup for any opposing pitcher.

To address the pitching rotation, the Red Sox have added Wade Miley, Justin Masterson and Rick Porcello. The two remaining members of the rotation are Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly (who has predicted a Cy Young award for himself this season). Buchholz, the seven year veteran right hander with a reputation for injuries and inconsistency, was named the opening day starter. He leads the so called “aceless” rotation, after Jon Lester signed with the Chicago Cubs during the off season. Manager John Farrell sees no problem, and many fans agree that the team does not really need just one good pitcher. A rotation of five decent ones can do the job just fine.

The main core of the Red Sox lineup has been kept together with the finally healthy Dustin Pedroia and Shane Victorino, while young shortstop Xander Bogaerts is looking to bounce back from a rough 2014 season. A young player to look out for is Mookie Betts, an outfielder with a dynamic combination of speed, hitting and defense, while catcher Christian Vazquez is lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery, an elbow procedure that takes up to a year to recover from.

With all their new additions and old veterans, the Red Sox look to contend for a spot in the American League Wild Card, if not win their division, bringing the team back to playoffs and hopefully the World Series.