This might be a Yankees/Redsocks year. But that's not necessarily a happy ending.

While we mourn the unexpected loss of Marcus Stroman - (that's a joke;  we expect everyone to get injured) - Yank fans should take comfort in the current plight of our half-cousins to the North, the ever-boastful and whining frat boys of Boston. 

Through the first two weeks of 2025, they hold third place in the AL East, two games underwater. Yesterday, after throwing five solid innings against Chicago, their starter Richard Fitts felt shoulder pain; he'll get an MRI. Their reigning block of cement, Rafael Devers, has 23 strikeouts - tied with Jazz Chisholm for the AL lead. And Trevor Story remains Trevor Story, which is basically the story of the Redsocks in the 2020s - when they have won a paltry two (2) postseason games. 

In recent years, things were never so dire that Yank fans could not look to Boston and take spiritual comfort. Even this year's breakout - 25-year-old Wilyer Abreu - looks like a trade-off with our own Ben Rice. Their young SS, Ceddanne Rafaela, is hitting .217, and Brigadoon Refsnyder once again looms in their nightly plans.

That said, Alex Bregman has tightened the infield, and their 22-year-old 2B, Kristian Campbell, is hot. Moreover, their crown jewel, 21-year-old Roman Anthony - reputed to be the best prospect in baseball - has two HRs in 11 games at Triple A. He's hitting a mere .237, but his July arrival in CF remains in sight. 

The betting line on Boston has been consistently boosted by predictions of a midseason youth infusion. Redsock fans are tossing around the names "Jim Rice" and "Freddy Lynn," as if it's 1975. We should all have doubts about such a recurrence, but here's a disturbing thought:  

The Yankees have the month of April to put distance between us and Boston. Right now, that's not happening. It doesn't help that Stroman will likely miss several weeks. We can grumble about his performance, but Alan Winans is our new number 5, after Carlos Carrasco and your mom. 

Last year, the Yankees went all-or-nothing. They reached the world series, then fell apart. This year, Boston is biding its time, but we should not in any way underestimate the threat. They are all-in on 2025.  Just sayin...