Red Sox Diaries

Here's a closer look at some guys who are somewhat under-the-radar but still key players for 2009. All of the hype this year is on guys like Big Papi, Josh Beckett, Dice-K, and of course Paps, but these five guys will be the difference in the pennant race this season. With that said, I like our chances.

Jed Lowrie: With just 260 big league at-bats, the switch-hitting shortstop has appealing upside. The 25-year-old Stanford product can hit for average from both sides and has outstanding plate discipline. Those tools coupled with the Sox lineup should make for an exciting year at the bottom of the order. Lowrie batted .399 his sophomore season at Stanford so you know the guy can hit. If the rookie can stand up under the pressure of starting every day in Fenway and can play little defense up the middle, Lowrie will be a huge asset as the season goes on.

Clay Buchholz: He blasted on the scene two years ago and threw a shutout in one of his three starts. Last season he continued to show signs of promise. In three starts that spanned late April and early May, Buchholz gave up just three runs and struck out 21. But the star-to-be then stumbled, finishing 2008 with ERA over 6.00 in 12 starts. If the 25-year-old can regain his confidence and take over the fifth spot in the rotation before the All-Star break, the Sox could have the best rotation in the majors.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Make no mistake about it, how Jacoby goes, so goes the Red Sox offense. With Coco Crisp gone, the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 draft will have to step up and create some offense at the top of the order. If he can maintain or even improve on his .280 batting average this season, then he is likely to steal even more bases than the 50 he had last season. Improving his .336 OBP would also give him more opportunities. Another plus? No errors last season. This is one of the many areas that we dominate the Yankees. Defense still matters.

Kevin Youkilis: Youkilis made a name for himself with career year in 2008, setting career highs in home runs, RBI, hits, doubles, average and OPS. Although it would be unrealistic to think that Youk can continue last year's pace, but a season somewhere in between is probable. One encouraging factor is Youk’s OBP, which in four full major-league seasons has never registered lower than .381.

Jason Bay: No one, in my opinion, has more pressure in the lineup than Jason Bay. In his first full season with the club, Bay has the job of producing in the “Post Manny Era” but the cool Canadian can flat out rake. In five seasons with the Pirates, Bay hit 140 home runs and is a career .281 hitter. Bay is a hard worker who has made himself into a great hitter, and will be better in the field and in the clubhouse than Manny. --- Nick Barone.