Red Sox Weekend Warmup: What To Know Before 2023 Season-Opening Series

The 2022 Major League Baseball season undoubtedly left a bad taste in the Boston Red Sox’s mouths.

The Red Sox seemingly were on an upward trajectory after reaching the American League Championship Series and falling just two wins shy of the World Series in 2021, but they failed to build on the momentum, instead stumbling to a 78-84 record and a last-place finish in the AL East.

Factor in the amount of roster turnover this offseason, and projections for the Red Sox are all over the place ahead of the 2023 campaign. If everything clicks, Boston could compete for a playoff spot. If not, it’s hard to imagine Alex Cora’s group keeping pace within a stacked division.

Every team across MLB would love to start strong, of course, with Opening Day representing a clean slate for even the most troubled franchises. But hitting the ground running will be of the utmost importance for the Red Sox as they look to reestablish themselves as legitimate contenders.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, they have a relatively favorable schedule out of the gate, beginning with a six-game homestand that includes three games against the Baltimore Orioles and three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates. FanDuel Sportsbook set Baltimore’s regular-season win total at over/under 76.5 and Pittsburgh’s at over/under 67.5.

The upstart O’s proved last season they’re no longer pushovers, finishing ahead of the Sox in the AL East standings, and it’ll be fascinating to see how they perform this season as their top prospects begin to graduate to the majors. Perhaps Baltimore will make the leap in 2023 that Boston couldn’t in 2022.

All told, the season kicks off Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park, with first pitch scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET and pregame coverage on NESN beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.