At the beginning of the week, we asked fans to answer the following survey questions in previewing the start of the 2015 MLB season.
Here are the results...
Q1: Which starter will emerge as the Red Sox 'ace'?
71% | Rick Porcello
16% | Clay Buchholz
6% | Joe Kelly
3% | Justin Masterson
3% | Wade Miley
Fans overwhelmingly agree with Curt Schilling that Opening Day starter Buchholz isn't "ace" material and are banking on continued improvement from Porcello, who won 28 games over the past two seasons for the Tigers.
Q2: Which offseason acquisition will work out the BEST?
52% | Hanley Ramirez
27% | Rick Porcello
16% | Pablo Sandoval
3% | Justin Masterson
2% | Wade Miley
Boston Red Sox
Porcello gets some love here, too, but fans are looking for career .300 hitter Ramirez to boost an offense that snoozed last season.
Q3: Which offseason acquisition will work out the WORST?
46% | Justin Masterson
24% | Wade Miley
22% | Pablo Sandoval
8% | Hanley Ramirez
1% | Rick Porcello
Masterson, he of the 5.88 ERA last season with the Indians and Cardinals, gets a chance to at least start to prove the fans wrong when he starts the third game of the season against the Phillies in his return to the Red Sox.
Q4: Which Red Sox player will have the biggest bounce-back season?
44% | Dustin Pedroia
26% | Mike Napoli
25% | Xander Bogaerts
3% | Clay Buchholz
2% | Shane Victorino
A return of the Laser Show is being counted upon now that Pedroia is fully healthy. Just avoid those headfirst slides into first base.
Q5: Who will be the Red Sox closer at the end of the season?
38% | Koji Uehara
26% | Someone Else
20% | Matt Barnes
8% | Edward Mujica
6% | Junichi Tazawa
1% | Tommy Layne
A 40-year-old closer who is starting the season on the DL with a bad hamstring? The majority of fans surveyed don't see that working out.
Q6: Which young player will make the biggest impact this season?
85% | Mookie Betts
13% | Xander Bogaerts
20% | Matt Barnes
1% | Blake Swihart
1% | Matt Barnes
It's The Mookie of the Year in a landslide (.451 BA, 1.295 OPS this spring).
Q7: How many wins for the Red Sox in 2015?
65% | 86-92
23% | 80-85
10% | 93+
1% | Under 79
Most fans are squarely in the high-80s, will that be enough to win a lackluster AL East? (See next question).
Q8: Rank the AL East teams?
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |
| Boston | 58% | 33% | 6% | 3% | 1% |
| Baltimore | 30% | 41% | 23% | 5% | 1% |
| Toronto | 8% | 21% | 30% | 14% | 26% |
| New York | 3% | 5% | 35% | 47% | 9% |
| Tampa Bay | 1% | 1% | 7% | 31% | 61% |
Q9: Which team will win the American League?
43% | Boston
17% | Detroit
15% | Los Angeles
14% | Seattle
3% | Baltimore
2% | Chicago, Cleveland
1% | Kansas City, Texas, Oakland, Toronto
Not only do the Sox win a weak division, they're headed to the World Series, according to fans surveyed. Worst-to-first-to-worst-to-first!
Q10: Which team will win the National League?
52% | Washington
23% | Los Angeles
9% | St. Louis
6% | Chicago
4% | San Francisco, Pittsburgh
2% | San Diego
Fans agree with Vegas oddsmakers and put the Nationals atop the NL and, just slightly here, all of MLB (see next question).
Q11: Which team will win the World Series?
33% | Washington
32% | Boston
12% | Los Angeles (NL)
4% | Detroit, Los Angeles (AL), St. Louis
3% | Seattle
2% | Chicago (NL), San Francisco
1% | Pittsburgh, Baltimore
So, the Fenway opener on April 13 is also a World Series preview? Maybe the Sox do make that Cole Hamels deal at midseason.