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1. Hanley Ramirez, 1B, Boston Red Sox
The 2015 season was a tough one in Boston. The Red Sox failed to live up to preseason expectations and ended up finishing the season at the bottom of the American League East. Aside from their struggles as a team, several players had down seasons. Most notably, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval could not get on track, as both players struggled to produce as they had in years past. For the Red Sox both players struggles were just another issue on a long list of problems that sank the team’s season. While Sandoval is also looking for a bounce back year, Hanley Ramirez should be the more interesting player to watch given his transition to first base for the next season.
To put it mildly Ramirez was a disaster in the outfield last season. His move to first base should help the Red Sox defensively but there are still questions about whether or not Ramirez can handle the position change. Of all the players throughout baseball, Ramirez has the most to prove next season. Not only was Ramirez bad at the plate last season, but he was historically atrocious with the glove as well.
For the Red Sox, with hopes of playoff contention, Ramirez is going to have to be better. It seems hard to believe that Ramirez could be worse at first base than he was in left field, but the possibility is there. Either way, Ramirez must perform better at the plate in 2016 as well if the Red Sox hope to regain their postseason form. Regardless of how Ramirez performs, he should be the most interesting player to watch next year one way or another.
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