Hitting: Despite missing David Ortiz for the better part of two months and the corpse of Tek in the everyday lineup, the team still managed to tie for the best average, score the 2nd most runs, and have the 2nd best overall OPS. 6 of the 9 positions had a Red Sox player in the top 5 in Runs Created. Kevin Youkilis was the most consistent hitter as he hit over .300 each month while being 5th in the AL in average and RBIs and 10th in doubles. He is also 6th in the AL in Runs Created with 67. Dustin Pedroia caught fire in June and ended up 7th in the AL in average and 5th in doubles. Jacoby Ellsbury was very inconsistent in getting on-base from the leadoff spot but stole 35 bases. Mike Lowell recovered from an early injury and cold streak to have an All-Star caliber first half. JD Drew picked up the slack for Ortiz as he held the 3rd spot in the lineup just fine. Drew is 3rd in the AL in OBP and was the American League Player of the Month for June. Manny Ramirez had a up-and-down first half but still ended up in the top 10 in HR, RBI and in RC with 62(tied with old friend Johnny Damon).

Pitching: The rotation went through a bit of inconsistency due to injury, but ended up the first half 5th in the AL in ERA at 3.83 but is 2nd with a .243 BAA. Jon Lester led the team with a PRC rating of 57, good for 7th in the AL. Tim Wakefield was right behind Lester with a rating of 53 and Josh Beckett is at 51. Of course, the highlight of the season so far is Lester no-hitter. Lester is 5th in the AL in IP with 125, 10th in ERA at 3.38(FIP of 3.83). I'd be worried a little bit because Lester's xFIP is 4.18. Daisuke Matsuzaka has a 10-1 record, but a better evaluation of his season is his PRC rating of 44 and his xFIP of 5.12. He might be the most frustrating pitcher in baseball. The middle relief has been the worst part of the team this year. There isn't a consistent bridge to Papelbon. Okajima can't keep inherited runners from scoring, but has been more consistent starting off innings as the year has gone by. His June(9.1 IP 19 H 10 R) can't happen again. MDC's ERA by month is an example of how up-and-down he has been( 6.75, 3.48, 2.25, 10.39). David Aardsma has been a pleasant surprise in lower-leverage innings.

The first half was quite an up-and-down ride but it ended where everyone thought it would: first place. Where can the team improve? Will Youkilis and Drew continue their superb years? Is Varitek done or does he have anything left in the tank at the plate? Will Theo make a deal before 7/31? Discuss the first half and your expectations for July 18th and beyond.