Red Sox have the recipe to repeat in 2019

In the joy of winning a fourth World Series title in a span of 15 seasons wasn’t enough to make the Red Sox smile deep into the winter, the fact that the team is well-positioned to make another deep October run next year adds to the glow.

There is no major sport that is harder to repeat than in baseball, as evidenced that there have been back-to-back champs in the NFL, NBA and NHL since the 2000 Yankees became MLB’s last team to pull off the feat.

Why is it so hard to repeat in baseball? Look no further than the grind of the 162-game season and the toll it takes on a pitching staff to win 11 games in October. Then there is the other element: free agency.

But these Red Sox will have nearly their entire core back for next season, as they attempt to defend their World Series championship and repeat for the first time since winning in 1915 and ’16.