“To see the trio of (Marcelo) Mayer, (Roman) Anthony and (Jarren) Duran with one home run apiece is certainly a bit surprising."Some preseason projection systems were notably pessimistic about Boston's power, and the Red Sox are struggling to prove them wrong. They have tallied just 14 home runs, with Ceddanne Rafaela and Carlos Narváez also settling for one each. Caleb Durbin is still searching for his first career Red Sox long ball while batting .141.Only three players, including backup catcher Connor Wong, are slugging above .340.Boston's pitching staff may not pose as pressing a long-term fear, but an NL executive believes Garrett Crochet's early struggles could present another issue."Crochet’s velocity is a concern and definitely something to monitor," the executive said.

"(The Red Sox) deserve a lot of credit for that trade and that extension, but people forget his MLB innings last year basically matched the prior three years combined, so it wouldn't be that surprising to see some fatigue this year."The Red Sox can alleviate some anxiety with a positive three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. Friday's opening contest begins at 7:05 p.m. ET on NESN.More MLB: Red Sox, Orioles Announce New Start Time For Saturday's Game