It’s 2019, and that means a new year in Red Sox Nation

As glorious and beautiful as 2018 was for Boston baseball fans, it’s officially a thing of the past. As our dear friend (at least for some) Bill Belichick, the head coach of the Patriots, would say — “We’re on to 2019!”

And with 2019 officially being upon us, it means that we’re entering a new year in Red Sox Nation, and we’re only a couple of short months away from another Red Sox season. In just a few weeks, the Sox will be loading up the trucks and pulling out of Fenway Park for another venture down to Fort Myers, Florida. It won’t be long after that until the reigning World Series champs (that is a nice thing to type out) are back in action.

It’s time to, close the book on, but not forget, 2018 — nothing short of a remarkable year, and not just for the Red Sox but for all of Boston sports. It began with the Patriots making yet another appearance in the Super Bowl, playing one of the greatest NFL championship games ever played before falling just short. It continued throughout the summer with the Celtics and Bruins both making playoff runs. The B’s won a playoff series over Toronto before getting knocked out in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the C’s came just one win short of reaching the NBA Finals, losing in Game 7 to LeBron James and the Cavs. Though neither outcome for either outcome was ideal, it sure made for one heck of a summer.

And then, of course, there were the Red Sox. I’ve uttered this phrase probably at least 1,274 times since late October, but the Red Sox won the World Series. Steve Pearce was the World Series MVP. David Price won the clinching game at Dodger Stadium. It was the greatest team in franchise history and one of the very best in all of baseball history. From a Red Sox standpoint, is it even possible for anything to ever be able to top 2018?

Even for me, on a personal level, 2018 was a very big year. After spending most of 2017 working a full-time job and writing about sports essentially as a side job, I made the transition in 2018 to writing on more of a full-time basis — one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. In 2019, I hope to further my career in this business, which is endlessly stressful, but worth it because it’s so much fun.

Amidst everything happening right now as we enter the New Year, the joy and excitement of a brand new baseball season continues to grow. It’s just a few short months away. In the meantime, the Patriots are getting ready for another playoff run, and the Bruins and Celtics are smack dab in the middle of their respective seasons, both working toward the playoffs themselves.

And before we know it, the Red Sox will be back to defend their title. Chris Sale and David Price will take the mound, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez will dig into the plate, and Fenway will be rocking again. It’s all just around the corner.

Welcome to 2019 — a brand new year, and a brand new season.