Adrian Gonzalez is the new big name in town, Carl Crawford is the high-profile free agent signing and Jon Lester is an early Cy Young favorite. Not one of these players is the key to Boston’s success next season.
No, that honor belongs to Kevin Youkilis, the big, burly right-handed slugger who enters his eighth professional season with the Red Sox. See what the Red Sox will be counting on him for in 2011 and what might happen if he doesn’t deliver.