Early in spring training, Red Sox ace Josh Beckett was shagging balls in batting practice when a stray fungo hit him in the temple. "I'm just glad it hit him in the head, not the shoulder," Boston manager Terry Francona joked. "He's got a hard head. But that must have felt like a bolt of lightning."

It might take an act of god, or a number of fluke injuries, to ruin the chipper mood around the Red Sox this spring. After finishing third in the American League East last year, Boston made two of the biggest impact moves of the offseason, signing former Rays outfielder Carl Crawford and trading for Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

The two teams that finished ahead of the Red Sox appeared to weaken, with the Rays stripping payroll and the Yankees failing to land ace Cliff Lee, leaving Boston as a favorite to win not only the division but the World Series.

The Sox, who since 1995 strangely have won more World Series (two) than division titles (one), appear to have outflanked the Yankees in terms of collecting stars.

Their lineup -- beginning with Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Crawford, Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and J.D. Drew -- is a unique blend of speed, power and savvy.

Their rotation -- Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka -- could be the best in the American League at a time when the Yankees are searching for starters.

Their bullpen features two accomplished closers -- Jonathan Papelbon and former White Sox stalwart Bobby Jenks -- along with Papelbon's heir apparent, Daniel Bard.

Despite their high-profile acquisitions, the Red Sox think the performance of a couple of incumbents -- Ellsbury and Beckett -- could be the key to the season. Ellsbury, a postseason hero in 2007, played in only 18 games in 2010 because of fractured ribs. The Red Sox, according to the Boston Globe, used 11 starting outfielders in 44 combinations last season.

By the end of the season, Boston outfielders had combined to hit .245, hardly satisfactory for a rich team with a rich tradition of outfield production.

"You look at the production, what could be there, it's very impressive," Francona said. "Carl can steal bases, hit for average, drive in some runs from up in the lineup. Jacoby brings that speed element also. J.D. hopefully a little bit of everything. That's why you have them."

Mike Cameron, a righthanded hitter and fielding specialist, will back up the three lefthanded hitters.

"Once we all get clicking at the same time, it's going to make it very tough for opposing pitchers," Ellsbury said.

The usually dominant Beckett struggled with a back injury in 2010 and wound up 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA.

The fact that Francona would joke about Beckett's concussionlike symptoms after he was hit in the head was a sign that he's confident in Beckett's recovery.

"He's looked very good," Francona said.

By some measures, third baseman Adrian Beltre, who left the Red Sox for Texas, was Boston's best player last year. The Red Sox hope to make up for that loss with Youkilis playing third and Gonzalez bringing a swing that should play even better in Fenway Park than it did in Petco.

Late in spring training, Orioles manager Buck Showalter, in an interview with Men's Journal, was quoted as saying of the Red Sox general manager: "I'd like to see how smart Theo Epstein is with the Tampa Bay payroll. You got Carl Crawford 'cause you paid more than anyone else, and that's what makes you smarter? ... It's great, knowing those guys with the $205 million payroll are saying, 'How the hell are they beating us?' "

Sorry, Buck: The Red Sox aren't likely to be saying that to anyone a whole lot this season.