This Boston Red Sox season has felt like less of a baseball schedule and more of a movie. Marked by dramatic highs and some frustrating lows, the Sox have defied the odds and battled their way into October, where they will prepare for the wildcard game against their rivals, the New York Yankees.
A season that started with high expectations — fueled by major offseason additions and the buzz of exciting new players carried a heavy weight of pressure for this year’s Red Sox team to succeed. From the moment that players touched down in Fort Myers for spring training, there was a different feel than in years prior. There was hope and expectation of success for management that hadn’t been present in the last few years.
The season started off with the lineup having a lot of questions, after the Red Sox splurged big for the first time in a while, going out and getting three big names. Star pitcher Garret Crochet was brought in to anchor a rotation that needed a bulldog that was capable of starting the big games. To strengthen the bullpen, the Red Sox took a risk on veteran Aroldis Chapman to give them a true closer. They also agreed to a offer with third baseman Alex Bregman, who had close ties to manager Alex Cora. The move was seen to boost a lineup that had struggled the year prior, but it sparked controversy in the clubhouse. Star third baseman and long-tenured Red Sox Rafael Devers was frustrated by the acquisition, and what followed was a saga between him and general manager Craig Breslow. The tension between the two added another storyline to a season that was already filled with drama.
The drama would start with Devers, but there was way more than just that. Early in the year, the Sox would lose power-hitting first baseman Tristan Casas, who was looking for a bounce-back season after struggling the year prior. Boston would mask his absence with Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzales before signing Nate Lowe just weeks ago off waivers to play first base full-time. The team would also notably lose their number two pitcher in Tanner Houck, for the year after he started off very slowly. Masataka Yoshida was also out for half the season as he battled a back injury that prevented him from playing.
The tension produced by the Devers drama would plague the Red Sox leading to the clubhouse’s dynamics being off for the start of the season. Craig Breslow began looking for trade offers to ship the star third baseman away. He did all this without the media knowing, and when the news dropped, that Devers was traded to the Giants, the fan base was shocked and disgruntled, but it couldn’t have been a better decision. The Red Sox would receive two notable pieces back in Kyle Harrison, who has started a few games down the stretch, and assets that turned out to be Dustin May, who is not out for the year. They might not have gotten more talented, but it allowed them to start fresh and play their youth waiting in AAA.
That youth would be a key to this year as the big three prospects in Roman Anthony, Kristan Campbell and Marcelo Mayer gave a lot of hope for the franchise’s future. Campbell would start the season on the big-league roster and start out hot in April, but he cooled down quick, and this caused Breslow to send him back down. Mayer was then called up and provided steady defense and a solid bat in his exclusive action before hurting his wrist in the middle of the year. Roman Anthony was everything that the Red Sox envisioned as he became a focal point of the offense after being called up. The power from the lefty was a big factor and freed up a spot in the lineup as he also played the outfield, opposed to Devers, who was a below-average defender. However, just when he was at his highest, everything came crashing down as at the start of September, Anthony went down with a back injury that could sideline him for the rest of the year. Notably, Boston has also called up best pitching prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle to provide depth following injuries. Both have been decent; however, Early has truly shone as he has tossed a few solid starts in the last month of the season.
The prospects definitely added to the depth of the roster; however, there were still major questions about Red Sox veterans before the season, and most of them answered the call. Trevor Story was labeled as a bust signing as he has battled injuries in his tenure with the Sox; however, with a full bill of health, he was looking for a bounce-back year. The same would hold true for Ceddane Rafaela, who is arguably the best defender in baseball although he could not get the bat going to start his pro career. Finally, Bryan Bello, who has been in the Red Sox rotation for years and has struggled to find consistency, was truly looking to develop into a reliable arm to help out the rotation. Story would prove to be one of the best stories in baseball this year, along with Rafaela, as both found their bats and kept playing superb defense. Story would finish the regular season hitting .263 with 25 HR and 96 RBIs in the middle of the Sox lineup. For Rafaela, his stats would not light up the box as he banger .249 on the year with 13 HR and 63 RBIs; however, he provided some of the best moments of the year. Notably, the shortstop provided a walk off to beat the Rays at home earlier in the year, and just most recently, he sent the Red Sox to the playoffs with a shot to the wall versus the Tigers.
Ultimately, the Red Sox season has been defined as turbulence and triumph. A roster with high expectations that was shaped by in-season and offseason moves, tested by clubhouse tensions and that relied on its prospects to help them stay afloat. The departure of Devers was unthinkable at the time, but it allowed the chance for the youngsters to shine. With a team that looked fragile on paper at times, the Red Sox proved resilient and battled their way into the postseason, where they will again write another chapter in a storied legacy against the New York Yankees.
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