This time last season, we thought the Boston Red Sox were bound for a rebuild. Finishing (and overachieving) at exactly 81-81 and missing the playoffs for a third time later, that appeared to be true.
Cue the offseason, and Boston proved us wrong again. Former pitcher Craig Breslow is back for his second year as the Sawx’s “Chief Baseball Officer” and was both shrewd and aggressive. He strengthened the starting rotation by acquiring breakout lefty Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. An even bigger name was added in free agency, right before the start of spring training.
And even then, winning the AL East is an uphill battle for these Red Sox. The division is still strong without Juan Soto on the hated rival New York Yankees. Baltimore is only getting younger and better.
But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about the Red Sox and manager Alex Cora? Underestimating them always tends to be a mistake.
Greatest Addition: Alex Bregman. In one of the most drawn out free agency sagas in recent memory, the Red Sox finally got their man in February. Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million contract with opt outs after 2025 and ’26, and should slot right in at third base. The two-time World Series champion had spent his entire career in Houston and hit .260 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI in 2024.
Granted, there are some concerns. Bregman’s slugging percentage, OPS+, wRC+, and overall WAR have dropped for three consecutive years. And even earlier in his career, when MLB juiced baseballs left and right, he’s always been 50-50 when it comes to generating barrels and/or hitting the ball hard. For context, his hard-hit rate (Hard-Hit%) peaked in the 64th percentile in 2018, a notorious juiced ball year, and he hasn’t even broken the 55th percentile since.
The good news for Bregman is that Fenway Park might be even more friendly to right-handed power than Minute Maid Park. He’s just trading the Crawford Boxes for the Green Monster. So long as he’s hitting home runs and providing strong infield defense, he’ll be a fan favorite.
Greatest Loss: Tyler O’Neill. It’s a shame O’Neill is so injury-prone because when healthy, his power borders on elite. He only played in 113 games in his lone year in Boston last season, but hit .241 with 31 home runs. That was enough for him to ink a three-year, $49.5 million deal with the Orioles in the offseason.
For baseball reasons, it was the right move for Boston. Wilyer Abreu won a Gold Glove in right field. Additionally, prospect Roman Anthony could make his debut as soon as this summer. Great as he was in Beantown, O’Neill was the odd man out and Bregman is an upgrade in the lineup.
But given Bregman’s declining power, there may be a handful of games where Boston misses O’Neill’s big bat.
FanDuel Casino –
#bet-promo-413218{ position: relative; height: 300px; cursor: default; background: #fff;-webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -ms-border-radius: 4px; -o-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.12), 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.1); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.12),0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.1); -ms-box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.12),0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.1); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.12),0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.1); box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.12), 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.1); border: none; margin: 0; padding: 16px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper{background-color: #1493ff;background-image: linear-gradient(120deg,rgba(0,0,0,.2) 15%,rgba(0,0,0,.1) 55%,rgba(0,0,0,0) 100%); position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; right: 0; height: 100%; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -ms-border-radius: 4px; -o-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-logo{position: absolute; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%); -ms-transform: translateY(-50%); transform: translateY(-50%); margin-top: -12px; left: 36px; z-index: 99; background: #fff; padding: 3px; display: inline-block; -webkit-border-radius: 50%; -moz-border-radius: 50%; border-radius: 50%; -moz-box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.14); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.14); box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.14); }
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-logo img{width: 128px; height: 128px;-webkit-border-radius: 50%;-moz-border-radius: 50%;border-radius: 50%; vertical-align: middle; margin-bottom: 0 !important;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content{left: 200px; position: absolute; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%); -ms-transform: translateY(-50%); transform: translateY(-50%); margin-top: -12px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content span.promo-sb-name{ display: block; color: #fff; text-shadow: 1px 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.32); font-size: 28px; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 8px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content p{color: #fff;padding-right: 32px; padding-bottom: 0; text-shadow: 1px 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.32);line-height: 20px;margin-bottom: 10px;max-width: 500px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content a{background: #fff; color: #333; padding: .5rem 1rem; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: middle; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; font-weight: 500; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; -moz-box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.1); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.1); box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.1); cursor: pointer; letter-spacing: .2px; display: inline-block; }
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content a:hover{background: #fff; color: #333; opacity: .7;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp{position: absolute; bottom: 12px; left: 0; height: 49px; width: 700px; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; -webkit-border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; -ms-border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; -o-border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp > div{ margin: 0 30px;line-height: 16px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp > div svg{color: #fff; width: 20px; vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: -4px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp > div svg path{fill: #fff;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp > div span.promo-code-text{ color: #fff; margin: 0; display: inline-block; font-weight: 500; font-size: 1rem; }
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp > div span.promo-code-text b{font: inherit; color: inherit; font-weight: 900;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo{background: #fff; -webkit-border-top-right-radius: 4px; -moz-border-top-right-radius: 4px; -ms-border-top-right-radius: 4px; -o-border-top-right-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; -moz-border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; -ms-border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; -o-border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border: none; margin: 0; padding: 16px; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; width: 420px; text-align: center; right: 0; -webkit-clip-path: polygon(30% 0,100% 0,100% 100%,0% 100%); clip-path: polygon(36% 0,100% 0,100% 100%,0% 100%);}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo .promo-content{position: absolute; top: 16px; bottom: 16px; margin: 0 auto; right: 32px; width: 280px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo span.promo-text{ display: block; color: #777; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 500; letter-spacing: .1px; position: absolute; top: 20px; width: 100%; text-align: center;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo span.promo-value-amount{display: block; color: #000; font-size: 38px; line-height: 30px; margin-top: -16px; font-weight: 900; position: absolute; text-align: center; width: 100%; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%); -ms-transform: translateY(-50%); transform: translateY(-50%);margin: 12px 0 8px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo span.promo-value-amount span{ color: #000; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 42px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo a{background-color: #dd9933; color: #fff; display: inline-block; padding: 12px 30px; width: 200px; left: 0; right: 0; margin: 0 auto; position: absolute; bottom: 16px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px;font-weight: 700; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -ms-border-radius: 3px; -o-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; font-size: 17px;text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .3px; line-height: 20px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo a:hover{ opacity: 0.7; background-color: #44bd32; color: #fff; }
@media (max-width: 900px){
#bet-promo-413218{height: auto; padding: 0; margin-bottom: 60px;padding-bottom: 30px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper{ -webkit-border-radius: 0; -moz-border-radius: 0; border-radius: 0; position: relative; height: auto; padding: 16px 0 0;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-logo{left: 0; right: 0; margin: 20px auto 20px; width: 100px; height: 100px; top: inherit; -webkit-transform: translateY(0%); -ms-transform: translateY(0%); transform: translateY(0%); position: relative; text-align: center; display: block;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-logo img{width: 100%; height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0 !important;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content{float: none;z-index: 2; left: 0; text-align: center; padding: 0 16px; top: inherit; -webkit-transform: translateY(0%); -ms-transform: translateY(0%); transform: translateY(0%); position: relative; width: 100%; max-width: 500px; margin: 0 auto;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content span.promo-sb-name{ font-size: 24px; margin-top: 20px; line-height: 1.2;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content p{ text-align: center; padding: 0; margin: 0 0 12px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo-sb-content a{ position: relative; }
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp{ position: relative; left: auto; right: auto; margin: 18px auto 0; bottom: initial; width: 100%;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo{padding: 42px 0 30px; width: 100%; height: auto; top: inherit; position: relative; -webkit-clip-path: polygon(0 23%,100% 0,100% 100%,0% 100%); clip-path: polygon(0 23%,100% 0,100% 100%,0% 100%);}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo .promo-content{position: relative; width: 100%; right: initial;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo span.promo-text{position: relative; top: inherit;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo span.promo-value-amount{ font-size: 32px; position: relative; top: inherit; -webkit-transform: translateY(0%); -ms-transform: translateY(0%); transform: translateY(0%); margin-top: 8px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo span.promo-value-amount span{font-size: 20px;}
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .promo a{position: relative; bottom: initial; margin-top: 6px;}
}
@media (max-width: 480px){
#bet-promo-413218 .wrapper .usp > div{ margin: 0 12px;}
}
Greatest Strength: The Three Prospect-eers. OK, forced literary jokes aside, three Red Sox rookies appear primed to shine at Fenway this year. Infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, and the aforementioned Anthony. They are literally Boston’s top three prospects.
Campbell hit .330 with 20 homers and 77 RBI across three minor league levels last season and just made the Opening Day roster. Anthony will start the season at Triple-A Worcester, but hit .291 with 18 home runs in 2023 and has plenty of upside. He is also still just 20 years old.
That leaves the 22-year-old Mayer, who hit .307 at Double-A Portland in an injury-riddled 2024. Boston’s infield is crowded and if Mayer wants to get the call this year, he has to earn it at the plate.
One way or another, the next era of great Red Sox baseball starts with these three.
Greatest Weakness: Disorder in the house. Boston’s greatest weakness isn’t just a great Warren Zevon song. Remember how Bregman didn’t sign with the Red Sox until right before spring training? That was for a reason as the Boston-Bregman saga didn’t happen overnight, but over the course of the whole winter.
The short version is as follows: Cora, who knew Bregman from when he was a coach in Houston, wanted to sign the star third baseman. Breslow and others in the front office, per MassLive, were not as enthusiastic, likely due to Bregman’s declining power numbers. Cora clearly won out, but that started another storm.
Enter Rafael Devers, Boston’s regular-but-horrible-fielding third baseman. He made very clear that he didn’t want to change positions, but then softened his stance. Seems that issue went away a little too easily, right? One way or another, Devers has nine years remaining on a 10-year, $313.5 million contract, and Campbell just made the team.
This could soon become a very expensive headache, all because Cora couldn’t bear to not sign Bregman.
Are we shipping up to Boston in October? It’s certainly possible, but don’t buy your Fenway playoff tickets just yet. First, Boston is absolutely capable of winning the AL East if one or both of the Yankees and Orioles underachieve. The lineup alone is strong enough that occasionally betting the over on NY sports betting apps is worth it. The downside is that winning the East is the Red Sox’s absolute ceiling.
Why? Too many questions around the pitching staff. Crochet broke out last year in his first season as a starter, but only pitched 146 innings. Can he exceed that in 2025 now that he’s playing in a stronger division? How much support will he get behind him from Tanner Houck and Walker Buehler? Remember, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford are all injured.
This means that though this team can hit, 80-85 wins and a low Wild Card is their most realistic finish.
FOR FULL STORY ON STANDARD WEBSITE: ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Are the Boston Red Sox back again? | Elite Sports NY