Article: Boston Red Sox Hitters of the Month - June 2025

[Alex Mayes]

June was an interesting month for the Red Sox’s offense. The team rattled off series victory after series victory to start the month, then faltered as the month drew to a close following the team's decision to trade its best hitter. That being said, there were things on the offensive side of the ball that point toward a potential offensive uptick as we approach the dog days of summer. Who made the cut for offensive player of the month for June? Let’s find out.

Honorable Mention: Marcelo Mayer

While Mayer’s numbers weren’t completely stellar — he slashed .218/.279/.509 — he made impacts on offense that can’t be understated and has given us a glimpse into what his ceiling could be as he continues to find his footing in the majors. He hasn’t lit the world on fire yet, and he may not this season, but it’s so easy to see how impactful he can be on both sides of the ball. He rarely looks overmatched when he’s at the plate and he’s been able to barrel the ball exceptionally well (he posted a 16.2% barrel percentage to close the month). He blasted four home runs during the month of June, good for third on the team. The future looks bright with both Mayer and Roman Anthony coming into their own as pro baseball players.

#3: Wilyer Abreu

Abreu slashed .271/.275/.500 for the month of June. He ended the month in the most spectacular way possible with an inside-the-park home run followed by a grand slam. He seems to have settled into the season after his injury and is finally starting to get starts against left-handed pitchers, indicating that he’s made the shift from platoon player to starter. Giving him more looks against left-handers will only help to push his career forward, and he’s proving to be an intricate piece to the team’s offense. He was good for a 103 wRC+ in June and was second on the team in RBIs with 16. Wilyer is proving to be the steal of Chaim Bloom’s tenure in Boston once again, and they would be smart to keep him around for the long haul in the outfield.

#2: Trevor Story

I know, I’m just as shocked as you, but here we are. Trevor Story had an incredible June. He slashed .286/.327/.500 while hitting five home runs, 23 RBIs, and four stolen bases. He’s come through in clutch situations all month, be it multi-home run games or putting himself in scoring position early in innings. Story had showcased some offensive firepower earlier in the season but had gone on an awful cold spell throughout the month of May. Something seemed to click for him in June though, and he’s helped to lead the charge during the teams’ offensive outbursts. He’s still struggling with swinging at pitches low and away while not drawing enough walks and striking out more than he should. That being said, he’s coming through when it counts and for a team that's been struggling to find their offensive groove. Hard as it may be to believe in 2025, having Trevor Story could help propel the Red Sox to a Wild Card position.

 #1: Ceddanne Rafaela

Ceddanne Rafaela turned in the best offensive month of his career in June. He slashed .283/.327/.543 with six home runs, 13 RBIs, and four stolen bases. He came through clutch on multiple occasions and seems to finally be stepping into his own as an offensive player. We had heard throughout spring training that he was more patient and should work more walks this season while not striking out as much. That hasn’t really been the case, but it seems like his offensive profile doesn’t need him to change much about his approach. Some minor tweaks, which he has been doing, have been enough to unlock the offensive player we hoped he could be. The swing and miss is always going to be part of his game, and it seems like Alex Cora has learned to live with it. What has improved, though, is his ability to take pitches that have no chance of sniffing the zone. He may not work a ton of walks, but getting into hitter’s counts helps to set him up for success. Rafaela has been an incredible defender since he came into the league and now his offense seems to be catching up with that. If that continues, we’re looking at a steal of a contract in center field.

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June may have marked a turning point for the Red Sox as they try to navigate the trade deadline to improve the team both this year and in the future. If these four players can keep playing the way they have been, there’s more than enough reason to be buyers at the deadline and show this team and the fanbase that the powers that be believe what they keep saying. Let’s hope that the July hitters of the month piece comes with as much surprising success as June’s.

 

What do you think of our list? Any other Red Sox players you’d add? Let us know in the comments!

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[moonslav59]

Rafaela sure has shown great improvement over his previous MLB and farm approaches.

The June batting leaders are a bit shocking, even beyond the 4 you mentioned.

[TedYazPapiMookie]

Rafaela has the top numbers for the month and Cora doesn't consider him in the top 3 spots in the order.  Says everything about why the team loses so much.  Bad manager.  Duran is lefty, Rafaela is righty, Anthony is lefty, Narvaez is righty, Abreu is lefty, Toro is righty, Mayer is lefty, Campbell is righty and Story is righty.

Hamilton back in AAA, Gonzalez reserve infielder, Refsnyder reserve OF/DH when LH pitchers start and Abreu sits, Wong back-up catcher.  Eaton 13th man as IF reserve.  

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, TedYazPapiMookie said:

Rafaela has the top numbers for the month and Cora doesn't consider him in the top 3 spots in the order.  Says everything about why the team loses so much.  Bad manager.  Duran is lefty, Rafaela is righty, Anthony is lefty, Narvaez is righty, Abreu is lefty, Toro is righty, Mayer is lefty, Campbell is righty and Story is righty.

Hamilton back in AAA, Gonzalez reserve infielder, Refsnyder reserve OF/DH when LH pitchers start and Abreu sits, Wong back-up catcher.  Eaton 13th man as IF reserve.  

All the best managers can predict who will have the best month and move them up in the line-up.

DAMN! I hate when you are right!

[Nick]

On 7/3/2025 at 12:54 PM, moonslav59 said:

Rafaela sure has shown great improvement over his previous MLB and farm approaches.

The June batting leaders are a bit shocking, even beyond the 4 you mentioned.

After yesterday's win, Anthony crept over the .700 ops mark, Story is .697 and Mayer is .693. That is our top 11.

With Bregman return appearing imminent, we can compete offensively.

Need pitching. It's early but Chris Murphy looks solid.

[Kimmi]

On 7/3/2025 at 11:33 PM, TedYazPapiMookie said:

Rafaela has the top numbers for the month and Cora doesn't consider him in the top 3 spots in the order.  Says everything about why the team loses so much.  Bad manager.  Duran is lefty, Rafaela is righty, Anthony is lefty, Narvaez is righty, Abreu is lefty, Toro is righty, Mayer is lefty, Campbell is righty and Story is righty.

Hamilton back in AAA, Gonzalez reserve infielder, Refsnyder reserve OF/DH when LH pitchers start and Abreu sits, Wong back-up catcher.  Eaton 13th man as IF reserve.  

I would leave Rafaela exactly where he is, batting either 8th or 9th.  Rafaela seems comfortable there, and his comfort level and confidence are more important than any little effect, from a pure numbers standpoint, moving him up would create.  Also, you want your best overall hitters hitting at the top of the lineup, not the guys with the "hot bat". 

Now, if Rafaela can sustain this level of production and prove himself to be one of the best 4 hitters on the team, then consideration should be made to move him up.