Article: Red Sox Chasing Hardware: Crochet, Anthony, Chapman and More Fuel Awards Buzz

[Jack Lindsay]

A season that started with little hope of bringing home any hardware has evolved into a campaign that could involve some silver and gold (platinum?). Garrett Crochet has ascended into a true ace this season, Ceddanne Rafaela is a vacuum in the outfield, and Roman Anthony is transforming into a budding superstar before our very eyes. Heck, Aroldis Chapman is seeking to accomplish a feat not done since 2003.

Cy Young

Garrett Crochet

Crochet is putting up truly gaudy numbers this season, being worth every prospect and penny the Red Sox have invested in him so far. He is top two in the AL in IP (172 1/3), Ks (214), K/9 (11.18), FIP (2.63), SIERA (2.90), and WAR (5.4).

Unfortunately, on the other side of the card is Tarik Skubal, who is the reason I prefaced the previous stats with “top two” as opposed to “leading”. In his most recent start, though, Skubal gave up two homers, including a grand slam, but because the runners got on due to an error, Skubal was only charged with one earned run on the day, and his ERA ended up decreasing. Regardless of that outing, Skubal has proved not only to be the class of the AL, but the class of MLB over the last two seasons, and Crochet usurping him as the top arm is a tall order.

Given the way Crochet has mowed through teams in the second half, save for a minor hiccup in Houston, means he is still very much in the running for AL Cy Young. I would give him a 45% chance as it stands now. Despite being elite all year long, the stats that voters will look at typically is innings pitched, strikeouts, and ERA. Crochet leads in one of those categories, that being innings pitched, and it’s currently a third of an inning difference. Both he and Skubal, should make at least four starts the rest of the season, so there is time for Crochet to gain ground.

Aroldis Chapman

The Red Sox signed Chapman for $10.75M based on his previous successes and the upside of a lefty arm who throws 100+ mph. What I’m sure they did not anticipate is one of the most dominant runs a closer could have. Since May 28, Chapman has pitched 31 innings. In that timeframe, the southpaw has allowed one run, seven hits, and 46 strikeouts, good for a 0.29 ERA.

For the season, Chapman has a 1.04 ERA in 52 IP. That would be the 14th-lowest ERA of all time for relievers with a minimum of 52 IP. His chances are still low despite that, with relievers never getting full recognition regarding the Cy Young award. The last reliever to do so was Éric Gagné in 2003 with the Dodgers, though Emmanuel Clase did finish third for the award with the Guardians last season. To win would require things beyond Chapman's control -- namely, collapses from both Skubal and Crochet in September -- but he is in the running.

Rookie of the Year

Roman Anthony

Anthony has torn the league up almost as soon as he touched down at Fenway. In 66 games, he’s slashing .291/.401/.464, good for an .865 OPS. He has the highest walk rate among qualified rookies at 13.8% and the second-highest wRC+ (140). He has also been able to hold down a well-above-average glove in the corners by posting six Outs Above Average, including four OAA at his primary position, right field. That is good for fifth among all right fielders with a minimum of 50 attempts.

On top of that, his quality of contact has been stellar, leading all rookies in Hard-Hit% (59.6%) and is second in barrel rate (15.5%).

Despite all this, Nick Kurtz stands in the way of hardware for Roman Anthony. Similar to Crochet with Skubal, Anthony’s fantastic season has been slightly overshadowed by an unreal rookie campaign out of Kurtz. I would argue Kurtz locked up Rookie of the Year the second his four home run game occurred, and full credit to him for that performance. Along with that, rookies debuting as late as Anthony did, 67 games into the season, have rarely come out on top for the award.

Whether or not Boston's phenom wins the award, nothing should take away from the appreciation we have for his rookie season, especially considering the impact he’s had on the Red Sox's path to October. It is truly a night-and-day difference in the pre- and post-Roman eras for the 2025 Red Sox.

Gold Glove

Wilyer Abreu & Ceddanne Rafaela

I combined these two because the Gold Glove can be essentially boiled down to two statistics that have been taken more seriously during voting once Statcast began to gain mainstream traction. Those two stats are Outs Above Average (OAA) and Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Neither Abreu nor Rafaela leads their positions in these categories (Abreu is tied with Fernando Tatis Jr. in OAA), but much like all the other Red Sox mentioned, they are second in both categories (Pete Crow-Armstrong blows all other center fielders out of the water in most defensive metrics this year).

Luckily, those two nuisances are in the National League, so Abreu and Rafaela will have really good cases to win the Gold Glove at right field and center field, respectively. In Rafaela's case, he could make a late run at the Platinum Glove award, though Bobby Witt Jr.'s jaw-dropping 21 OAA at shortstop will be hard to overcome.

Carlos Narvaez

Narvaez has been a slept-on stud at the catcher position. Despite his bat cooling off in the second half, he has been a steady presence behind the dish. As a rookie, Narvaez is second in DRS (14), seventh in framing runs (4.1), fourth in fielding run value (10), and sixth in FanGraph's position-adjusted fielding (14.7). Narvaez is unlikely to win the Gold Glove at catcher (Cal Raleigh and Alejandro Kirk stand in his path), though his rookie season should be remembered as impressive all the same.

Final Thoughts

The awards race for the Red Sox this season may prove to be a story of second-place finishes, which is still impressive in its own right, to have so many legitimate candidates for so many different awards. A fully healthy Alex Bregman season likely wins a Silver Slugger at third base. The Red Sox have not had so many award contenders since 2018, and this 2025 squad has been on an upward trajectory since July 4. With the Junior Circuit looking to be wide open, the individuals listed above are players we can rely on to lead the Sox through October.

View full article

[Worsley5]

Yankees are 10th in  MLB team batting average, 14th in MLB team ERA, and 22nd in MLB team fielding. Boone is far too much of a player's manager. 

Yankees are 1 and 8 against Sox. 

Aside from fielding comparison, Sox are far better a team- inclusive of superior organization. 

Roman Anthony  reminds me of a young Ted Williams. 

Go Sox!

Edited September 1, 2025 by Worsley5
Misspelling

[moonslav59]

Too bad we didn't call Anthony up within the first two weeks of the season: we'd be looking at gaining a draft pick through the PPI clause.

[Worsley5]

7 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Too bad we didn't call Anthony up within the first two weeks of the season: we'd be looking at gaining a draft pick through the PPI clause.

Anthony is a one in a decade 'franchise face'-- at 21 !

[moonslav59]

Just now, Worsley5 said:

Anthony is a one in a decade 'franchise face'-- at 21 !

He certainly seems to justify our giddiness.

If Mayer or Campbell could come around, and some of these pitchers on the 60 can regain past form, we could be in great shape, next year and onwards.

[Larry Cook]

38 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He certainly seems to justify our giddiness.

If Mayer or Campbell could come around, and some of these pitchers on the 60 can regain past form, we could be in great shape, next year and onwards.

I am concerned about mayer’s ability to stay healthy. 
I think campbell’s lack of defensive position makes him an ideal trade piece!