Red Sox Roundup, Oct 29: 2027 Projections, Legends in Sporting News, Duran's 2026 Performance

[Talk Sox]

Here is some of the latest Red Sox analysis and history from around the internet. The roundup covers Red Sox player projections for 2027, historical legends named in The Sporting News' 140 Greatest, Jarren Duran's 2026 season, Franklin Arias' prospects, Red Sox influence in MLB hiring, and postseason MVP arguments for David Price, Trot Nixon, and Tim Wakefield.

• Red Sox Stock Watch: Where Every Key Player Stands Headed into 2027 (Just Baseball). Projects the 2027 roles of key Red Sox players, noting Payton Tolle's strong 2026 performance with a 3.03 ERA and 2.9 bWAR, Garrett Crochet's return from injury with improved velocity but concerns about consistency, and Roman Anthony's offensive potential despite a 27.3% strikeout rate and multiple injuries.
• 20 Red Sox Legends Named in 140 Greatest Baseball Players Ever Project by The Sporting News (NESN). Notes that 20 Red Sox players were named in The Sporting News' 140 Greatest Baseball Players project, including Ted Williams, Pedro Martínez, Mookie Betts, and Babe Ruth, with highlights such as Cy Young's 511 wins, Pedro's 284 strikeouts in 2000, and Mookie Betts' 23.9 WAR on World Series teams.
• Red Sox Year in Review 2026: Looking Back at Jarren Duran's Season (NESN). Looks back at Jarren Duran's 2026 season, noting his 20 home runs and 21 stolen bases but highlighting his .207 batting average and .627 OPS as a significant decline from his previous All-Star performance.
• Red Sox have baseball’s No. 2 prospect; what are realistic expectations in 2027? (MassLive). Projects realistic expectations for Franklin Arias in 2027, noting he is expected to make his MLB debut at age 21 as MiLB's No. 2 prospect.
• Another executive hired away shows how highly MLB industry regards the Red Sox, and other thoughts (Boston Globe $$$). Notes how the Red Sox's influence is evident in the hiring of Taylor Smith by the Athletics, highlights Smith's background in research and development, and mentions other Red Sox-related updates including Payton Tolle's World Series role, Johan Oviedo's progress, Kurt Suzuki's potential coaching role, and the Fielding Bible Awards.
• Three Red Sox who deserved postseason MVP honors (Over the Monster). Argues that David Price, Trot Nixon, and Tim Wakefield each deserved postseason MVP honors, citing Price's 2018 World Series performance (1.98 ERA, 13.2 IP), Nixon's 2003 ALCS stats (.333 AVG, 3 HR, 5 RBI), and Wakefield's 2003 ALCS pitching (2-1, 2.57 ERA, 14 IP).