Alexandra Tavaglione

Heading into spring training, so many question marks surround the Red Sox roster. As camp kicks off, we'll be taking a look at some key storylines to follow through spring training. First and foremost, who takes the fifth starter role? Pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers in just a few days and there are so many questions about how this roster is going to look come opening day on March 27, particularly when it comes to the pitching staff. One big storyline to pay attention to: Who is going to take the fifth starter spot? We can assume that we will see Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Walker Buehler, and Bryan Bello in the rotation, but what about Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford? Where do they fit in? Which one takes the fifth rotation spot? Crawford has spent time in both the rotation and the bullpen over the past few seasons, but Giolito has only ever started in his career. He is also coming off of an internal brace elbow surgery that kept him sidelined for the entirety of the 2024 season. Might that mean that he could slot into a bullpen role and use it as a way to limit his workload as he builds back up in his last year under contract with Boston? Crawford’s splits as a reliever and a starter make this discussion even more interesting. Could these numbers be what determines his role in 2025? Because 2023 was the most recent season where both started and relieved, let’s use those numbers to compare. Role IP HR/9 K% BB% BABIP LOB% ERA FIP xFIP As Starter 107.2 1.17 26.2 7.2 .295 69 4.51 3.80 4.31 As Reliever 21.2 1.25 22.2 4.9 .143 100 1.66 3.95 4.36 Crawford's 1.66 ERA was much better during his 21 2/3 innings as a reliever than the 4.51 ERA he put up during his 107 2/3 innings as a starter. However, that was a very short sample size, and the underlying numbers show that he was roughly the same pitcher, aside from some luck in terms of batted balls finding grass and stranding baserunners. But just for the sake of argument, let’s review what his numbers were in 2024, which was his only full year as a starter; every other year since his debut he has bounced between the bullpen and the rotation. In 2024, Crawford made 33 starts and posted a 4.36 ERA, striking out 23.1% of batters, walking 6.7%, and allowing 1.67 home runs per nine innings. Now let's compare. In 2023, Giolito played for three separate teams and was traded twice, so to be fair, let's look at his numbers from 2022, his last full year with the White Sox. That season, he made 30 starts and ran a 4.90 ERA, struck out 25.4% of batters, walked 8.7%, and allowed 1.34 home runs per nine innings. However, over the prior three seasons, he averaged a 3.47 ERA, 1.20 home runs per nine, and a 30.7% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. His overall track record is significantly better than his 2022 season. But it has been three years since he was that kind of pitcher and now, especially coming off of elbow surgery, we don’t know what we can expect from him. Is he going to be the five-ERA guy who would probably be better suited in a bullpen role, or will he be the mid-threes-ERA guy who would be a perfect fifth starter? Now that we have looked at both pitchers' stats and have a general idea of the types of pitchers that we’re comparing here, I think it’s a good time to start thinking about who should take that spot. With this information, I would say that it looks more like it will be Giolito getting the fifth starter spot in the rotation. He has a longer track record of being a solid starter who posts every fifth day, and according to the Boston Globe's Peter Abraham, he is already throwing in Florida and looks good. We have seen Crawford have success in a bullpen role, but of cours, injuries happen and can happen very early, so anything can change. These are all preliminary assumptions based track records; things can always change once they get going in camp. We will actually see them in action as they get working with Andrew Bailey and the rest of the coaching staff. Nonetheless, this is one major storyline to follow along as spring training kicks off and we begin the countdown to Opening Day. View full article

With spring training just around the corner, let's imagine the ways the 2025 season could go right, wrong, and rowdy. A lot can happen over the course of 162 games. Good moments, bad moments, some weird and unusual, and some never before seen feats, all over the course of 162. From inside-the-park home runs to the number of times Alex Cora gets ejected, here are seven random predictions for the 2025 Red Sox season. One: This one is a little vague, but I think we see something weird happen involving the Green Monster. In 2023, we saw a line drive break and get stuck inside a light on the Monster. It ended up going as a ground-rule double. I think we see something similar in 2025. Whether it involves another broken light or the camera hole, I think we see a wacky play involving the Green Monster. Two: We see a reignition of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. With the improvements to the Red Sox rotation and the Yankees losing Juan Soto, the two formal rivals are on a more even playing field. At least on paper, both have become threats in the American League. Through the past few seasons, the rivalry has gone dormant, as Boston became a cellar dweller and the Yankees were consistently atop the AL East. Now, with both teams on nearly the same level, we could see the rivalry reignite. While the flames may not burn as fiercely as they once did, this season could serve as the wpark. Three: Jarren Duran finally hits an inside-the-park home run. In his debut season, Duran hit what could have been an inside-the-park home run but was ultimately ruled a triple and an error. Since then, we have seen Duran grow into his own and understand himself more as a player. Stretching singles into doubles and doubles into triples is Duran's game. In 2024, he had 14 triples, and I think 2025 is the year that we see him push the envelope even more and finally get his first official inside-the-park home run. Four: Alex Cora sets a career-high in ejections. Cora isn't typically a manager who gets tossed very often. When he does, though, it can be fun. In 2024, he was thrown out just three times. The most he was ever tossed in a season was just four times, so I think in 2025, we see a fiery side of Cora that we haven't seen in past years and he sets a new record for his times being thrown out of games. Whether it's to back his guys up, fire up the team, or just to show up the umpire, this will be the year that AC lets lose. Five: The rookies have a major impact on the team. This is the year for the long-awaited debuts of top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell. All three were promoted to Triple A in August, but only Anthony and Campbell saw playing time, as Mayer was dealing with an injury. While it’s likely that only one of them breaks camp with the team in March, it's almost guaranteed that we see all three of them spend some time in Boston by the end of the year. All three have shown dominant peaks at each level. And I think with the right environment and culture around them, these guys can have a major impact on the team. Six: Rafael Devers has a bounce-back year. After an injury-plagued 2024 season, I think Devers bounces back in a big way in 2025 and has a monster year offensively. Last season, he ran a .272 average with 34 doubles and 28 homers, all while fighting injuries to his shoulder and knee. If he can manage a mostly healthy season in 2025, he could have a monster season at the plate and really be the player that this team needs offensively. Seven: The Red Sox finish with a winning record. In a year where the American League is wide open, the Sox have a chance to contend, especially with their offseason pitching upgrades of Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, and Arodis Chapman, in addition to the return of a healthy Giolito. These major upgrades to the pitching staff may be just what they need to push over the .500 mark they've been hovering around for the last few seasons. With the roster as it sits right now, I think this team could win about 84 games, which could be good enough to sneak into Wild Card position. View full article

With the 2024 season in the books, we're still assessing the performance of the players. The outfield was the best part of the Red Sox roster this season, both offensively and defensively. From Wilyer Abreu to Rob Refsnyder, here is how I graded the outfielders on their 2024 season. According to FanGraphs, the Red Sox outfield put up 13.1 WAR in 2024, making it the second-best outfield in baseball, behind only the Yankees. The well-rounded Boston outfield ranked third in offensive value and second in defensive value. Here is how I graded each of the outfielders on their 2024 campaign. Wilyer Abreu Abreu put up a solid first MLB season and will certainly get Rookie of the Year votes. He played in 129 games and put up a .253 batting average, a 114 wRC+, and 3.1 fWAR. Like many young players, Alex Cora protected him against left-handed starters, making him essentially a platoon bat through his rookie season. Abreu suffered a freak injury back in June when he slipped on the dugout steps and twisted his ankle, keeping him sidelined for about two and a half weeks. Abreu has some real swing-and-miss issues, which left him with a contact rate in the 14th percentile and a strikeout rate in the 20th percentile. The biggest upside of Abreu’s offensive game is power. His 50.4% hard-hit rate is borderline-elite. When he makes contact, it’s gonna be hard contact, and he cranked 15 homers and 33 doubles this season. Abreu was an excellent right fielder with incredible arm strength. Both Statcast (9 FRV) and Sports Info Solutions (18 DRS) rated him as the best right fielder in baseball this season, which is all the more impressive when you consider the quirky dimensions he had to deal with in Fenway Park. All in all, Abreu earned a B on the season. Jarren Duran All-Star Game MVP, Hank Aaron Award Finalist, Red Sox Heart and Hustle Award winner, team-leader in hits, average, doubles, triples, and WAR. There is no denying that Duran had a historic 2024 season, becoming a superstar right before our eyes. He was set to play all 162 games, but finished with 160, thanks to a two-game suspension for using a homophobic slur. In his time on the field, Duran was an elite defender in both center (9 FRV, 17 DRS) and left (3 FRV, 6 DRS). He made several spectacular catches, robbed a few homers, and even saved a few games out there. Duran was also phenomenal at the plate this season. He slashed .285/.342/.492 for a wRC+ of 128 and finished the season with 191 hits and 79 extra-base hits. On top of that, he stole 34 bags (including two steals of home). Duran’s impact on the team this season was second to none. Duran had an A-grade season. Tyler O’Neill O’Neill struggled to stay on the field thanks to several injuries: a concussion from a collision with Rafael Devers, knee injuries, a stomach bug, a leg infection, and then a finger injury. However, when he was in the lineup, he provided a good amount of right-handed power, popping 31 homers. Despite striking out more than a third of the time, his 11.2% walk rate was excellent, and he finished the season with a 131 wRC+. O'Neill once graded out as an excellent defender, but that version of him now a few years and several injuries in the past. He graded out below average in both left and right. All things considered, O’Neill was a fine player and served his purpose, earning a B- on the season. Rob Refsnyder This season, Refsnyder has been everything that the team needed him to be. He was good off the bench as a lefty-killer in pinch-hit situations, and he served as a veteran leader in the clubhouse. He set career highs in games played, hits, homers, and RBIs. Coming off a 2023 season in which he hit just one home run, Refsnyder hit an impressive 11 balls out this year. He was also very good in high-leverage situations, batting an impressive .389 according to FanGraphs. He was expected to contribute acceptable defense, and he did just that, grading out as a bit below average according to the defensive metrics. Refsnyder has more than done his job, earning a B for 2024. Masataka Yoshida Although he hasn’t played the field all season (outside of one inning late in the game in an early-season emergency), Yoshida is still technically an outfielder. This was not his best year by any stretch. Between injuries and just not playing every day, it seemed as though Yoshida just couldn't get his feet under him. His 115 wRC+ was above the MLB average for designated hitters of 108, but it came while skipping lefties for much of the season. Yoshida had a serviceable 15 home runs this season, 21 doubles, and a solid .280 batting average. His refusal to whiff allowed him to strike out just 12.4% of the time, but he also ran a below-average hard-hit rate, which is not ideal for a designated hitter. When he did make hard contact, it was often a weak ground ball to the left side. Aside from a major game-tying home run off of Clay Holmes in Yankee Stadium back in early July, nothing really stuck out for Yoshida this season. With his limited playing time and limited production on the field, it’s tough to say that Yoshida was much more than a serviceable platoon DH. Yoshida earns a C on the season. Recap: Abreu: B Duran: A O’Neill: B- Refsnyder: B Yoshida: C View full article

With the final series of the season underway, it's time to assess the players. From Triston Casas to Enmanuel Valdez, here is how I graded each infielder's performance during the 2024 campaign. Now that the season is just about over, it’s time to grade each player on their 2024 season performance; starting on the infield. According to FanGraphs, Boston's infield has been worth just 4.2 WAR, ranking it 24th among the 30 clubs. Second base was the big killer, as the team's -2.3 WAR ranked dead last. First base was rough, mainly because the team was missing its starter for most of the season. Speaking of whom, let's start with... Triston Casas Casas missed nearly four months (99 games) of the season due to a rib cage injury, but when he's been on the field, his production has mirrored what we saw through the second half of 2023. He has 12 home runs with a .238 batting average and .799 OPS. While Casas struggled when he first returned on August 16, he has recently tapped back into the power that we saw last season, with 6 homers since August 20.. Casas has only played a small sample of games this year, making it tough to give him an accurate grade. But judging the games he did play, I would give Casas a B- on the season. He missed a lot of time and really struggled upon his return from the IL, but before his injury and more recently, Casas has returned to form. His next challenge is staying healthy throughout the 2025 season. Rafael Devers Despite being shut down after dealing with various knee and shoulder injuries throughout the season, Devers still put up his typical All-Star-caliber campaign. He played in 138 games, collected 143 hits, 34 doubles, five triples (yes, five), and 28 homers. The advanced metrics have never loved his defense, and this year (-6 OAA) was no different. The eye test isn't quite so harsh — Raffy makes routine plays and many of the difficult ones — but his .960 fielding percentage ranks sixth-worst among all qualified players. All in all, Raffy has had a solid season, earning himself an A-. He managed to put up one of his best offesnive seasons despite playing through injuries, and they became too much to bear, he posted almost every day. Romy Gonzalez Gonzalez traded his White Sox for Red this offseason, coming over over as a waiver claim in January. Even though he hasn't been an everyday player, he has still been a solid right-handed bench bat and utility player. Coming in off the bench in 41 games, Gonzalez is running a 99 wRC+ with three of his six homers coming as a pinch hitter. Gonzalez will be getting more starts with Devers out. Based on what we’ve seen, I would say he has exceeded expectations, earning him a B on the season. Vaughn Grissom Grissom had a very rough 2024 season and struggled to stay on the field due to a hamstring injury. When he wasn’t on the IL, he had trouble getting things to click at the plate. In 29 games at the big-league level, Grissom batted just .154 with more strikeouts than hits. However, his underperformance shouldn’t be the only information Red Sox fans use to form their opinions. Grissom put up a solid batting line in 55 Triple-A games, and he's the youngest player on the roster at age 23. He still has time to continue to establish himself as an everyday player. Even with that taken into consideration, Grissom still very much underperformed, and although it's not in any way his fault, Chris Sale's dominance in Atlanta made this trade look that much more painful. All in all, Grissom receives a D. David Hamilton Hamilton has appeared in 98 games this season, with the majority of his playing time coming at shortstop (62 games, 50 games started). Hamilton has had some rough moments this year, both defensively and at the plate. His errors came in bunches, and both the eye test and the advanced metrics see him as a potential liability at shortstop, where he has -3 OAA. He has been much better at second base (41 games, 29 starts), where he has a positive 3 OAA. His offensive production was also streaky, and while his .248/.303/.395 slash line isn't that bad at first glance, when you take a deeper look into his metrics, he is below average in almost every category except sprint speed (where he ranks in the 95th percentile). He put that speed to good use, stealing 33 bases, tied for ninth in the majors despite heading to the IL with a hand injury in August. With all this in consideration, Hamilton gets a C-. Ceddanne Rafaela Rafaela has been a defensive anchor in center and has come up big in some clutch situations. If the team needed a big hit and he came up to bat, you could almost guarantee that he was gonna come though. He has some major plate discipline issues: running the highest chase rate and lowest walk rate of all qualified players, along with a 9th percentile whiff rate, 22nd percentile strikeout rate. Despite his growing pains this season, Rafaela has still been a key contributor. The advanced metrics didn't like his performance at shortstop while he filled in for Trevor Story, but he's a Gold-Glove-caliber center fielder. In all, he is still a rookie with so much room to grow. With all of that taken into consideration, Rafaela has earned a C. Nick Sogard The switch hitter made his debut in early August and made just 78 plate appearances with the Red Sox. His .282 average and .333 on-base percentage have been acceptable this year in this limited sample. His biggest values have been his defensive versatility and ability to hit from both sides of the plate. It's difficult to give a fair graide with such a limited amount of information, but given the situation that he has been put in, I would say that he has been a serviceable player off the bench. Sogard has earned a C-. Trevor Story Story missed the majority of the season yet again. He wasn’t even supposed to see the field at all after his early April shoulder injury, but he made a return in early September. During the first few days of the season and since his return, Story has shown why he is so valuable to the infield. He's a reliable anchor up the middle. While his presence at the plate hasn’t quite been as impactful as his defense, he still provides a much-needed right-handed presence, even if he isn’t the big power hitter in the heart of the order. As with Sogard, there isn’t a ton grade Story on, but he gets a lot of credit for coming back from what was expected to be season-ending injury. With all of this in mind, Story receives a D+ on the season. He gets credit for coming back after his season was assumed to be over, but he has played in few games and hasn’t made a huge impact. While the Red Sox were not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention until game 159, Story’s return was still too late to help save the season. Enmanuel Valdez Valdez has been up and down between Triple- A and Boston frequently throughout the year. He’s played 75 games at the major league level and has had bursts of offensive success, but his 74 wRC+ is a far cry from the numbers he's put up in the minors or in his short big-league stint last season. On the other hand, he hasn’t gotten consistent playing time in his time in the big leagues this season, which makes it hard for any player to get their footing. His -8 OAA are tied for second-worst among all second basemen, and they look even worse on a rate basis. All in all, Valdez has earned a D. Recap: Casas: B- Devers: A- Gonzalez: B Grissom: D Hamilton: C- Rafaela: C Sogard: C- Story: D+ Valdez: D View full article

With five games left in the regular season, here's a primer on the biggest issues facing the Red Sox over the winter. First and foremost, the Red Sox need pitching, pitching, and more pitching. They need a minimum of one starting pitcher, ideally a lefty, to step into the top of the rotation and stabilize their group of young arms. While Bryan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Richard Fitts, and presumably Lucas Giolito (unless he exercises his opt-out) are all rotation options, all are right-handed, and Boston still needs a frontline starter to be its anchor. Unfortunately, left-handed starting pitchers who happen to be entering free agency don't grow on trees, unless you count Patrick Corbin (and you absolutely should not count Patrick Corbin). Max Fried is the only left-handed free agent who easily meets these criteria, and he won't come cheap. While Houck and Crawford both took steps forward as starters, they faced some bumps in the road, and they have tangible things that they need to improve on for 2025. Houck started to wear down after returning from the All-Star break. Shoulder soreness forced him to miss two starts earlier this month, and his workload is being limited down the homestretch. Despite his glorious start on Monday night, he has a 1-4 record with a 4.23 ERA over his 11 second-half starts. Crawford has always been susceptible to the long ball, but this year, his 33 home runs allowed are the most in baseball, working out to 1.66 home runs per nine innings. The team could also give Garrett Whitlock another shot at starting, but he seems better suited for the bullpen. With his long history of elbow injuries, limiting his workload and giving him a chance to be an elite reliever is the best fit for both him and the team. The bullpen represents an even bigger challenge. It will require a full makeover, with Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Lucas Sims, and Luis Garcia all entering free agency. That's a lot of arms to replace. Although Liam Hendriks is lined up to replace Jansen to begin the season, he will be pitching for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2023. He tried to make his way back this year but discomfort after rehab outings halted his 2024 return. Martin's will definitely be one of the more impactful departures. He has been a reliable shut-down reliever for the majority of his time in a Sox uniform. Offensively, the biggest concerns are clearing out the outfield logjam, finding a right-handed power bat, and solidifying the second base position. The outfield is crowded now, but it's about to be overrun with talent. With Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder (club option) all still under contract through 2025, and with Roman Anthony dominating Triple- A as the consensus best prospect in baseball, something will have to give. Putting even more pressure on the situation is the fact that Duran, Abreu, and Anthony (not to mention Rafael Devers and Triston Casas) are all left-handed hitters. The team looks likely to issue a qualifying offer to the right-handed Tyler O’Neill. Coming off a 31-homer season, he looks likely to reject it and try his luck in free agency. Should O'Neill accept the QO (or re-sign with the Red Sox), it would solve one problem — helping to balance out the lineup — but worsen another — adding yet another outfielder to the mix. O’Neill isn’t the only right-handed power bat hitting the free agent market; Teoscar Hernandez, Alex Bregman, and Gleyber Torres are all big names who would make a lot of sense in Boston. So while other options should be explored, the team is familiar with O'Neill, and we know his swing plays well at Fenway. Besides, it will take more than one righty to balance out a lineup that leans so far left. Building a roster of everyday players from the existing roster gives you left-handed batters Devers, Casas, Duran, Abreu, Masataka Yoshida, David Hamilton, and Enmanuel Valdez. That's seven players, and it's not counting Anthony (who could very well break camp with the big-league club), Kyle Teel, or Marcello Mayer. Naturally, not all of these players can be on the team come March 27 because there are only so many roster spots. Still, this offseason will be devoted to solving this puzzle; deciding who fits best and what creates the best roster. Finally, figuring the infield offers nearly as many questions. Does the team view Rafaela as an infielder long-term, or will they make space for him in the outfield, where he's a better fit? Will Vaughn Grissom turn into the player that they envisioned when they gave up Chris Sale? Where and when does Mayer fit in? What about Kristian Campbell? How does Trevor Story fit in with the next wave of young middle infielders nearing the big leagues? Some of these issues do not need to be fully addressed by Opening Day, but the front office needs to have a plan in place for when the time comes. In all, Craig Breslow and his shrinking front office have their work cut out for them as the regular season winds down. It will be a very busy offseason. View full article

Despite not meeting expectations in the last few years, here is why Red Sox fans should be excited about the future. The next championship core is almost complete. They have quite a few promising and talented prospects coming up through the system besides the players they already have contributed at the major league level. While the Red Sox's last few years have not met expectations, there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Many of the next championship core pieces are either already on the major league roster or are right down the road in Triple-A Worcester. Around the diamond, starting at third base, is the face of the franchise, Rafael Devers. Raffy clearly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon; he’s locked up for the next nine years (through 2033) and is just starting to get into the prime of his career. At shortstop, Marcelo Mayer has been climbing through the farm system and showed lots of flash in Double-A this year before getting promoted to Worcester shortly after the All-Star break. Even though Mayer was moved up to Triple-A on August 12, he still has yet to play in a game at the level because of a lumbar strain. While it’s almost guaranteed that he won’t break camp with the big league club out of spring training in 2025, he still isn’t far from making an impact at the big-league level. While his prior injury history is a fair concern to have, this is his first injury of the 2024 season, and through 77 games in Portland this year, he posted a .307 batting average, .370 on-base percentage, and .480 slugging percentage for an .850 OPS. Moving over to second base, the Sox have plenty of options to be their cornerstone second baseman of the future. Whether it shakes out to be Vaughn Grissom, who just couldn’t seem to get things to click in the big leagues this year after a lengthy battle with hamstring injuries, or it could end up being Ceddanne Rafaela at second base, which is where he will see most of his playing time for the remainder of 2024 with Trevor Story returning to shortstop. They also could have top-five system prospect Kristan Campbell manning the position, who was also promoted to Worcester this month, where he has slashed an impressive .300 average, .444 OBP, and .580 slugging for a 1.024 OPS through 13 games in Triple-A. Before his promotion, though, he played 56 games for Double-A Portland, batted .362, and had a 1.045 OPS. Impressive offensive stats aside, Campbell has also played several defensive positions well on a regular basis through multiple levels of the minor leagues. In Worcester, he’s played third base, shortstop, second base, and centerfield all very well, making him an option for any of those positions when he makes his big league debut. Rounding out the infield is Triston Casas. Even though Casas has struggled since his return to the lineup on August 16, it’s clear that the organization views him as someone they want to be here for the long term. Throughout the offseason going into 2024, Casas spoke publicly about the club approaching him with contract extension offers but said they were still far from an agreement. However, it’s not a huge rush because there is still plenty of time to lock Casas up long-term since he is not a free agent until 2029. Behind the plate and climbing up through the system is Kyle Teel, who was just drafted last year and has already made an impact in Triple-A since his August promotion. Moving to the outfield, the Red Sox will have the biggest log jam to work through and, therefore, the most decisions to make. They have Jarren Duran, who has put up MVP-type numbers through the 2024 season and not only made his first All-Star game but also won the All-Star game MVP. While Duran has primarily played centerfield during his time with Boston, he has also proven to be an above-average left fielder this year, so he could be an option for either of those spots going forward. While Duran has made a major impact on the field this season, he has also had an impact off the field. He also received the team’s Heart and Hustle Award and has shown leadership qualities in the clubhouse. Ceddanne Rafaela is also an option in the outfield going forward, with the next wave of middle infield prospects coming sooner rather than later. He has played shortstop for a good chunk of this season with Trevor Story out, but he’s known primarily for his gold-glove-caliber centerfield defense, so having him go back to the outfield only strengthens the defense alignment going forward. Also, as an option in the outfield, Wilyer Abreu, who has had a strong rookie season through 2024, can provide an extra boost of pop in the lineup with good defense in right field. The biggest bright spot coming up through the farm system is Roman Anthony, currently ranked as the number two prospect in baseball according to Baseball America when they put out their latest rankings on September 3. Anthony is batting .340, with a .961 OPS through 23 games in Worcester, and has also played all three outfield positions this year in both Double-A and Triple-A, so he could plug in any of those spots when he arrives in Boston. As for the pitching staff, despite a rocky first half of 2024, Bryan Bello is here for the foreseeable future after he signed his six-year contract extension worth $55 million in March. Even though his first half of this season was tough, Bello settled down in the second half, posted a 3.78 ERA since the All-Star break, and continues improving as the season winds down. Not to mention the emergence of Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford through 2024, when they both took major steps as starting pitchers. Houck was selected for his first All-Star Game and had a stellar first half of the season, where he held a 2.54 ERA going into the break. His most notable highlight of the first half was when he threw a complete game shutout against the Cleveland Guardians on April 17. Crawford also had a great first half, where he held a 3.00 ERA leading up to the All-Star break, and has started to return to that form as the season winds down. Down on the farm is also highly touted prospect Luis Perales, who posted a 2.94 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched over nine starts in Double-A before suffering a season-ending elbow injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery. Even though Perales isn’t as close as the other pieces, he still could be a name that makes an impact at the big-league level in the next few years. Richard Fitts also made his MLB debut on September 8 after being acquired from the Yankees for Alex Verdugo in December 2023. His first big league outing was a strong one where he gave up six hits over 5.2 innings, walked one, struck out two, and allowed two runs score, though neither of them were earned. Even though it is a tiny sample size, being only one start against the historically bad White Sox, it was still a good start to his major league career and a way for the organization to see what they have in him as a starter. Bullpen-wise, this year has also seen the rise of Rule 5 draft pick Justin Slaten, who has shown that he can be a late-inning high-leverage arm for the Sox. Slaten has posted a 3.17 ERA through 37 games and 48.1 innings pitched. All in all, a lineup consisting of some combination of Devers, Mayer, Campbell, Casas, Rafeala, Duran, Anthony, Abreu, and Teel, along with the growth shown by the pitching staff, will be something that Red Sox fans can look forward to and enjoy watching for a very long time. View full article