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The Boston Red Sox are set to embark on a 162-game marathon that is the 2025 MLB season on Thursday, with their first contest set to come against the Texas Rangers. After finishing the 2024 campaign with just an 81-81 record, the Red Sox finally made some serious upgrades to their roster over the offseason, putting them in position to make a big leap forward this year.
Boston addressed their biggest needs in a fashion that hadn't been seen in years. They pulled off a massive blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox for frontline starter Garrett Crochet, while also signing Walker Buehler, the guy who threw the final pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series. Alex Bregman was the marquee signing on the offensive side of the ball, with a trio of top-tier prospects (Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer) all potentially set to make contributions in the majors this season.
There are still several question marks surrounding this team, but they looked solid during spring training, and now, several folks are convinced they could end up being a World Series contender this year. Could that actually be the case? Let's take a closer look at the team before determining what realistic expectations should look like for them in 2025.
Why the Red Sox are a World Series contender
Considering how mediocre Boston was last season, it may initially seem like a bit of a stretch to suggest that they could find their way to the World Series this season. And yet, taking a closer look at the roster and the rest of the league around them indicates that if everything comes together for them, they could emerge as the best team in the American League this season.
The Red Sox's biggest issue that needed to be addressed this offseason was their starting rotation, and they did that in convincing fashion by bringing Crochet and Buehler to town. Even with several guys, such as Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford not being ready for the start of the season, the team has amassed enough depth that they should be able to get by to start the year. Once everyone gets healthy, they could have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the league.
Offense was not the problem for the Sox last season, and they managed to make some subtle additions without really losing any key contributors over the offseason. Bregman was the big addition, and he should be a perfect fit manning third base at Fenway Park. Trevor Story also is back in the fold after missing the majority of the 2024 campaign, and if he can finally put together a half-decent season for Boston, that would go a long way towards helping with these World Series expectations.
There's also the topic of Anthony, Campbell, and Mayer. Anthony appears set to become the league's top prospect now that Roki Sasaki has settled in with the Dodgers, and Mayer enjoyed a blistering spring that should put him right alongside Anthony. Campbell is set to graduate to the majors after winning the starting second base job over the past month.
Right now, the Sox don't have room for all three of these guys in the majors, but that's a luxury not many teams are able to have. Injuries will obviously factor into the equation at some point, but even when not accounting for that, there's still a possibility that Anthony and Mayer could join Campbell in the majors. And if that happens, and they all rake, Boston could quickly become one of the deepest teams in the entire league.
Why the Red Sox aren't a World Series contender
Of course, there's no guarantee that everyone is going to stay healthy, and either rack up strikeouts or home runs. Some players will excel, and others will struggle; that's simply the nature of the game. The Red Sox have put themselves in a great spot to have options when it comes to handling these potential pitfalls, but the assumption that everything will naturally work out is wishful thinking.
Case in point, we've already seen manager Alex Cora have to diffuse a situation with Rafael Devers that came as a result of signing Bregman. Everyone figured Bregman would simply move to second base and Devers would stick at third, but that never happened. Devers threw a hissy fit, but eventually relented and changed his stance, accepting a move to designated hitter. However, it goes to show that even the best laid plans can fall apart quickly.
There are spots on the roster where there aren't exactly grand plans in place either. The bullpen has some talented arms, but the closer role in particular is a bit worrisome. The veteran tandem of Aroldis Chapman and Liam Hendriks doesn't exactly inspire confidence, especially after Chapman essentially won the closer gig by default after Hendriks struggled mightily in the spring.
As noted, the starting rotation is already pretty beat up, and one of their more reliable starters last season, Tanner Houck, endured a miserable spring himself. He could ultimately benefit from a move back to the bullpen once everyone gets healthy. but for now, he's a crucial piece of the rotation that needs to deliver the goods, at least early in the season.
The lineup is also relying on several players with iffy track records to produce at a high level. Jarren Duran enjoyed a strong 2024 campaign, but is he guaranteed to play at that level again this year? Can Story actually produce for Boston, let alone stay healthy enough to be an everyday player? Will Campbell pan out after winning the job despite struggling during the spring? Things could work, but the question marks at several spots are too big to overlook entirely.
Final verdict
There's a chance the Red Sox put everything together this season, and it helps that they are playing in the American League, where there isn't a true World Series contender that stands out. The AL Central is a mess, the Rangers are a popular pick in the AL West, and the AL East is wide open after the New York Yankees endured a rash of injuries this month.
Realistically speaking, it's probably a year too soon for Boston to truly be a World Series contender. They have some big questions, particularly when it comes to Anthony and Mayer's fit with the team, that need to be figured out eventually, and their pitching staff has some holes on paper that will likely prevent them from winning it all. There's no doubt they are a playoff-caliber team, but a true World Series run may have to wait one more year.
