August 2025 made you are feeling…
Fairly good! A successful document in a month is at all times a plus. We had win streaks going. We took three of 4 from the Yankees and 4 of 4 from the Orioles in their very own homes. Roman Anthony actually began to dominate. Payton Tolle debuted. I can’t actually complain. It appeared like each loss this month was further annoying, although.
— Juliet Hurwitz
As somebody who’s attempting to be a extra optimistic individual general, I’m attempting to not let these “further annoying” losses that Juliet talked about take up an excessive amount of headspace in an general profitable August. However as I wrote this on the final day of the month, whereas the Crimson Sox had been on a four-game dropping streak at residence and had misplaced two in a row to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the meantime, the Yankees had been on a seven-game successful streak and had retaken second place within the AL East on the again of a collection towards the White Sox. With all of this being mentioned, August has concurrently made me really feel just like the Crimson Sox might make a deep playoff run at occasions whereas additionally trying like a staff able to not even making the postseason at others. They’ve actually sunk to their competitors at occasions (outdoors of that collection in Baltimore), and that’s an unsustainable pathway for a staff preventing down the stretch.
— Avery Hamel
Relieved? The previous few seasons, the commerce deadline has come and gone with little fanfare, and everybody thinks the sky goes to return crashing down. After which the sky comes crashing down. This season, the sky is but to return crashing down, and we’re a playoff run for the primary time since 2021. On the very least, September might be significant, so I get to behave like I’m higher than individuals for not caring about soccer immediately.
— Jacob Roy
Gaslit from the fallout of the commerce deadline, however general very completely happy. The Crimson Sox, for as soon as in Alex Cora’s post-suspension tenure, didn’t disintegrate in August and look each bit the playoff staff they had been predicted to be. They didn’t add sufficient on the commerce deadline amongst a complete bunch of potential playoff groups that did, and Dustin Could appears to be like, nicely, not good by his first month. (Although, I’ll say, Steven Matz appears to be like superior.) The Crimson Sox are an superior staff, however they need to have added extra, and, ought to they exit the playoffs early, I’ll marvel if they might have gotten additional with another, or a better high quality, addition. The 2 don’t should be mutually inclusive.
– Dean Roussel
Who was your favourite participant in August?
Roman Anthony. He’s all class, all expertise, all poise, all energy, and all athlete. And he’s solely 21. It’s fairly wonderful. Honorable point out for Payton Tolle too.
— Juliet Hurwitz
Roman Anthony is an easy and undoubtedly legitimate reply, however as somebody from Colorado who’s been rooting for Trevor Story for almost so long as I’ve been cognizantly watching baseball, his fairytale August made him my favourite participant in August, and presumably Boston’s most dear. Story hit 5 residence runs final month, and the Crimson Sox went 5-0 when he did so. They went 13-5 when Story recorded successful, and 4-5 when he didn’t. These are some fairly strong contributions.
— Avery Hamel
Payton Tolle. The vitality within the stadium whereas he was on the mound was unimaginable. He appeared to harness the debut adrenaline to his benefit, so who is aware of how his subsequent outing will go, however these 5 innings had been nothing wanting electrical. I hope we get to expertise that a couple of extra occasions this season.
— Jacob Roy
In August? Pains me to say this, however, it was Aroldis Chapman. Any time you may cuss out the protection and bullpen however nonetheless know a man automated sufficient to not enable even ONE hit in a MONTH is ready on the opposite facet of an in depth recreation is a superb feeling.
– Dean Roussel
Roman Anthony, duh. I’m on my approach to church to mild a candle for him and try to be, too.
—Dan Secatore
Who was your least favourite participant?
Jordan Hicks. Each time he obtained on the mound, I used to be satisfied he was going to someway make the sport worse, and for essentially the most half he would.
— Juliet Hurwitz
Jordan Hicks was unhealthy. Walker Buehler was additionally unhealthy. Abraham Toro was unhealthy, unhealthy. Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran had been barely unhealthy. Whereas there are an excellent quantity of choices to select from, Jordan Hicks must be the reply merely due to the truth that each Buehler and Toro are “gone,” whereas Hicks will possible be again on Boston’s 2026 opening roster for optics causes that we received’t quickly escape.
— Avery Hamel
Paul Skenes ruined Payton Tolle night time. So him.
— Jacob Roy
Jordan Hicks. 7.36 ERA, nearly a 2 WHIP, and the sinking feeling in my chest once I noticed him warming up even when behind that knew that we most likely weren’t successful that recreation. Plus, with Kyle Harrison possible beginning within the subsequent few days, due to how unhealthy Hicks has been, any hiccups Harrison faces in his infancy on the Main League roster is barely going to exacerbate the unhealthy emotions concerning the thinly veiled wage dump that was the Devers commerce.
– Dean Roussel
I love Jordan Hicks for attempting to carry pirate facial again. I don’t admire him for his pitching capability.
— Dan Secatore
What do you are feeling higher about going ahead?
Jarren Duran. He hasn’t been as sizzling constantly as he was final season, however I feel he’s due for an actual sizzling streak. His inside-the-park-home-run was actually an indication of optimistic offensive manufacturing.
— Juliet Hurwitz
I really feel higher concerning the manufacturing from the catchers going ahead. Connor Wong has clearly been bafflingly unhealthy this 12 months, however he’s discovered a groove over the previous two weeks that’s turned him right into a genuinely above league common spot starter, which is comparatively spectacular regardless of the individual/place, however much more for Wong at catcher. Carlos Narvaez had an abysmal month (and a half) in July and August, however has equally discovered his groove in current weeks.
— Avery Hamel
The bullpen, weirdly. If the beginning pitching holds up, primarily the highest three, then this bullpen goes to be loaded come playoff time. Dustin Could can throw two innings out of the pen. Payton Tolle can most likely do the identical. I completely love all-hands-on-deck baseball, and this staff has some items to excel in that type.
— Jacob Roy
Brayan Bello. He actually is trying like an actual possibility not simply down the stretch of this playoff run, however in future years. He’s actually discovered a groove this 12 months, and pitching to a 2.27 ERA in August and strolling simply six guys isn’t any exception to that groove. Even when he runs into bother, he’s obtained higher than a puncher’s probability of getting out of it.
– Dean Roussel
The highest finish of the rotation which, if Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito can hold this going, might be pretty much as good as anybody else’s in October. In case you can throw three pitchers within the postseason who can provide you six-to-seven robust innings each trip, you may win the World Sequence.
— Dan Secatore
What do you are feeling worse about going ahead?
Dustin Could. He simply doesn’t stack as much as what Bello, Giolito, and Crochet have achieved this season, and Tolle already looks as if a stronger pitcher to me. I actually hope he’s not on the playoff roster (ought to there be one), however which may be inevitable relying on accidents/availability/and so on.
— Juliet Hurwitz
Lucas Giolito. I wrote a few weeks ago about how Giolito’s field scores haven’t aligned together with his manufacturing/efficiency on the mound. This nonetheless holds true, and though he’s been in a position to — principally — get away with it because the All-Star break, these peripherals will ultimately catch as much as him, which might be particularly harmful come the almost solely AL East slate come mid September.
— Avery Hamel
Subsequent 12 months? Is Trevor Story going to choose out? Lucas Giolito actually will. The place does Alex Bregman find yourself? This staff has the bones of an excellent one, however free company might actually shake issues up.
— Jacob Roy
The again finish of the rotation. Final season I assumed the principal downside with the Crimson Sox roster was that, whereas that they had loads of acceptable beginning pitching choices, they didn’t have any high-end expertise. Now, I really like the highest three arms on this group and… I don’t even know who the fourth and fifth pitchers are. That’s a recipe for burning a bullpen and struggling down the stretch. However hey: Dustin Could within the unique metropolis join uniforms (see above) would possibly actually be essentially the most colourful baseball participant in historical past. In order that’s good.
— Dan Secatore
Are you going to alter your preseason prediction?
I had the Sox in first place within the AL East, which continues to be potential however is unlikely at this level. So I’m altering it to creating the wildcard, which appears extra possible.
— Juliet Hurwitz
Though I didn’t have an official preseason prediction, my unofficial verdict earlier than the season was that Boston would name up all of its prime prospects (test), and make the Wild Card. Whereas Kristian Campbell is struggling in Triple A and Marcelo Mayer obtained wrist surgical procedure and disappeared off the face of the Earth, my Wild Card prediction nonetheless stands.
— Avery Hamel
I feel they lose within the ALDS or Wild Card spherical, however sure, it appears fairly clear that, barring something catastrophic, the Crimson Sox are going to complete with greater than 86 wins this 12 months. I don’t wish to get my hopes up, however this staff appears actually particular and is coming away from sure video games with Ws when those self same video games performed in Could ended up as one run losses. The truth that so lots of the difference-makers are inked into the staff for years to return is big, and hopefully guys like Alex Bregman and Trevor Story will really feel the vibe and stick round, too. That every one looks as if an issue for the offseason, although.
– Dean Roussel
Hell no. The World Sequence stays on.
— Jacob Roy
