It genuinely appears like simply final week that we have been making our season predictions and gearing up for an…fascinating 2025 baseball season.
Two weeks in the past I wrote that we’d be holding out our butts for the rest of September; we’re now on the terminus of gravity’s rainbow. We as followers may solely sit again in anticipation to look at not simply the previous couple of weeks, however all 159 video games and see the place this Crimson Sox crew would find yourself. Whereas the Crimson Sox aren’t a projectile decided by pure regulation, they definitely are decided by the baseball gods, the tinkering of Alex Cora in-game, Craig Breslow intra-roster, and a complete lot of luck. We merely simply observe—with quite a lot of bias of head and coronary heart hoping for wins—whereas analyzing the season’s path, and when it’s all stated and executed, we stroll leisurely to its terminus and we will see absolutely the reality about what this crew is product of.
So what is that this crew product of?
There are two very clear pigs on this roster. Guys who eat up innings or the limelight nearly each single time they hit the sphere. Let’s begin with the plain: Garrett Crochet. This must be the very best acquisition of the 2025 season. Jeff Passan and ESPN even agree with that. Crochet—who hadn’t thrown even 150 innings previous to this season—finishes his 2025 with over 200 innings pitched, over 250 strikeouts, and over 800 batters confronted; these are all MLB leaders. His ERA of two.59 and ERA+ of 159 are each profession bests, even with a bit of dwelling run concern creeping in the previous couple of months. He has been an unequivocal PIG consuming innings. He hasn’t simply turn out to be an ace, he’s turn out to be THE ace. I’ll say it, Tarik Skubal ought to look uncomfortable pondering the Cy Younger is locked up in his favor.
There’s one other pig who’s been as dominant a drive as may be, to only about all of our surprises. Aroldis Chapman—sure, The Cuban Missile—is a pig. Who knew it will take Connor Wong and PitchCom in Spring Coaching to show a man who was such a free cannon into one of the unfathomably dominant closers in baseball at age 37? A no-hit streak of fifty batters, an ERA of 1.19 and an ERA+ of 345. I do know it’s not going to get Cy Younger votes, however this has to go down as among the best closing seasons of all time. Even all through the season, no matter changes Andrew Bailey and the Run Prevention Unit had him make by no means modified the truth that when he got here in, video games have been 99% executed for.
The children performed a lot extra of a task in 2025 than many people anticipated, and never simply with the personnel we thought it will be in March. The Massive 3—Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell—did every come up for chunks of the season. Campbell made the Opening Day roster and whereas he hasn’t been again since June 18th, we’ve seen sufficient on the large league degree to know the potential is there. Mayer—whereas struggling one other season ending harm, this time to his wrist—showcased precisely what he wanted to be within the majors: a powerful defender with the potential to hit each for contact and energy. If he can keep wholesome in his profession, this child has a vivid future. Anthony—as individuals anticipated—is a real star. A slugger with pure energy. Affected person on the plate, taking not simply each alternative to swing, however the appropriate ones. A reliable sufficient outfielder and versatile sufficient to flip between fielding and DHing with out skipping a beat. He’s 100% a bedrock of this membership already.
Then there have been the shock call-ups that left at the very least myself very pleasantly shocked. Payton Tolle climbed the ladder all the best way from Excessive-A to make it to the Crimson Sox and he may flip right into a dominant pitcher Whereas he’s not fully prepared to begin on the Main League degree but, having his dwell arm within the bullpen goes to be a plus going ahead—whether or not it’s three video games or extra. Connelly Early definitely got here up sooner than many thought and he’s showcasing that you just don’t want a flamethrower of a fastball to be a powerful starter. His combine, mixed with a cool supply angle, have proven up and proven out a number of lineups in September.
I definitely don’t thoughts Kyle Harrison as a back-of-the-rotation starter for now. He’s earned his call-up to the large membership and could possibly be a extremely efficient starter as properly. He takes the bump tonight in opposition to the Tigers.
Jhostynxon Garcia made a bit of cameo, Nate Eaton and Nick Sogard have been efficient depth call-ups as properly. The way forward for this crew is clearly vivid with homegrown expertise.
It is a story a couple of Story—Trevor, to be exact. With most definitely the bottom of low expectations on the roster, he’s turn out to be the compass of this crew. As Trevor Story goes, so go the Crimson Sox.
Ceddanne Rafaela was pegged to be late-career Jackie Bradley Jr. over again. However whereas it’s not constant but, his energy is one thing to behold when it’s alive—and his frankly platinum glove protection is the very best within the league.
Carlos Narvaez—a Yankees prospect shipped throughout the rivalry—has confirmed repeatedly he’s among the best younger backstops in baseball. His bat’s been quiet for some time, however defensively, there aren’t significantly better.
Alex Bregman—not a lot a talent set redemption however a personality redemption. He left his profession crew within the Houston Astros, possibly making an attempt to go away behind the trash can legacy. He’s turn out to be a mentor to the youngsters, and one other voice—nearly like one other coach—to maintain everybody at their finest. A real baller, who eats, sleeps, and breathes the sport.
Chapman even matches down right here too with how a lot his sport acquired mounted. Lucas Giolito hadn’t been capable of put collectively a constant season since he left the White Sox, and now he kinds a really robust entrance three with Crochet and Brayan Bello. So many guys on this roster redeemed themselves in my eyes to showcase that this crew truly does have expertise and isn’t simply an island of misfit toys.
For all that’s been good, there was some dangerous. Seventeen one-run losses by way of the primary two months of the season alone represented a missed alternative to battle for the division title. Misplaced collection to such random groups—just like the Athletics at dwelling earlier within the month—proceed to frustrate; these are video games competent groups ought to have in hand.
Triston Casas missed one more season resulting from a devastating harm and it left fairly the conundrum at first base. Tanner Houck began out the season extremely funky and seems he had an harm to fret about too; he’ll miss a lot, of not all of subsequent season. Liam Hendriks didn’t do a lot, both. Kutter Crawford didn’t throw a pitch the complete season. Commerce deadline acquisition Dustin Could? Perhaps a return for the postseason however he’s confirmed to be a poor member of the roster as a rental. Walker Buehler? Walked proper on out of Boston with how horrible he was this season.
Amidst all of this mishegas, there’s one large defining phrase: course. We now understand how this crew goes to play and function, even when it means making head-scratching selections typically. We’re going to speak concerning the Rafael Devers commerce advert nauseum in analyzing this season so I could as properly kick it off: it gave this crew steadiness. It was the spark that clearly wanted to be ignited beneath this roster to result in its true potential.
We’ve seen endurance and room to develop given to the youngsters. And now there’s confidence that the selections being made are the appropriate ones, particularly these in-game calls by Alex Cora this season. He’s had a number of masterclasses of managing that deserve reward and can garner extra within the playoffs.
With three video games to go and the magic quantity at one, this crew has the prospect to do one thing particular. In the event that they do, I don’t care how far they go. It’s all simply the cherry on prime of what’s been sorely wanted: an illuminating season that lastly confirmed us this crew is MORE than a few of us thought they have been.
