A girl can dream: An outlook on the Red Sox’ 2024 season
The Boston Red Sox have started the season on a positive note after splitting a series against the Mariners and besting the A’s in their three-game series (Winslow Townson/Getty Images).
With the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) season in full swing, there is much anticipation already surrounding the success of fans’ favorite teams. After the upsetting performance of my Boston Red Sox this past season, I thought it would be interesting to look into what their strengths and weaknesses will be for this season, as well as what to look forward to.
The Red Sox are a young team that has the opportunity to surprise many people this season, but being such a young team has its own challenges, especially if they hit a wall during the summer, causing them to slide out of a possible Wild Card spot. They are relying on veteran third baseman Rafael Devers to have a monster season, first baseman Triston Casas to continue to have a breakout year, and outfielder Masataka Yoshida to be fully adjusted to the MLB.
Their weakest point is their starting pitcher situation. Their rotation is what people are predicting to be the reason the Red Sox finish last in the American League East division, but, with Andrew Bailey as the new pitching coach, the Red Sox starters have been lights out to start the season. While their starting pitching has been impressive, it might end up being their Achilles’ heel. If you dive into their metrics from last season, almost none of their starters were throwing their four-seam fastball. On the off chance they did throw a fastball, it was oftentimes either a sinker or a cutter. The Red Sox lack depth in the bullpen, as well, which could pose a problem if a starter or two miss time due to injury, but their early performance is certainly promising.
The Red Sox also don’t have a tremendous amount of depth at the major league level. Manager Alex Cora will be aiming to keep Devers, shortstop Trevor Story, and other key players sharp throughout the season as a result. It wouldn’t be surprising if Boston kept an eye out for an experienced utility-type player to help with the versatility and lineup shuffling of the team throughout the year.
Looking past their weak points and onto their strengths, the Sox lack the home-run power that other teams possess, but do boast an impressive roster filled with speed and athleticism. Rookie center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela can run and is a possible Gold Glove candidate, who can turn doubles into triples and steal upwards of 20 or more bases in a single season. Combine Rafaela’s speed with double-play partners, shortstop Story, who is one of the fastest players in the league, and young second baseman Vaughn Grissom, the Red Sox’s baserunning is elite. The speed and velocity doesn’t stop with those three either, as left fielder Jarren Duran ranked in the 96th percentile for speed last year, while right fielder and former Gold Glove winner, Tyler O’Neill, ranked in the 80th percentile.
If the Red Sox can maintain their starting pitching as it looks now, while keeping the injuries to a minimum, they have the potential to steal a Wild Card spot. I would love to say in full confidence that this is their year, but I don’t want to get my hopes up, so I’ll leave it at. I’m excited, but if you expect disappointment, you won’t get disappointed.