The 2024 season for the Boston Red Sox will begin in 20 days when they take on the Seattle Mariners as they start the season with the first ten games on the West Coast. There isn’t much optimism in this season with former players as well as current players speaking out to leadership as well as ownership of their displeasure with moves this offseason. Everyone knows the Red Sox need starting pitching and most want them to sign Jordan Montgomery but that hasn’t come to fruition yet. Ownership has already said that they are waiting for the young core to come up and that’s when they will spend and go for it again, that future they are talking about consists of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel building it exactly like you should straight up the middle with a catcher, a shortstop, and a center fielder. Right now the Red Sox do have some young names who are turning heads with Brayan Bello who just signed an extension of six years $55 million to remain with the Red Sox whom they expect to take a leap in 2024 and be an ace, Triston Casas who is expected to receive an extension as well soon to keep him in a Red Sox jersey for a long time and Ceddanne Rafaela who Alex Cora said would be the starting center fielder on Opening Day depending on the spring he has and well he’s taking that job the way things stand right now.
The Future
So with all that you have an ace in Bello, three pieces up the middle, Rafaela who will likely shift to left field or right field when Anthony comes up, and then add in you have two power bats in Rafael Devers who was extended last offseason and Triston Casas who is expected to be here for a while as well. With all of that, things will open up meaning you’ll have a crowded outfield with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder, and Masataka Yoshida so there will likely be a move made for two of those names and that could net you another starting pitcher when it’s actually “Full Throttle” time. I personally like the idea of an outfield consisting of Duran in left, Anthony in center, and Rafaela in right. You also have Trevor Story who is currently your shortstop, but Mayer will take that job and you also have Vaughn Grissom who will be a Red Sox until 2030. That will likely mean when Mayer is called up either Story or Grissom will be moved and the other will be the second baseman meaning more pieced to add to this team. Let’s take a look at the core seven in Bello, Casas, Devers, Rafaela, Teel, Anthony, and Mayer.
Brayan Bello
Bello is entering his third season in the big leagues and last season he made 28 starts going 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 132 strikeouts in 157 innings. Against the American League East last season, he made nine starts going 5-3 with a 3.83 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and 49 strikeouts in 54 innings.
Triston Casas
Casas last season got off to a slow start but once June hit his season turned around as he posted a slash line of .299/.397/.556 with a .953 OPS, a 155 wRC+; he had 15 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, 43 runs scored, and 45 walks. To compare his 2023 season stats he had a slash line of .263/.367/.490 with a .856 OPS; he had 21 doubles, two triples, 24 home runs, 65 RBI, 66 runs scored, and 70 walks. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.
Rafael Devers
Devers continued to wreak havoc hitting .271 with a .851 OPS; he had 34 doubles, 33 home runs, and 100 RBI. He hit .316 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI against the American League East.
Ceddanne Rafaela
Rafaela in the minors was a problem hitting .302 between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester with a .870 OPS; he had 31 doubles, 20 home runs, 79 RBI, 80 runs scored, 36 stolen bases, and 26 walks. With the Red Sox in 28 games, he hit .241 with a .666 OPS; he had six doubles, two home runs, five RBI, 11 runs scored, three stolen bases, and four walks. Entering today this spring he is hitting .227 with a .755 OPS; he had one home run, two RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.
Kyle Teel
Teel once he joined the Red Sox organization last year shot up the system going from rookie ball to High-A to Double-A playing in 26 games and he hit .363 with a .977 OPS; he had six doubles, two home runs, 22 RBI, 15 runs scored, three stolen bases, and 21 walks. This spring he only played in one game going 0-2.
Roman Anthony
Anthony last season played across three levels at Single-A Salem, High-A Greenville, and Double-A Portland in 106 games he hit .272 with a .869 OPS; he had 27 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 64 RBI, 78 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, and 86 walks. This spring he is 2-3 in two games with two runs scored, and two walks.
Marcelo Mayer
Mayer before his season got cut short last season hit .236 with a .739 OPS in 78 games between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland; he had 19 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 54 RBI, 43 runs scored, nine stolen bases, and 32 walks. He didn’t play this spring as he came back from the injury.
Bottom Line: The Future Is Bright
2024 may be tough but hold on Red Sox fans there is a light at the end of the tunnel and like in 2018 when that core was rolling we will see that again at Fenway Park it may be a few years but the time is coming. There is much to be excited about still this season and that’s to watch the progressions of the players on the team even if it’s coming in the form of losses, you can also check out the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs or the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox and see the young three play together because it’s only a matter of time before they all take that Fenway grass together and things will look bright.
