By Abby Whelan, Banner Staff

 Going into the 2024 season, expectations for the Boston Red Sox were at an all-time low. The team had not made a playoff appearance since 2021, and they had lost notable players such as Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo, and J.D. Martinez. However, even though they missed out on the American League wild-card spot, the Red Sox ended the season 81-81 and showed promise for the organization’s future.

Before the All-Star break, the Red Sox had a record of 53-43, and a large part of the team’s success was due to their dominant offense. The Red Sox ranked first in the American League for doubles, second for hits, and third for total runs. In addition, the team averaged a batting average of .252 and had 194  home runs. Notably, catcher Connor Wong ended the season with a .280 batting average, and .758 on base plus slugging percentage, and center fielder Jarren Duran with a .285 batting average and 34 stolen bases. 

The ultimate downfall for the Red Sox this season was their defense. They ended the season with 115 fielding errors, and had inconsistent pitching overall. Out of all 15 teams in the American League, they ranked 13th in hits allowed and 12th in runs allowed. The pitchers’ Earned Run Average was 4.04, meaning they allowed over four runs per game and they ended the season with 461 allowed walks. Even if their offense could score many runs, their pitching and defense prevented them from winning games. Katie Gavin ’25 commented, “I thought they were really bad this season. They definitely have had better years like in 2018. I really miss when Chris Sales and John Schreiber pitched for the Red Sox.”

In addition, injuries greatly impacted the Red Sox’s success. At the start of the season, in April, Tristan Casas suffered a rib cartilage tear, and Trevor Story dislocated his left shoulder. These injuries prevented Casas and Story from playing most of the season, severely hurting the Red Sox’s lineup as they are both powerful and dependable hitters. Furthermore, during the last few weeks of training camp this year, an injury to Rafael Devers’s left shoulder took him out for the rest of the 2024  season, sealing any chance the Red Sox had to make the playoffs. 

Though the Red Sox got unlucky with injuries this year, they have young star players and multiple top prospects. Brayan Bello is a promising young pitcher who has already displayed incredible talents. He is only 25 and went 14-8 on season. The organization also has high hopes for shortstop Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony, and catcher Kyle Teel, who are currently playing on the Red Sox’s minor league AAA team. Mira Maniar ’25 reflected, “I was really disappointed in the Red Sox this season because they did not play well, but I hope they do better next season!”

The Boston Red Sox have a young roster with star players, and they showed real moments of promise for this season. With a healthy team and an improved defense, be on the lookout for an exciting and dominant Red Sox season in 2025!