Spring training is fun to watch for any fan base, but Boston Red Sox fans have a couple of particularly interesting reasons to tune in.
First, Boston fans get their first glimpse of Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman, the team's two biggest offseason acquisitions, in Red Sox uniforms. So far, both of these players have looked like perfect fits in Red Sox gear.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, Red Sox fans get a look at the team's top prospects. Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer are all among MLB Pipeline's top 12 prospects overall, and they're all close to being MLB-ready. How they play might impact their standing on the Opening Day roster.
While much of what Red Sox fans have seen early on this spring has been positive, there are a couple of players who have come shy of meeting expectations thus far.
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5) Garrett Crochet looks every bit like the ace the Red Sox thought they were getting
Perhaps the biggest trade made this offseason saw the Red Sox acquire Garrett Crochet in a deal with the Chicago White Sox. Crochet not only arrives in Boston with two years of cheap club control, but he has legitimate Cy Young upside. Red Sox fans have gotten a glimpse of that thus far this spring.
Through three starts, Crochet has kept the opposition off the board entirely in 6.1 innings of work. He's allowed a bit too many base runners (six hits, five walks) but none of them have scored, and he has struck out a whopping 14 batters. Yes, 14 of the 19 players Crochet has retired this spring have struck out. That shows just how dominant Crochet is.
It's only spring training, but as far as first impressions go, Crochet could not have made a better one. The team has been without a bonafide ace for years now, but with Crochet in town, that's no longer an issue.
4) Liam Hendriks' struggles shine a light on one of few Craig Breslow offseason failures
Craig Breslow deserves immense credit for the work he did bolstering the team's lineup and rotation, but the bullpen looks iffy at best on paper, particularly late in games. If we were in 2020 and the Red Sox had Liam Hendriks and Aroldis Chapman in their bullpen, they'd love their chances to close out any close game. In 2025, however, there's reason to be concerned. Hendriks is showing why.
The right-hander was once one of the best relievers in the American League, but he has made just five appearances since the start of the 2023 campaign, missing substantial time due to a cancer diagnosis and Tommy John Surgery. It's obviously great to see him on the field, but Hendriks, understandably, has gotten off to a slow start.
The 36-year-old has made three appearances and has allowed four runs on eight hits in three innings of work. There's still time for Hendriks to get into a groove, but he's auditioning for the closer's role. Based on how he's done, he has not made a good first impression at all.
Relying on one of Hendriks, who has just five innings pitched over the last two regular seasons, Chapman, who has been wildly inconsistent in recent years, and Justin Slaten, with just one year of MLB experience under his belt, to close games on a contending team didn't seem like the best idea, and has not proven to be this spring.
3) Trevor Story finally appears to be healthy
The Red Sox signed Trevor Story to a six-year, $140 million deal ahead of the 2022 campaign, expecting him to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. Not only has he posted an extremely underwhelming .693 OPS in three seasons with the Red Sox, but he has played in just 163 total games with the franchise. He has averaged just 54 games per season.
The first three years of Story have been mostly a waste, but the 32-year-old is eager to make his mark in the 2025 campaign. So far this spring, Story has done that, recording seven hits in 17 at-bats thus far. Three of Story's seven hits have gone for extra bases.
If Story can just stay on the field, there's reason to believe he can be a very productive player for the Red Sox. Hopefully, this strong start can translate to when games count, and Story can stay on the field.
2) Kristian Campbell might cost himself a spot on the Red Sox Opening Day roster
Kristian Campbell, one of the top prospects in all of baseball, figured to have a great shot at making the Red Sox Opening Day roster, especially with there being a very realistic chance that Bregman winds up playing third base. All he seemingly had to do to make the team was have a good spring. Unfortunately, he has gotten off to an incredibly slow start.
The 22-year-old has just two hits in 21 at-bats this spring and has struck out nine times. He has drawn four walks, which is encouraging, but it's really hard to imagine that Campbell even sniffs the majors on Opening Day, barring a massive turnaround very quickly.
Campbell not making the Opening Day roster doesn't mean he can't make an impact at all this season for Boston, but it might be later than Red Sox fans had expected.
1) It's easy to see why Roman Anthony is as highly-touted of a prospect as he is
Campbell has gotten a lot of the attention this spring, but Roman Anthony is the best prospect in Boston's system. In fact, he's MLB Pipeline's No. 1 position player prospect, and is showing why that's the case with how he's played this spring.
The 20-year-old has four hits in 13 at-bats and has also drawn four walks. He has reached base in exactly half of his 18 plate appearances overall. Small sample, sure, but Anthony had a .396 OBP in the minor leagues last season. He's an on-base machine, and offers tremendous power and speed as well.
His odds of making the team's Opening Day roster are slim, given the fact that he only has 35 games of experience at Triple-A and that the Red Sox already have three solid starting outfield options, but at some point, Anthony is going to force their hand and earn a call-up. Based on how he's done this spring, that might end up being sooner rather than later.