Baseball season is here and while the Red Sox had a pretty brutal offseason by all metrics there’s still a few guys on their roster I’m excited to watch this year. We’ll take Rafael Devers out of the equation as I expect him to get back to his old form and be one of the best power hitters in baseball.
Red Sox fans are rightfully pretty upset about the teams lack of moves and mixed messaging this offseason but they are building a farm system and will look to surprise teams this year. Not a position I’m particularly fond of as a Red Sox fan who believes they should never be in the underdog role with their payroll and assets but here we are. So with opening day right around the corner let’s take a look at the four players I’m most excited to watch this season.
Sep 12, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (36) bats against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
1. Triston Casas
Casas is easily one of the most exciting names on the Sox roster this year and he’ll look to build on a solid season last year and start to establish himself as an all-star caliber player. Last year Casas was one of the few bright spots for Boston hitting .263 with 24 homeruns 65 rbis and an OPS of .856. While these numbers don’t blow anyone out of the water it was a great stepping stone for Casas as he continues to figure out the Major Leagues.
At only 24 years old Casas is still fine tuning his skill set and hopefully with another offseason under his belt we’ll see him start to refine some of his raw power. A 2018 first round pick Casas has been one of the highest touted Sox prospects in recent years and this season will be crucial to his growth, with the lack of firepower in the Sox offense he’ll have plenty of opportunities this year to grow into the player the Sox and fans are hoping he’ll become.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 12: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox fields in front of the Green Monster during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on September 12, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
2. Masataka Yoshida
Yoshida was one of the other few bright spots for the Sox last season as he showed his hitting prowess early in the season. However the length of the MLB season seemed to wear on Yoshida as he wasn’t used to the travel and number of games played. With a full offseason under his belt in the Red Sox system I expect his durability to increase.
Yoshida also struggled defensively at times last season but I expect him to DH more this season which will also have a positive impact on his performance at the plate. Yoshida showed right away he can hit in the Majors but it’ll be more on how he maintains his body and how much we see him in the outfield this season that could hinder his performance. I also believe Yoshida could benefit by being moved down in the lineup this season and not batting at the top of the lineup as much as he did last season.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 20: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 20, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
3. Brayan Bello
Bello might be the most anticipated player to watch for the Red Sox this season. His upside is the highest on the team and he has the stuff to be a top of the rotation ace for a long time if he can put it all together. Last season was a bit of a disappointment for Bello as he was 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA in 157 innings. Bello is only 24 years old and will turn 25 shortly into the season so it’s nowhere near time to panic if he struggles again this season.
However the Red Sox lack of moves this offseason really puts pressure on Bello to figure it out this season. The Red Sox have clearly made a statement with their lack of moves that the guys in the room are going to have to get it done this year they aren’t getting outside help unless they make a surprise move to sign Jordan Montgomery, Bello is the teams ace.
Bello probably has the most pressure of any player on the team with the expectations of being the teams number one starter. We’ll see if another offseason and a clear message that he’s the teams ace will help him lower his ERA and up his innings pitched.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 30: Ceddanne Rafaela #43 of the Boston Red Sox hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on August 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)
4. Ceddanne Rafaela
Maybe I’m buying into the spring training hype to much but I believe Rafaela can make an impact at the Major League level this season. Ceddanne only played in 28 games last season hitting .241 with only 2 homeruns and 5 rbis. I don’t expect Rafaela to start hitting .300 and have 30 homeruns but he’s a player that seems to be taking the most of his opportunity this spring training and I’m excited to see if he can build on it.
The Red Sox outfield is probably the strength of the team (which isn’t saying much) but they have legit competition in the outfield for playing time and Rafaela should be right in the mix.
