The Boston Red Sox entered the first half of the season in style, sitting 11 games over .500 and holding MLB’s best record since May 19.
The emergence of the starting rotation and an energized youth movement has Alex Cora’s ballclub in a good spot to return from the All-Star Break. The Red Sox continue to get contributions across the roster with several players making a name for themselves in 2024.
With that, here are a few grades for Boston’s position groups through the first half.
LINEUP
Grade: B+
Boston entered the season with six straight campaigns as a top-10 offense in baseball.
When Trevor Story and Triston Casas both went down with injuries in April, it was hard to imagine the Red Sox producing at a capable level. They’ve still managed to do just that.
Rafael Devers is on pace for a career year after slugging 23 home runs with a .977 OPS. Tyler O’Neill adds right-handed pop when he’s been on the field in between a pair of IL stints.
Dominic Smith got hot to start July (.324 AVG, .954 OPS this month) and manages production at first base while the Red Sox wait for Casas to return.
Ultimately, the Boston offense truly got rolling when it embraced a more athletic style of play with dynamic aggression on the base paths. That allowed David Hamilton to make more of an impact and steady himself in the Red Sox middle infield. Ceddanne Rafaela continues to improve his swing decisions.
Most importantly, Boston goes as Jarren Duran goes as its sparkplug is dominating from the top of the order, putting bat to ball and pressuring opponents with his legs. He proved his worth on the national stage when he became the first Red Sox player to win All-Star Game MVP since J.D. Drew in 2008.
Early season struggles lowered this grade and the Red Sox would be wise to seek out a right-handed bat at the trade deadline to combat inefficiencies against left-handed pitching.
STARTING ROTATION
Grade: A
When assessing how the Red Sox turned the 2024 season into a success (so far), look no further than the starting rotation.
This group stayed in the spotlight all offseason long with external noise and the narrative that Boston had no choice but to add multiple starters. The organization did add one, but Lucas Giolito suffered a season-ending injury in spring training. Garrett Whitlock also only lasted four starts before his injuries brought his 2024 campaign to a halt.
That left returning arms to step up. They’ve done just that.
Tanner Houck answered the call to take the step Boston hoped he finally would and turned it into his first career All-Star selection. His “Maddux” performance against the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park perfectly embodies what he’s been for the Red Sox in 2024.
Nick Pivetta and Brayan Bello each worked around early-season IL stints while Kutter Crawford only seems to get better as extra rest allowed him to dominate his recent starts entering the All-Star break.
Innings are piling up for inexperienced arms, so adding a starter should be the priority at the trade deadline for the Red Sox.
BULLPEN
Grade: B
There’s no doubt been highs and lows all season long from Boston’s relievers.
Kenley Jansen turned a corner after April and looked like the All-Star he was for the Red Sox in 2023. That took care of any questions at the back end of the bullpen.
Everyone before Jansen presents a different case.
Josh Winckowski went from a dominant relief season (2.88 ERA in 60 appearances) to bouncing back and forth from Triple-A with experiments as a starters. He’s still posting a 3.27 ERA, so it’s not to say this has been some lost season for the right-hander.
Veteran Chris Martin also spent time on the injured list after being arguably the best bullpen arm in the sport in 2023.
At the same time, the Red Sox have found other bright spots.
The bullpen does however hold the ultimate Red Sox X-factor for the second half with the potential addition of Liam Hendriks. The three-time All-Star signed with Boston during his Tommy John recovery in the offseason and began throwing bullpens recently. Should he be ready to suit up this season, that’s a phenomenal addition to the Red Sox relief staff given the fact that Hendriks racked up 75 saves between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
