The Boston Red Sox are ending the season on a dismal note. The organization has seemingly given up and now has their eyes on next season as a chance for playoff success.
On September 14, 2023, the Chief Baseball Officer of the Red Sox, Chaim Bloom, was fired after his disastrous tenure spanning from 2020 to 2023. However, many positive upsides to the 2023 season brought hopes for future success in Boston’s beloved sports franchise.
First, the Red Sox’s farm system has improved significantly since 2020. Homegrown players like Jarren Duran, Triston Casas, and Brayan Bello have all had impressive seasons, flashing their true potential on the baseball field.
Until his season-ending toe surgery, Duran maintained an impressive .295 batting average, with even higher numbers during his hot streaks in the summer. His performance this year was a substantial improvement from his performance last season.
At the plate, Triston Casas started slowly. Still, he improved significantly, leading the league in most batting statistics two weeks after the break. Casas launched home runs well over 400 feet often and showed off his capacity both in the batter’s box and the field.
On the mound, Brayan Bello has had appearances that show his capability to become a great pitcher under the mentorship of Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez, with 127 strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA.
As the season nears its end, the Red Sox have been bombarded with player injuries, including many star players. Taking advantage of these woes, the Red Sox have been developing players, giving them significant league experience. Among these are players who have been great on the Triple-A WooSox, the minor league affiliate for the Red Sox, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela.
Abreu worked his way up the Astros farm system, eventually making it to Double-A before being traded to the Red Sox. On the Woosox, he hit .274 with 22 home runs. After Duran’s toe injury, Abreu was called up and immediately made an impact, with 20 hits in his 54 at-bats.
Rafaela is among the top prospects in the MLB, having played in the All-Stars Futures game last year. He has currently recorded a hit in a third of his at-bats. Despite the small sample size, he has strong potential as a versatile fielder and hitter, with two home runs in back-to-back games against the New York Yankees.
