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New York Times
28-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Can the Red Sox fix what ails their broken offense?
As the Boston Red Sox continue to tread water, taking one step forward and two steps back, an inconsistent offense has undeniably been their biggest barrier to sustained success. On more than one occasion they've shown monstrous outbursts of power like the 19-run blowout on Friday against Baltimore that was followed by a 6-5 walk-off win the next game. But too often this season, those strong showings were followed with meager results, as evidenced by four runs over their next three games. Advertisement The trend continued Tuesday in Milwaukee. The Red Sox lost 5-1 to the Brewers in 10 innings after scoring just one run on a wild pitch in the sixth inning. Christian Yelich hit a grand slam for Milwaukee in the 10th, leading to another crushing loss for Boston. The loss of Alex Bregman for the foreseeable future to a severe right quad injury only makes their offensive woes more dire. Without Bregman, Rafael Devers has little protection in the lineup and teams have no issue walking him to get to the next batter. Even before Bregman went down, Devers was walking far more than he had in his career. He currently leads the American League in walks (43) and, with two-thirds of the season still left to play, is already just 25 walks away from eclipsing his career-high of 67 from last season. As the Red Sox search for consistency, each player outside of Devers has had limited stretches of success, but have largely underperformed. The collective promise is there, but more than one-third into the season it's not enough. After Monday's loss, veteran Rob Refsnyder didn't hold back his disappointment in the team. 'I don't really care about promise,' Refsnyder told reporters in Milwaukee. 'It's frustrating. Tired of losing. Tired of losing close games. We just need to figure it out and win some games… It's not for lack of effort, work ethic, or game-planning. It's just, we're not doing it. We suck right now. We've got to just be better. 'If we want to keep losing and making excuses, we can,' he added. 'But we're all big leaguers, we've all been in the minor leagues. We all know how to do the small things, steal bases.' Rob Refsnyder after the Red Sox loss: 'I'm tired of losing. I'm tired of losing close games. We just need to figure it out… we suck right now.' (via @NESN) — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 26, 2025 The current Red Sox lineup regularly features three rookies (Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell and Carlos Narváez) along with two more second-year players (Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu), so growing pains are to be expected. But that's still not an excuse for the team's overall performance. Veterans like Refsnyder undoubtedly know the longer the team struggles and the players don't get their jobs done, the more likely it is that the jobs of hitting coach Pete Fatse and manager Alex Cora will be on the line. There's no doubt the coaching staff takes some of the blame in the inconsistent performance. Advertisement Jarren Duran lamented the team's lack of focus recently, and as the leadoff hitter he was particularly critical of himself. Even still, Duran was hitting a respectable .277 with a .757 OPS through 56 games. 'For me, I just feel like we just put a lot of pressure on ourselves,' he said. 'Like everybody expects us to be this absolute powerhouse of an offense. So I feel like we get into our own mindset sometimes. I know I do, trying to get the big hit every single time.' Without Bregman's veteran bat in the lineup and his attention to detail in preparation for games, the offense needs to find a way. Adding top prospect Roman Anthony and his .971 OPS through 47 games at Triple A might add a jolt to the club, but it would also add another rookie to the mix. 'We've lost some games that we should have won this year,' Bregman said earlier this month. 'We need to do a better job of executing, and preparing and just getting better as a team. And I know we hold ourselves to a high standard and when you play in this market, everyone holds you to a high standard.' The Red Sox endured a similar self-inflicted malaise to start last season. They had a 28-27 record on May 28 last year before a hot stretch in June in which they went 13-5 to push to 10 games over .500 by the All-Star break. It's not out of the question the team can finally end their season-long seesaw, but they haven't show many signs of snapping out of it so far and the frustration continues to mount. (Photo of Abreu: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Marcelo Mayer's chaotic MLB debut: Lost keys, a long car ride and a standing ovation
BOSTON — Early Saturday as the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox prepared to play a doubleheader at home, manager Chad Tracy called Marcelo Mayer into his office. He didn't have Mayer in the lineup for the first game. The reason? The big-league club was awaiting word on third baseman Alex Bregman's MRI. An injury might create a spot on the MLB roster. Not long after, Mayer got a second call into Tracy's office. Marcelo gets the call: — Red Sox (@RedSox) May 24, 2025 'He said something along the lines of, 'You're not playing. You'll play the second game, but not here. You'll be playing in Fenway,'' Mayer, 22, said. 'I just got the craziest rush through my whole body. It was a pretty cool thing.' Mayer, the No. 28 prospect in baseball according to The Athletic's Keith Law, was about to make his major-league debut. But first, he'd have to find his keys. Advertisement With the Red Sox playing in a doubleheader of their own against the Baltimore Orioles, Mayer rushed to pack his bags to make the 45-mile drive from Polar Park in Worcester to Fenway Park but realized he had no way to get there. 'I lost them, like, three weeks ago, and I never cared to look for them until I needed to,' Mayer lamented, as he stood in the Red Sox clubhouse moments after he'd arrived in Boston roughly 90 minutes before the first pitch of the second game. Nothing like pulling up to your big league debut. — Red Sox (@RedSox) May 24, 2025 Mayer left his car at Polar Park and one of the Worcester clubhouse assistants volunteered to drive him to Boston. Mayer had called his parents as soon as he heard about the promotion but spent the entire car ride buried in his phone, replying to a flood of texts congratulating him on his impending debut. By the time they got off the highway and into the city, though, the crowds around Fenway were thick as fans waited to enter for the second game. 'Honestly, I was just looking at my phone, so I kind of barely realized it,' he said. 'But the clubby, he was making jokes to get a police escort, to get everybody out of the way, because he was getting more nervous.' Needless to say, it was a chaotic day leading up to his debut and that was before the standing ovation when he stepped to the plate in the second inning. A large portion of the 34,604 fans in the Fenway crowd rose from their seats to watch Mayer take his first at-bat. He struck out looking on six pitches. 'I've never experienced anything like that in my life,' he said after Boston's 2-1 loss to Baltimore. 'Actually, I just got done texting my friends and parents about that moment. It's something I'll remember the rest of my life.' Mayer started at third base, a position he'd played at just six times professionally before Saturday, and batted sixth. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and reached on a fielder's choice in the ninth. Advertisement After the Red Sox pinch hit for shortstop Trevor Story in the seventh inning, Mayer moved to short in the eighth inning but then shifted back to third in the ninth when David Hamilton entered as a pinch runner and took over at short. Mayer is expected to see time at second, third and short as the Red Sox mix and match in the infield without Bregman. 'My job here is to do whatever I can help the team win,' Mayer said. 'I'm gonna go out every single day, give it 100 percent, give it my all, and hopefully that's enough.' His day at the plate wasn't what he'd wanted, but despite all the chaos leading up to it, he said he was calm. 'I wouldn't say I was nervous,' he said. 'I just feel like I tried to do too much. I feel like next time I've got to do a better job with that. But with that being said, I've never experienced anything like that (game). So it was really fun.' Having spent all of spring training with the big-league club, Mayer and fellow top prospects Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell grew close with their big-league teammates. When Mayer arrived Saturday, there was a bittersweet juxtaposition in the clubhouse as players hugged him and clapped his back, excited for his promotion while also acknowledging the loss of Bregman, who spoke quietly with the media about a severe quad injury. Bregman missed 58 games in 2021 with a similar injury. As the Red Sox plan to be without Bregman for an extended period, Mayer figures to be a key part of the club. Mayer undoubtedly had pictured his big-league debut countless times over the years. How it played out in reality Saturday wasn't quite what he'd envisioned. He didn't get the big hit, and the Red Sox as a whole failed to capitalize on seven scoreless innings from starter Lucas Giolito in the loss. But after years of waiting, Mayer has a new home in Boston and plenty of work ahead of him. 'It's the big leagues,' manager Alex Cora said of Mayer's day. 'Great experience for him (today). Played good defense, obviously, offensively not much happened, but he's a big leaguer now, can't take that away from him.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox promoting top prospect Marcelo Mayer after Alex Bregman injury
The Boston Red Sox are promoting top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer on May 24, following third baseman Alex Bregman's injury a day prior. Mayer, the fourth overall pick in 2021, has 43 RBIs in 43 games for Class AAA Worcester this season. The 22-year-old was drafted as a shortstop and played almost exclusively there in his five minor-league seasons, but has gotten reps some at second and third in 2025. A left-handed hitter, Mayer is big for a shortstop at 6-foot-3 and has struggled at times against lefties in the minors (.674 OPS in 2024), but his power profiles well and has a strong arm that will be useful at any infield position. Boston's infield is something of a puzzle this year, with the winter addition of Bregman pushing Rafael Devers off the hot corner to designated hitter. Rookie Kristian Campbell began the season at second base and Trevor Story has been the shortstop, but the veteran has a .607 OPS through 49 games. First baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury earlier in May, and Devers declined the team's request to give the position a shot – leading to Boston preparing Campbell to play first. Marcelo Mayer is headed to Boston ladies and gentlemen🥹 — Natalie Noury (@NatalieNoury) May 24, 2025 With Campbell established in Boston and Mayer joining the group, next up in the pipeline for the Red Sox is outfielder Roman Anthony, currently ranked as baseball's No. 1 overall prospect by The 21-year-old is hitting .323 with a .968 OPS and should reach the majors this season. "About time," Anthony posted on Instagram as news of Mayer's promotion spread. "Go be you brother." Marcelo Mayer is hitting .271 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 43 games for Class AAA Worcester. In 2024, Mayer hit .307 with an .850 OPS at Class AA Portland. (Pre-2025 season rankings) Baseball America: No. 15 overall Major League Baseball: No. 12 Baseball Prospectus: No. 25 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Red Sox promote prospect Marcelo Mayer after Alex Bregman injury
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Hunter Brown Taking Next Step, Becoming Legit Staff Ace For Astros
Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) during a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, April ... More 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley) Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The Houston Astros dynasty has shown signs of decline recently. Their seven-year streak of making it as least as far as the ALCS was snapped last offseason, and since then, mainstays Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker have been subtracted from the roster. On top of it all, slugger Yordan Alvarez hasn't looked like himself this season. But the club is still hanging around, a bit over .500 in the AL West. A big reason why has been the breakthrough of righty starter Hunter Brown, who is 5-1, 1.67, with a glittering 49/10 K/BB in his first 43 innings. At age 26, he has seemingly wrested the role of staff ace from lefthander Framber Valdez. The Astros drafted Brown on the 5th round in 2019 out of Wayne State University in Michigan. While he was highly regarded coming up through the minors (he ranked #49 and #56 on my purely statistically based minor league starting pitcher rankings in 2022 and 2023) , it's pretty safe to say that the Astros didn't see this level of dominance coming. Fact is, he's a totally different pitcher now than he was when he first arrived on the MLB scene to stay in 2023. While he certainly showed promise back then, he was basically a three-pitch guy who didn't have much of a feel for managing contact. He threw his four-seamer almost half of the time, with his slider and knuckle-curve each thrown about a quarter of the time. None of the three offerings rated as above average according to my system that grades pitches based on bat-missing and contact management relative to the league. None of Brown's three offerings were above average at either discipline. Of the three, only his four-seamer earned even an average 'B' grade. His K/BB profile was his strong suit, enabling him to post a 93 'Tru' ERA- (my batted ball-based proxy for ERA- and FIP-) despite a subpar 109 Adjusted Contact Score. Mind you, these figures were better than his 120 ERA-, 103 FIP- and ugly 134 Unadjusted Contact Score, but it was clear that Brown still had some work to do to reach his potential. And he did take major steps forward in 2024, though his K/BB profile was little changed. He was a different man contact management-wise, throttling exit speeds across all batted ball types to the tune of a full standard deviation or more lower than league average. His Adjusted Contact Score plunged to 88, not far off of the pace of AL Contact Manager of the Year Corbin Burnes' 85. His 81 'Tru"- once again outpaced both his ERA- and FIP- (both at 88). What changes did Brown make to achieve these results? Well, he added three pitches, a changeup, cutter and most importantly a sinker, while reducing his slider usage sharply. All five graded out as average or better, with his 'A+' sinker and 'B+' cutter leading the way. The sinker was far above average at both bat-missing and contact management, while the cutter was a fairly effective contact management pitch. While the four-seamer only earned a 'B' grade, its whiff rate improved sharply to 11.9%, over a full standard deviation better than league average. If you squinted hard enough, you could see two plus fastballs in there, and that's what the great ones, like Zack Wheeler, possess. Now it's way too early to be issuing any pitch grades for 2025, but we can identify some new developments and trends that are driving Brown's early dominance. First, his K rate is way up, to 31.0% in the early going. And all roads lead right back to those two fastballs when you seek out the reason why. His four-seamer's pitch-specific whiff rate has now moved up from 8.8% in 2023 to 11.9% in 2024 to 13.3% in 2025. Pretty impressive. But that's nothing compared to what's going on with his sinker in the early going. Its whiff rate is way up at 10.9%, over twice the 2024 MLB average, moving up from 6.5% in 2024. Now Brown's numbers actually have a solid bit of good fortune baked into them on the contact management front thus far. Hitters are batting a lusty .050 (2 for 40) on grounders against him this year - they 'should be" hitting .223 AVG-.243 SLG. Overall, his 'Tru'- of 80 is way higher than his 43 ERA- and 42 FIP-. Honestly, his 'Tru'- is almost identical to the pitcher profiled here yesterday, Max Fried (78). I had some concerns about some of Fried's underlying numbers, however. I have none re: Brown. His 2025 108 Adjusted Contact Score (vs. 68 Unadjusted) is primed to come down. Sure, he's been a bit fortunate with his sinker, allowing a bunch of well hit grounders that almost all have been converted into outs. It remains a fine contact management pitch. But it now appears that his four-seamer, which was hit hard in both 2023 and 2024, has now joined it as an authority-suppressing pitch. Bank on it - Brown's Adjusted Contact Score will be above average at season's end, though probably not as good as last season. With his newfound bat-missing skills - his overall whiff rate is up to 12.1% this season - he should be on the short list of potential AL Cy Young winners. Really good pitchers miss bats, manage contact, minimize walks and go deep into ballgames. The truly great ones among them can dominate with their fastball(s). Hunter Brown checks every single one of those boxes.
