With the season opener on Thursday, here's a look at the Red Sox starting lineup
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox open the regular season in Seattle on Thursday night. Here is a projection of the team’s starting lineup as Boston tries to improve on its back-to-back last-place finishes in the American League East.
P-Brayan Bello
At the beginning of spring training, it looked as though the 24-year-old would be the team’s No. 2 pitcher behind projected ace Lucas Giolito. But those plans changed after an elbow injury put Giolito on the shelf, likely for the season. Bello, who signed a six-year, $55-million contract extension earlier this month, will now be the Red Sox main option moving forward.
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C-Connor Wong
With his first full MLB season in 2023 under his belt, the 27-year-old looks to continue improving, especially on the offensive side. Wong’s defensive skills have rarely been questioned, but with an improved approach at the plate, he could become a mainstay at catcher for the foreseeable future. Manager Alex Cora said Wong has looked much better hitting this spring, especially against left-handed pitching.
1B-Triston Casas
After finishing third in last year’s American League Rookie of the Year voting, the left-handed slugger is hoping to continue his development, both as a hitter and defender. Casas finished last season with a .263 average, 24 home runs, 65 RBI and a .856 OPS. He spent much of the offseason trying to improve his defensive skills at first and hopes to solidify the team’s infield defense for many years.
2B-Vaughn Grissom
Acquired as part of the Chris Sale trade with Atlanta in December, the 23-year-old is considered a legitimate prospect with tons of athletic ability and upside. Although he also can play shortstop, Grissom was moved to second to give Boston a strong middle-of-the-infield defense along with veteran Trevor Story. The Red Sox had statistically one of the worst defensive infields last season, but once Grissom returns from injury (groin strain) and rounds into form, that should improve drastically. Enmanuel Valdez and Pablo Reyes are expected to split time at second base early in the season until Grissom is cleared to play.
SS-Trevor Story
While the Red Sox front office did little this offseason in free agency, having a healthy Story will be like adding a top-tier player. After signing a six-year, $140-million contract in March 2022, the former Colorado Rockies star has missed nearly 200 games with injuries since joining Boston, including a bulk of 2023 while he recovered from elbow surgery. However, Story has looked impressive this spring and he said that his physical and mental health are strong heading into the season. If Story returns to his All-Star form of 2018 and 2019, the Red Sox could be a much improved team.
3B-Rafael Devers
Although the 27-year-old is not going to set the league on fire as a defender — he led MLB third basemen last year with 19 errors — his strength comes at the plate. A two-time All-Star and World Series champion with Boston in 2018, Devers won Silver Slugger awards in 2021 and 2023. Last season, in what Cora described as somewhat of a down year for his franchise player, Devers still finished with a .271 average, 33 home runs, 100 RBI and a .851 OPS.
OF-Ceddanne Rafaela
There’s plenty of excitement swirling around the talented youngster, who got a taste of MLB action last season with 28 appearances in a Boston uniform. Despite entering spring training this year as a fringe player to make the Opening Day roster, Cora said Rafaela did everything the team asked and now could find himself starting Thursday night at Seattle. At just 23 years old, Rafaela is likely to experience some growing pains at the big-league level, but his ceiling appears to be very high, especially as a defender.
OF-Jarren Duran
Adding to the theme of athletic and versatile fielders, the 27-year-old can play all three outfield spots and should continue improving at the plate. Last season, in 332 at-bats, he finished with a solid .295 average, eight home runs, 40 RBI and a .828 OPS. He made his big-league debut with the Red Sox in 2021 and is viewed as another young building block for the organization moving forward.
OF-Wilyer Abreu
In a limited sample size last season — he played 28 big-league games and had 76 at-bats — Abreu made a strong impression, batting .316 with two home runs, 14 RBI and a .862 OPS. Along with his fellow outfielders this year, Abreu, 24, is capable of playing multiple positions and should give Cora flexibility on a game-to-game basis.
OF-Tyler O’Neill
After acquiring the veteran outfielder via trade with St. Louis in December, the Red Sox probably aren’t sure how much to expect from the two-time Gold Glove Award winner. O’Neill has been hampered with injuries throughout his six-year big-league career, playing more than 100 games only once, in 2021. Last season with the Cardinals, he played 71 games and hit .231 with nine home runs and 21 RBI. O’Neill, 28, has said numerous times this spring that he feels good, mentally and physically, but the Red Sox might be better served using him as a part-time outfielder and designated hitter.
OF/DH-Masataka Yoshida
Now in his second season with Boston, Yoshida is projected to spend most of his time as a DH, but will likely also fill in as a corner outfielder when needed. The 30-year-old hit at a .289 clip last season (with a .783 OPS), 15 home runs and 72 RBI.
(Editor's note: Cora said late last week that his outfield starters could be a last-minute decision.)
RP-Kenley Jansen
Jansen and Chris Martin make up the back-end of the Boston bullpen. The 36-year-old Jansen is coming off a strong first season with the Red Sox, in which he recorded 29 saves in 33 chances, and posted a 3.63 ERA. Martin, 37, notched a career-best 23 holds in 2023, and pitched to a 1.05 ERA in 51⅓ innings.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The 2024 Boston Red Sox starting lineup
