The Boston Red Sox sat in a similar position around the same time last year, only to falter down the stretch and miss the playoffs. Craig Breslow explained why this team can avoid a repeat.
Boston’s chief baseball officer discussed the state of his team during a Thursday radio interview on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” Breslow believes Boston’s depth and rapport make them better positioned for a playoff push in 2025.
“It’s so hard to pinpoint a single thing, but I think when you look at the group of 26 guys and the coaching staff, there’s a belief in each other,” Breslow said. “There’s an excitement for coming to the field every day. We’re getting contributions from everybody on the roster.”
Breslow also touted the clubhouse camaraderie as a key to Boston’s recent success.
“These guys, they enjoy each other. They love playing baseball,” he continued. “They love competing. When you put all that together, I think baseball has always been a ‘whole being greater than the sum of its parts’ type thing. And I think we’re seeing that to some extent now.”
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The Red Sox were 63-56 on Aug. 14 last year, but they finished 81-81. They’re currently 66-56 after dropping four of six games to the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros.
Yet a team that manager Alex Cora called “much better” than the 2023 and 2024 squads looks drastically different on paper. Offseason acquisitions Alex Bregman, Garrett Crochet, Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Narváez are leading the charge. Trevor Story and Lucas Giolito are healthy, and rookie Roman Anthony has given the lineup a significant boost since his June call-up.
Boston’s schedule also eases up following a gauntlet to start the second half. The Red Sox haven’t made the playoffs in three years, but Breslow’s goals stretch beyond punching a postseason ticket.
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“Certainly, making the postseason would be an improvement upon where we were the last few years, but we believe our group is capable of doing more,” he said. “And so, I think we are gearing up for a deep postseason run.”
