The Red Sox didn’t have any position players take the field for Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game, but quite a few have put together strong seasons through the first half.
How does everyone stack up? Time to hand out some midseason grades. Tuesday we covered the pitchers and today we’ll look at everyone else.
Red Sox Midseason Report Card: Garrett Crochet passes with flying colors
Catchers
Carlos Narvaez: A
What a revelation Narvaez has been. Since being acquired this past winter in what was seen at the time as a minor trade with the New York Yankees, Narvaez has established himself as one of the best all-around catchers in the game. The rookie should have been an All-Star after ranking third in MLB among catchers with a 3.0 WAR, and according to Statcast he has been elite in every defensive metric.
Connor Wong: F
Coming into the year as the projected starter, Wong has badly struggled and has just one RBI through 34 games. He’s also batting .149 with a .384 OPS, a far cry from the impressive offensive numbers he posted last season.
Infielders
Alex Bregman: A
Bregman has been a game-changer for the Red Sox on and off the field. The veteran earned All-Star honors despite missing a month and a half with a quad strain after batting .298 with 11 home runs and a .927 OPS, and he has emerged as a critical clubhouse leader who has helped take the team’s rookies under his wing. The only knock against Bregman has been missing so much time, otherwise he’d be an easy A+.
Trevor Story: B
Finally healthy, Story is making the kind of impact the Red Sox hoped he could provide when he signed back in 2022. He’s batting .257 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI and is a perfect 16-for-16 in stolen base attempts, and he’s been a steady and reliable presence at shortstop. Great as he’s been lately though, we can’t ignore his dreadful month of May, so a B feels appropriate.
Marcelo Mayer: B
Mayer made his long-awaited MLB debut in late May and has generally acquitted himself well. The rookie has been fantastic defensively at third and second base, and he’s shown a knack for coming through in big spots. Mayer also still has clear room for improvement, particularly when it comes to hitting lefties.
Romy Gonzalez: A-
Triston Casas’ season-ending injury could have been a catastrophe for the Red Sox, but thanks to Gonzalez the club has largely managed to get by. Gonzalez has been adequate defensively at first, and offensively he’s been a revelation, batting .326 with five homers, 28 RBI and a .945 OPS. He’s been especially devastating against lefties, helping give the club a potent one-two combination with Rob Refsnyder.
Abraham Toro: B+
Where would the Red Sox be without Toro? The switch-hitter helped keep the lineup afloat during the stretch where both Casas and Gonzalez were sidelined, and while his production has tailed off over the last month he’s remained a valuable contributor at both corner infield positions.
David Hamilton: C-
Hamilton is great defensively and a menace on the base paths, but he’s struggled to find his footing in a utility role. He was recently optioned to Triple-A in favor of Mayer after batting .179 with a .505 OPS through 62 games.
Kristian Campbell: Needs improvement
One of Boston’s top prospects, Campbell made the Opening Day roster and was sensational out of the gate, earning AL Rookie of the Month honors for April. Then the rest of the league adjusted, Campbell struggled and eventually he was sent to Triple-A for more seasoning. He’ll probably stay in Worcester for the rest of the season, but he should remain a key part of Boston’s future down the line.
Triston Casas: Incomplete
Casas got off to a really tough start, and just as it looked like he was turning things around he suffered a season-ending patellar tendon tear that could potentially sideline him into next season. Casas is immensely talented and hopefully has brighter days ahead of him, but coming off major injuries in back-to-back seasons he faces a difficult road.
Outfielders
Jarren Duran: B
Duran hasn’t been as productive this season as he was during his All-Star campaign in 2024, but he’s picked it up recently to re-establish himself as the dynamo at the top of the order. Duran is batting .258 with an MLB-leading 10 triples and 16 stolen bases, and over the last two weeks he’s batted .302 with a .966 OPS.
Ceddanne Rafaela: A
At this point nobody is surprised by Rafaela’s defense. He has always been elite and has further established himself as a potential Platinum Glove favorite. But did anyone expect Rafaela to emerge as a genuine threat offensively? It’s not like he’s had just one great weekend either. Since May 4 he’s batting .301 with 12 home runs and a .900 OPS over 62 games. That’s a pretty significant sample size, and if he keeps it up that eight-year, $50 million extension he signed last spring is going to start looking like a huge bargain.
Wilyer Abreu: B+
Abreu is just a rock solid ballplayer who does everything well. He’s already hit 18 home runs and is on pace to approach 30, he’s got an .822 OPS and he’s a strong candidate to earn his second Gold Glove in right field. If not for a brief injury and an unproductive month of May he likely would have garnered All-Star consideration.
Roman Anthony: A-
Baseball’s consensus top prospect, Anthony has lived up to the hype since his highly anticipated debut on June 9. The rookie got off to a slow start but since June 20 is batting .329 with an .898 OPS over his last 22 games. He already has a 1.2 WAR mark after barely a month and if he keeps it up will likely finish as a top AL Rookie of the Year candidate.
Masataka Yoshida: Incomplete
Yoshida missed nearly the entire first half after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and has appeared in just four games so far. He could potentially give the lineup a major boost in the second half, though he remains an awkward roster fit given how many other outfielders the Red Sox are trying to accommodate.
Rob Refsnyder: A-
Refsnyder’s job is to hit lefties, and he’s continued to do that at a high level. The veteran is batting .292 with a .932 OPS against southpaws, helping power an offense that has crushed left-handers. Overall, the Red Sox rank first in MLB with an .833 OPS against lefty starters, which Refsnyder has played a huge part in.
Originally Published:
