Red Sox Wednesday Report: Midseason Report

Zak Drapeau
Jul 16
8 min read

by Zak Drapeau 7/16/2025 FansOnlySportz

Week In Summary

This week was cut short due to the All-Star break but that didn't stop the Red Sox from carrying their momentum. In a 5-game week, the Red Sox not only won each game but did so to extend their win streak to 10.

After finishing off the Rockies last Wednesday by a score of 10-2, the Rays came to town for a daunting 4-game series to end the first half. Both teams without a day off, the Rays had lost their previous 2 series and seemed the perfect opponent for the Sox.

The first game was one of the closest of the year. Down 3-1 thanks to an excellent start from Taj Bradley, the Red Sox would explode in the 7th and take a 4-3 lead they wouldn't give up.

In Game 2, a legend was born when, down 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th, Cedanne Rafaela dawns his best Superman impression with a sensational Game-Winning Home Run over the Green Monster that almost caused an earthquake in Boston.

Game 3 was the Garret Crochet show when, after the Red Sox batted in just one run in the 4th inning, the Boston Ace would get a complete game shutout that was just 3 hits away from a 9 strikeout-Perfect Game. In fact it would be Crochet's first time ever pitching a complete game and it would only take him 100 pitches to do so as the Sox won 1-0.

After winning the first 3 to extend their streak to 9, everyone expected a Boston win and indeed in Game 4, by a score of 4-1, Cedanne Rafaela would be the hero again after smacking a 2-run shot in a 3-run 6th inning. The jubilation and celebration as Chapman closed it out was one of pride and knowing their win streak would extend until after the All-Star break.

With 10 wins in a row and a tie for 2nd in the AL East, the Red Sox have quickly turned from a struggling team expected to be rebuilding and sellers at the deadline, to THE hottest team in the sport and a potential playoff team with serious momentum.

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3 Positives of the Week

The First Positive of the Week is continuing the 10-game Win Streak. Sweeping the Nationals on the road, sweeping the Rockies at home and then a 4-game home sweep of the Rays and the Red Sox are on a roll. They will have to contend with the NL Central-leading Cubs to extend it further, but their work in the last two weeks have set them up with REAL playoff hopes after 2 months of mediocrity.

The Second Positive of the Week is sweeping the Rays. It goes without saying that their 10-game streak would come with a benefit of sweeping the Rays, but any time a divisional rival is swept, it's a big deal. The Rays were a game and a half up from the Red Sox and in 3rd place of the division. Now, the Red Sox are tied with the Yankees for 2nd and only 3 games behind the 1st place-Blue Jays.

The Third Positive of the Week is the team's pitching. The hot form of Red Sox pitching continues; after last week's 2.63 ERA, the team shot through the stratosphere with a 1.40 ERA and .91 WHIP. Crochet's shutout was the magnum opus and Buehler's 3 run quality start was the low point. The bullpen may have had its finest week of the year too as in 16 IP in relief, the Sox bullpen had only 2 earned runs, all from newbie Isaiah Campbell's only performance. The bullpen pitched masterfully and were the real stars of the week.

3 Negatives of the Week

The First Negative of the Week is the team's hitting. After last week's hit parade and .928 team OPS, this week saw a significant drop to a .742 OPS and a .230 average. Thankfully, Cedanne Rafaela kept his form up and carried the team with a 1.286 OPS himself. Duran, Abreu, Mayer, Narvaez, Gonzalez and Toro all batted less than a .250 average. While driving in 24 runs in 5 games isn't bad, they definitely needed their pitching to step up for them.

The Second Negative of the Week are the escalating trade rumors around Jarren Duran. I've been very vocal about a potential trade for the All-Star MVP but his play has shot through the roof in the last 10 days and his presence in the locker room means even more. Expected to get a significant haul and any potential trade, the Red Sox have the depth to make up for their leadoff man's exit, but will they have the mental toughness to remain the same team without him.

The Third Negative of the Week is the 5-day break from baseball. With the momentum as high as it is, it's good for the boys to get a well-deserved rest but their hot streak may cool off in the process. An upcoming 6-day road trip in Chicago and Philly will have the Red Sox facing 2 of the 3 division leaders and 2 of the best teams in baseball immediately after the break. In 2 series of such importance and difficulty, even fresh off their momentous spree it would be difficult to hope for a win in both series.

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First Half in Summary

The Red Sox 10-game win streak is only the 2nd biggest story in their season so far. The biggest is and will be the Rafael Devers trade to the Giants. Whether they knew it or not, )they definitely didn't) the Devers trade made room for the Locker Room to improve mentally to the point the streak was even possible. The Red Sox were muddling around .500 all season and 4th place in the division until a 3-game sweep of the Yankees in June.

After that series and the subsequent trade, the team stood at 37-37 and embarked on their worst streak of the year, losing 5 in a row on a West Coast stand. Since returning from that tough road trip, the team is 16-3 and averaging 7.25 runs a game while only allowing 3.5 per game.

Their bats have been incredible, led by Rafaela, Abreu and Anthony. Their pitching may be even better in this stretch led by Crochet, Chapman and now Giolito.

The youth movement this season seems to be the difference, with rookie batters Marcelo Mayer and especially Roman Anthony setting a new tone in the clubhouse as well as on the diamond. All reports rave about the "fun vibes" the kids are bringing to the team along with the captain-like tone Crochet exhibits on the days of his starts.

Crochet, Anthony, Rafaela, Mayer, Narvaez, Bello and Abreu are all under 27 years old.

3 Positives of the First Half

The First Positive of the First Half is performances from Crochet, Rafaela, Narvaez and Chapman. The leaders of this team have all been at an All-Star level and some are in serious contention for awards. With other players like Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu continuing to improve and Alex Bregman expected to reacquire his pre-injury form soon, it's fair to say individuals don't make an MLB team, but these 7 guys in particular have been on fire.

The 10-game win streak has to be the Second Positive of the First Half due to the significance it means on the standings and in the locker room. The team is not only gelling but it's locked in. On June 28th, the team was 37-42 and in danger of finishing last in the East. Now they're threatening the Blue Jays and Yankees for first place and that's due to the stretch the boys have had. In a 162-game season, teams need stretches like this to really make a difference and it sure has.

The Third Positive of the First Half could be several different things, but as a long time Red Sox fan I have to give it to the 5-1 record against the Yankees so far. While the Empire isn't technically the best team in the division this season, they are by far the best roster and expected winners. After a 2-1 stand in New York, the Red Sox would beat up their rivals on Father's day weekend and really set in motion the events that would change the MLB landscape over the next month. With 2 more series to go on the year, it's good to see the advantage we've gotten over them but it's all about finishing the job now.

3 Negatives of the First Half

Kristian Campbell's short stint in the Majors has to be the First Negative of the First half. The still-promising 2B had a great start to the season in the Majors after signing an 8 year-$60 Million contract. Alas, after struggling from the plate and being a defensive liability, the Sox would send him back down after 67 games where he has continued a bad run. In 19 games at Worcester since being sent down, Campbell's OPS is under .700 while his fielding has only "minorly" improved. There's still a lot of time for the slugging center-infielder to earn his extension and make his way back to the promising start he once showed, but for now it hasn't been pretty.

The West Coast Trip the team had between June 16th and June 25th is the Second Negative of the First Half. The Rafael Devers trade will be included here as well as the 3-6 record with a 5-game losing streak. This was no doubt the lowest point for Red Sox fans and arguably for the team itself, after it's best player and captain was traded away then homered in a win for his new club just 5 days later. Because of recent events, this road trip is definitely in the rear view but nonetheless was a terrible moment and one that still effects the team's current standing.

Walker Buehler is our final and Third Negative of the First Half. I have been very vocal in my push to get him traded and I still believe it. With a 6.12 ERA, a 5.95 FIP and a 1.564 WHIP so far in the season, Buehler has not earned his $21 million season salary. Buehler has given up at least 2 runs in his last 9 starts. He has only 6+ innings in 2 of those appearances and has averaged 4.1 runs earned in the 9 altogether. An injury in late April may have been the cause but should no longer be an excuse. As the worst pitcher in the rotation by far, the former Dodger needs some serious change to be a contributing part of the Red Sox second half.

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Looking Forward

The Red Sox have the #1 toughest ranked Second Half schedule. Immediately following the break, they go to the Cubs and Phillies, then the Dodgers come to tow, afterwards they travel to the Twins before another home stand against the Astros. That is 4 of the 5 Division leaders currently, and the 5th would be the Twins who are in 2nd of the AL Central.

They will face off with the Yankees in 7 more games and finish off the year in a 3-game road trip against the best team in baseball the Detroit Tigers.

With serious "buyer" rumors before the July 31st trade deadline, the Red Sox could see several player movements. Including but not limited to, Jarren Duran, Aroldis Chapman, Wilyer Abreu and Alex Bregman are all heavy "sell" candidates while top-pitchers like Sandy Alcantara have also been linked to the team. It seems unlikely that anyone "major" besides Jarren Duran will be gone however.

With the team as hot as any currently, they will need to focus on their next few games or risk losing any momentum and seriously hurting their playoff chances. This next 15-game stretch could MAKE OR BREAK their season.

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