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Boston Red Sox Labeled One of MLB’s Most Disappointing Teams

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sterling Bennett | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 4:30 PM ET

It has been a rough 2025 for the Boston Red Sox. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow went all-in, acquiring ace Garrett Crochet and third baseman Alex Bregman during the offseason. However, it has been downhill since. Superstar Rafael Devers, feeling blindsided by the Bregman signing, reluctantly moved to designated hitter, creating a divide between the front office that is still lingering.

Shortly before opening day, starting pitcher Kutter Crawford was placed on the 60-day injured list with a knee injury and has yet to make his 2025 debut. The injuries did not stop there, as first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of May. Devers once again declined to take on a new position, this time at first base, citing his adaptation to the DH.

The offensive turmoil, among a slew of other issues, led Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report to label the Red Sox as one of the most disappointing teams 60 games into the 2025 season.

Miller explains, “Even with Crochet's 1.98 ERA included, Boston's rotation ranks 22nd in ERA at 4.25. Remove Crochet from the equation, and it balloons to 5.01, with all seven starters sitting at 3.91 or worse.”

Miller continues by emphasizing that when the rotation does a serviceable job, the bullpen leads the league with 14 blown saves, despite closer Aroldis Chapman’s All-Star-level performance. The most staggering example of Boston’s downfall is their negative run differential, especially when compared to other American League opponents ahead of them in the playoff hunt.

"Both Cleveland and Kansas City boast winning records despite negative run differentials because they only blow around seven percent of all save chances," Miller notes. "Boston blows more than 27 percent, saddled with a brutal record of 6-17 in one-run games—already four more losses than they suffered in the entire 2024 campaign when they went 18-13 in those nail-biters."

The Red Sox are not out of playoff contention, but with a pivotal nine-game stretch against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays on the horizon, the clock is ticking to turn things around and erase the labeling as one of the league’s biggest busts of 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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