A casual fan's guide to the 2025 Red Sox

🤩 Meet the new ace

The Red Sox capped a busy offseason by acquiring a new star to lead their pitching rotation: Garrett Crochet, whom they nabbed in a trade with the White Sox.

• With a stunning 0.57 ERA (runs allowed per nine innings) in Spring Training, the already-hyped addition enters the season with Cy Young Award buzz.

💪 Beefed-up lineup

The Sox shopped like contenders this offseason, adding veterans Alex Bregman, Walker Buehler and Aroldis Chapman — all of whom, as MLB.com notes, have won titles.

• The site's Boston beat writer, Ian Browne, predicts Bregman will be team MVP. The third baseman, Brown writes, has "a swing built for Fenway Park."

🏆 Championship hopes

Boston hasn't made the postseason in three years, but analysts expect that to change in 2025 — potentially with a deep playoff run.

• In a poll of ESPN's 28 baseball writers, 13 picked the Red Sox to win the AL East, topping runner-up Baltimore (10 votes).

• The Sox are also their pick to represent the American League in the World Series, though not to win it all — the loaded Dodgers remain the favorite.

👶 Youth movement

The Sox are expected to bring three top prospects to the big leagues at some point this year: Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony.

• Campbell arrives first, starting at second base. Anthony and Mayer — Nos. 2 and 12, respectively, in MLB.com's prospect rankings — shouldn't be far behind.