Red Sox on 10-game streak going into break

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A Major League Baseball season is a marathon event, not a sprint. The Boston Red Sox epitomize that expression as they head into this year’s All-Star game riding the wave of a 10-game winning streak — the longest for the franchise since 2018, the year they won the World Series, and the first time in the team’s storied history that the Red Sox have carried a 10-game winning streak into All-Star break. 

Earlier this season, The Banner broke down the deficiencies of this current Red Sox squad: inconsistent starting pitching, poor fielding and too many strikeouts in their lineup. The combination of these elements placed this team at the bottom of the American League East standings.

Credit must go to manager Alex Cora, who at that time said, “I have faith that this team will find itself and put together a streak of winning baseball.” His words have proved prophetic following his team’s 4-1 victory over the pesky Tampa Bay Rays to complete a four-game sweep of a team that has given the Sox headaches over the last several years. That fact alone makes the Red Sox’s winning streak even more impressive.

Center fielder, Ceddanne Rafaela is batting .271 with 14 HRs and 48 RBIs. PHOTO: BOSTON RED SOX/MLB

Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito solidified the starting pitching staff, the hitters struck out less, and the defense improved to the point of respectability. Crochet has proved to be a top starter, as evidenced by his 10-4 record. Bello is 6-3, with seven straight quality starts. He is proving to be a dependable No. 2 starter with No. 1 potential. Giolito was a pleasant surprise with a record of six wins against one loss. Garrett Whitlock (5-1) and Aroldis Chapman (17 saves) have anchored the relief corps.

And while the defense remains questionable — even shaky at times — it has improved with the return of Alex Bregman at third base and Trevor Story at shortstop, along with the solid play of Ceddanne Rafaela in center field. 

The team’s hitting has finally come around, especially for Rafaela and rookie Roman Anthony. Rafaela exploded during the current 10-0 stand, with a 10-game hitting streak of his own. His five home runs, of which two were game winners, six doubles, 15 RBIs, and a 1.410 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) have led the hitting parade. 

Rookie right fielder Roman Anthony is one of the team’s Big Three prospects. PHOTO: BOSTON RED SOX/MLB

Anthony, the prized rookie who arrived with much fanfare, recovered from a slow start to red-hot status. His nine-game hitting streak is the longest for a Sox rookie since Tony Conigliaro back in 1965. He has been on a roll, hitting .389 with four extra base hits, 10 runs scored, six RBIs and an OPS of 1.044.

The 10-game run has raised the Red Sox record from 43-45 to its current mark of 53-45, tied with the New York Yankees for second place in the American League East and just three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot in the division standings. 

Critics of the team point to their 10 straight wins as predictable, with wins over teams they should beat, but will hold their assessment of this squad until after the All-Star break, when the Sox will face stiffer competition. The Fenway faithful are euphoric over the recent turnaround of this team from cellar-dwellers to a top-tier contender.

A couple of other baseball notes of interest: Terry Francona, the former Red Sox manager, became the 13th manager in Major League Baseball history to reach the 2,000-victory mark, when his Cincinnati Reds team beat the Colorado Rockies, 4-2, on the last day before the All-Star break. It is quite an achievement for Francona, who will always be a cherished figure in Boston Red Sox history for leading the franchise to a World Series title in 2004, the first since the days of Babe Ruth, ending the 86-year curse the Babe put on this team for trading him to the Yankees. Congratulations to Terry Francona, a good guy and a Hall of Fame manager.

The Red Sox chose Oklahoma pitcher Kyson Witherspoon with the 15th pick in the 2025 MLB draft. PHOTO: U OF OKLAHOMA ATHLETICS

Meanwhile, the Red Sox selected pitcher Kyson Witherspoon from the University of Oklahoma with the 15th pick in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft. There was a major surprise at the top of the draft as 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits, from Fort Cobb Broxton High School in Oklahoma, was selected No. 1 by the Washington Nationals.

Willits is the youngest player in history chosen as the top overall pick in the amateur draft, dating back to 1965 when outfielder Rick Monday became the first overall pick. The selection of Willits was a surprise to some talent evaluators who felt that Ethan Holliday, the son of former major leaguer Matt Holliday, a seven-time All-Star, and brother of Jackson Holliday, the first overall pick of the Baltimore Orioles back in 2022, was the best player in this draft.

Holliday, a 6’4”, 18-year-old shortstop, was selected No. 4 by the Colorado Rockies, the team that his father played for during his professional baseball career. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremmer from UC Santa Barbara went to the California Angels at No. 2, with pitcher Kade Anderson taken by the Seattle Mariners at the No. 3 spot. Anderson was 12-1 for the NCAA Division One Champion LSU Tigers. The left-hander led the NCAA in strikeouts and innings pitched and was named Most Outstanding Player for the champions from Baton Rouge.