This past June, the Boston Red Sox made a franchise-altering decision by trading the cornerstone of their franchise, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants. In return, they received three pitchers in Jose Bello, Jordan Hicks, and Kyle Harrison. The Sox also acquired a minor league outfielder, James Tibbs III. 

The absence of Devers allowed two young prospects, infielder Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony, to be called up to the Majors to help ascend the franchise’s trajectory.

Their polarizing play styles and instant success earned them the title of “The New Guys,” as they solidified their status as some of the best prospects in baseball. 

After being drafted 4th in the 1st round of the 2021 MLB draft, Mayer had been playing for the Red Sox’s Triple-A team, the Worcester Red Sox (also known as the Woo Sox). 

Before being called up to the majors, Mayer was having a breakout season, hitting .271 in 170 at-bats with 9 home runs and 43 runs batted in. The Red Sox took notice of this young player on the rise and decided to take the chance on him at the end of May.  

Since his debut, he’d maintained a .228 batting average in 44 games, with 4 home runs, an on-base percentage of .272, and 10 runs. Unfortunately for Sox fans, Mayer suffered a season-ending sprain in his right wrist on July 25th. With a major talent down, the future of the Red Sox’s season was deemed unpredictable.  

Although the remainder of their season was unknown, they weren’t left empty-handed. On June 9th, 2025, Roman Anthony made his MLB debut.

Anthony was drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft as the 79th overall pick. Through 212 at-bats, he maintained a .228 batting average with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. As soon as Anthony stepped foot into Fenway Park, he was embraced with open arms by the fan base, as everyone saw the potential he showed in the minors.  

Anthony made a statement as soon as he stepped on the field. His batting average soared to .292, as he solidified a major role on the team. He excelled most in the clutch, as he had come through with numerous timely hits throughout the season, which included his first walk-off home run against the Houston Astros on August 1st. Unfortunately for Sox fans, Anthony went down with a left oblique strain in a game against the Cleveland Guardians on September 2nd.  

Anthony was placed on the injury list, which caused him to miss the remainder of the regular season. The team was expected to take a downward spiral and plummet for the rest of the season.

This raised questions about the playoffs, as there was a possibility that Anthony would make his return then. 

In an interview with NESN, Anthony said, “I’m going to do everything I can, every day, to try and get back out there as fast as I can.” 

The Red Sox clinched a playoff berth in their 162nd game of the season against the Detroit Tigers after a walk-off double by Ceddanne Rafaela. Hope was restored for Boston, as fans were looking forward to seeing what the team could do in the postseason.  

The Sox matched up against their rival, the New York Yankees, in a best-of-three wild-card series. All three games were played on enemy turf at Yankee Stadium.

Despite Anthony and Mayer not being available for the postseason, the Sox took game one on the road, and the series was looking promising at this point. Following this big win, though, the Red Sox collapsed in the next two games and ended up getting eliminated to end their season.

The Red Sox’s season was a rollercoaster of emotions. Despite not achieving a desired deep postseason run, the team had a successful season, as the blend of young star power and seasoned veterans brought excitement back to Fenway.

Looking ahead to the future, it is possible to say the Red Sox’s glory days could come back, as young talent like Mayer and Anthony are etching their names into the future of the city of champions.