The Boston Red Sox were unable to accomplish their goal of making the playoffs in 2024 after they finished the regular season with an 81-81 record.
Fans had low expectations for Boston entering the season, but they somehow managed to find themselves in the hunt by the end of the year despite injuries to key contributors.
With the season now in the rearview, now is a great time to look back at the year that was and hand out some grades for season-long performances.
Today, we'll look at the infielders.
Connor Wong: C+
Wong started off the year very hot, but he could down quite a bit. Still, 2024 was the best offensive season of his career, as he hit .280 with a .758 OPS, 13 home runs, 52 RBIs and eight stolen bases. He's set himself up to likely split time with top catching prospect Kyle Teel to start 2025.
Enmanuel Valdez: D+
Valdez split time between Boston and Triple-A Worcester this year, as he was one of the streakiest hitters on the team. He finished the year hitting .214 with a .633 OPS, six home runs and 28 RBIs.
Ceddanne Rafaela: C
Rafaela had some of the most exciting moments of the season, as he flashed the leather and had some clutch hits to win some games. He hit .246 with a .664 OPS, 15 home runs, 75 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. However, he struggled to lay off pitches outside of the zone and that really hurt him and the team.
Rafael Devers: A-
Devers was on pace for the best season of his career despite battling an injury all year, but he tailed off at the end of the and was eventually placed on the injured list. He finished the year hitting .272 with an .871 OPS, 28 home runs, 83 RBIs and three stolen bases.
David Hamilton: C-
Hamilton was another member of the lineup who got extremely hot for a period but cooled down very fast. He finished the year hitting .248 with a .697 OPS, eight home runs, 28 RBIs and 33 stolen bases. He was also one of the worst defenders in the league for a stretch, and he finished the season with 10 errors.
Triston Casas: B-
Casas missed a ton of time due to torn cartilage in his rib, but he still appeared in 63 games before and after the injury. He hit .241 with an .800 OPS, 13 home runs and 32 stolen bases. Casas may have caused a little stir during his recovery, but when he was on the field, he was producing for the most part.
Romy Gonzalez: C-
Gonzalez played more than expected in his first with Boston due to injuries all around the infield, and he filled in admirably at many positions. He hit .266 with a .723 OPS, six home runs, 29 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He could be a solid utility player for this team in the future.
INCOMPLETES:
- Vaughn Grissom
- Trevor Story
- Danny Jansen
- Nick Sogard
- Mickey Gasper
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