The Boston Red Sox and their fans entered the 2024 campaign without much hope for contention due to the team's lack of offseason spending despite having the ability to do so.
However, through the team's first 27 games, they've stayed afloat with a 19-18 record good enough for third in the AL East (tied for eighth in the American League). And, they've been able to withstand several injuries at key spots, including losing their top starter and shortstop for the year and first baseman for at least a few months.
The hope for the Red Sox and their fanbase is the farm system, as they appear to have a group of young players rising through the ranks to make an impact in the near future.
Shortstop Marcelo Mayer is Boston's top prospect and is MLB.com's No. 13 prospect in all of baseball at the moment. While he's not with the big-league club right now, Mayer is still focused on winning in Boston.
“The city of Boston wants championships more than anything. We want them just as bad, maybe even more," Mayer said (via. Alex Speier). "We talk about it every single day — trying to win championships in Boston, bring championships to the city, bring joy to the fans.”
The Red Sox's top three prospects (Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel) are currently all playing for Double-A Portland, and they've seen success. However, they want to do it together in Boston, and they're saying all of the right things.
Speier even reported that Mayer's background photo on his phone is a duck boat - the amphibious vehicle that players ride through the city in during the championship parades.
Fans might not feel patient enough to wait for it to happen, but if all three live up to their potential, which is far from guaranteed, the Red Sox could be dangerous once they all come up.
