Alex Bregman explains why he decided to sign with the Red Sox and shares which former players reached out to him to share what it’s like playing in Boston.
For the first time in a while, there is genuine hype and optimism surrounding the Boston Red Sox entering a new season.
This team made several good offseason additions, highlighted by trading for starting pitcher Garrett Crochet and the free agent signing of third baseman Alex Bregman. A couple highly rated prospects -- Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony -- are also expected to make an impact this season.
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The Red Sox should score a lot of runs. Boston's offense was good last year (second-most runs scored in the AL) and it added Bregman. What will make or break the Red Sox is pitching. Will Crochet be a true ace? Will the bullpen hold up? The roster looks good on paper, but it's a long season.
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What are the expectations for the Red Sox ahead of Thursday's Opening Day game against the Rangers in Texas?
Here's a roundup of expert predictions for the 2025 season.
NBC Sports Boston: Red Sox make playoffs
In our 2025 predictions story, Justin Leger, Darren Hartwell and Nick Goss made their picks for how the Red Sox season would end.
- Leger: Red Sox win AL East, lose in ALCS
- Hartwell: Red Sox earn wild card spot, lose in ALWC
- Goss: Red Sox earn wild card spot, lose in ALDS
ESPN: Red Sox lose in World Series
A 28-person panel of ESPN's MLB writers, analysts and editors voted on each division winner and individual award, and 13 of them picked the Red Sox to win the AL East division title. Furthermore, ESPN's experts also picked the Red Sox to win the American League pennant and lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 World Series.
Here is Buster Olney's take on why the Red Sox are ESPN's pick to win the AL:
"Boston had three major needs going into the last offseason: a couple of frontline pitchers and an established right-handed hitter. The Red Sox went on to land Garrett Crochet, the most coveted lefty in the trade market; signed Walker Buehler, who threw the last pitch of last year's World Series; and signed Alex Bregman, a two-time All-Star with a career adjusted OPS+ of 132. Their rotation is better, their defense is better and their lineup should be more balanced.
"At the same time, they're graduating three high-end prospects into the big leagues in Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony. This could be a dynamic team cast against a mediocre AL landscape, making the Red Sox stand out."
MLB.com: Red Sox lose in World Series
A panel of 59 MLB.com voters picked each division, wild card team, pennant winner and a World Series champion. The Red Sox received the most votes for AL East champ and AL champ, but similar to ESPN, this group predicted Boston would lose to the Dodgers in the World Series.
Keith Law, The Athletic: Red Sox lose in World Series
Law predicts the Red Sox will win the AL East with a 91-71 record -- four games ahead of the second-place Baltimore Orioles. He also projects the Red Sox to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, beat the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS and lose to the Atlanta Braves in the World Series.
CBS Sports: Red Sox win AL East
Four of the five CBS Sports staff members who gave predictions -- Mike Axisa, Kate Feldman, Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder -- picked the Red Sox to win the AL East.
FanGraphs: AL wild card
FanGraphs' projections have the Red Sox finishing second in the AL East at 85-77 -- one game behind the New York Yankees and good enough for the first wild card spot.
