May 2025 was a brutal month for the Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox v Detroit Tigers — Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images

Thankfully, it’s over.

Describe May 2025 in five words or less.

Excruciating.

— Maura McGurk

Pain.

— Mike Carlucci

Frustrating beyond belief.

— Jake Reiser

Immensely infuriating idiocy!

— Matthew Gross

No, I’m all set.

— Dean Roussel

Who was your favorite Red Sox player in May?

Can it be anyone other than Rafael Devers???

— Mike Carlucci

Carlos Narváez. His slash line for May was: .285/.349/.457. He had 43 hits, 17 RBI, scored 21 runs, and swatted 5 homers. He even stole a base and put together an 8-game hitting streak (the longest of his career). I keep marking him as a Stud in recaps, and I love when he’s in the lineup.

— Maura McGurk

Garrett Crochet. Even without run support, the guy continues to be the dominant ace this team needs, not just out of a lack of having one for so many years, but because of the mega-regression and injuries suffered by this year’s staff.

— Jake Reiser

Garrett Crochet. I’m giddy thinking about having an ace for years to come, and I’m saddened the team isn’t giving him more run support. And don’t get me started on Alex Cora pulling him after 85 pitches in that game. He’s putting together a bonafide Cy Young contending season with an ERA still under 2 and yet he’s still 5-4, an indicator that, when it comes to deciding awards or pedigree, decision wins simply don’t matter.

— Dean Roussel

I’m joining Maura with Carlos Narváez. Not only has he been by far the most pleasant surprise on this team in recent weeks, but just consider what the catcher position would otherwise look like without his emergence. If what we saw in May is remotely consistent with what he’ll bring to the table going forward, Narváez is a legitimate part of the Sox’ young core going forward, and that’s exciting.

— Matthew Gross

Who was your least favorite Red Sox player in May?

Trevor Story. Sorry, Trevor. Story held down shortstop for a month without much to show for it, which is probably generous. His presence kept Marcelo Mayer in Worcester and has lead to Kristian Campbell having to learn first base.

— Mike Carlucci

This is a tough one! Disruptor Rafael Devers was my least favorite for a good chunk of the month, despite his prowess at the plate. Sean Newcomb ran up my blood pressure a few times, but he’s gone now. I can’t let the rest of the bullpen off the hook. I’ve been really, really disappointed with Ceddanne Rafaela’s approach at the plate this month. There’s no one answer for me.

— Maura McGurk

Connor Wong. Last year when Reese McGuire had a strong stint as catcher no. 1, Wong showed out and reclaimed his spot for most of the season. It was enough to send Kyle Teel to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade (no regrets so far). In the face of Narvaez stepping up as catcher no. 1 this season, Wong has been extremely lackluster. The options behind Wong aren’t anywhere near Teel’s prospect potential. It’s not a great look.

— Jake Reiser

With apologies Trevor Story and Garrett Whitlock, it’s gotta be Connor Wong. Has anyone realized that Connor Wong STILL does not have a single RBI this year? For reference, Rafael Devers has 58. Wong has scored just four times this season, and his OPS is .375. For reference, Aaron Judge’s batting average is higher. It’s making Carlos Narvaez look like, well, a cleanup hitter and I fear that it’s merely in contrast to how horrendous Wong looks. Look no further than Pat Murphy signaling for an intentional walk of Carita to get to Wong and it paying off.

— Dean Roussel

The difficulty of this question underscores the problem with the team right now. There is no right answer and no wrong answer because they all keep topping each other on a daily basis. From Tanner Houck, Trevor Story and Connor Wong turning to dust, to different parts of the bullpen springing a leak on a nightly basis when the rest of it is good, to no starter other than Crochet showing an ability to get through five innings, this team keeps inventing new ways to make you angry.

— Jacob Roy

If I absolutely have to pick one, I’d go with Houck because giving up 11 earned runs in a start for the second time in four weeks is just astoundingly terrible and reflects some level of give-up somewhere in the operation. This was a big year for Houck, who had a chance to slot in as a solid middle of the rotation option, and instead he’s spent the first part of this season lighting games on fire.

— Matthew Gross

What do you feel good about going forward?

The offense. There’s more in Kristian Campbell, Trevor Story, Jarren Duran, and Conor Wong. Plus Marcelo Mayer and (eventually) Roman Anthony getting big league experience.

— Mike Carlucci

Garrett Crochet, though I wish he’d get the offensive support he deserves. I’m also looking forward to Roman Anthony’s eventual arrival.

— Maura McGurk

The kids. Sure Kristian Campbell had had a slump and there still reportedly is a massive split within the organization about when to call up Roman Anthony, but these kids are gonna be really fun to watch even with their growing pains. Marcelo Mayer is doing pretty well at third base so far, even if the bat still needs some adjustment time.

— Jake Reiser

Hunter Dobbins. More on Alex Cora and his handling of the rotation later, but it makes total sense that he’s looked the best save for Crochet in the rotation (and Buehler, depending on the day) and yet he’s coming out of the bullpen. I was bullish on Dobbins coming into this season because of his ability to attack the zone and his growing arsenal. Dobbins has surpassed even my wildest expectations, and if he’s going to be in the bullpen, he can at the very least fulfill my early expectations and eat some innings, the theme of the year.

— Dean Roussel

If the team keeps playing this poorly, cheap tickets should be easy to come by in August and September.

— Jacob Roy

The possibility that the team peaks late while the American League remains hilariously mediocre.

Despite the odious mess they’re in right now, the Sox still have an ace in Crochet, and one of Buehler, Fitts, Giolito, Bello or Houck can emerge as a reliable starting arm before the year is over. In the lineup, Alex Bregman will come back, Roman Anthony will eventually be up, and Marcelo Mayer might slowly start to hit and establish himself. The best lineups they field all year are very likely to still be ahead of us.

In other words, this club could still end up playing pretty solid ball in August and September no matter how ugly they look now, and since MLB has bloated the playoff field at the expense of the regular season product, a disastrous May like the Red Sox just had isn’t a death blow. You can go something like 59-61 in the first 120 games and still get in with a 28-14 finish.

— Matthew Gross

What are you worried about going forward?

We swing from occasional greatness to clowning around. I’m waiting for all the cylinders to start firing together but not convinced it will ever happen.

— Maura McGurk

The bullpen. There is at least young talent/potential in the lineup. As pitchers go down or struggle there’s…well…Andrew Bailey magic? Which seems to have mostly run out in about July 2024.

— Mike Carlucci

The rotation. If Tanner Houck returns from his IL stint and doesn’t improve, what does that say about both himself and the Run Prevention Unit? How about the inconsistency of Brayan Bello and Walker Buehler? The hard-to-watch games where Lucas Giolito, Sean Newcombe, and Richard Fitts have had to step in? Hunter Dobbins has shown a little flash but I can’t rely on that for total sustainability. The rotation can’t just be Garrett Crochet and whatever is stitched together behind him until Crochet’s next start.

— Jake Reiser

Alex Cora. At some point, when a team is 6-16 in one-run games and a bullpen is pushed to their limits because pitchers are constantly being taken out in the fifth, you look at the manager as to why that is. If you don’t count Crochet starts, the average start a Red Sox pitcher makes is 5.02 innings. Also, putting a catcher, ANY catcher in a cleanup position is diabolical. I get the team has had some roster setbacks due to injury, but Cora simply looks asleep at the wheel when he needs to be managing and over-managing when he simply needs to ride moments out. I also worry that a lot of this will be written off as a circumstance of a poor roster.

— Dean Roussel

The lack of accountability for the constant failures popping up all over the roster and the organization. There’s way too much of “we have to be better” and “we’ll get ‘em tomorrow” after a loss and not enough fear that if they don’t, heads are gonna roll. They need to develop a culture that values winning over comfort, and if anything they’ve regressed in that department in recent months.

— Matthew Gross

What was your favorite game or moment?

Jarren Duran’s leadoff homer in the hail during Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Orioles. I loved it as an answer to the Orioles scoring quickly in the top half of the inning, but even more than that, it was so dramatic…fans on the move to take cover, rain and hail coming down, and they delayed the game right after he touched the plate. It was almost cinematic, and I loved it.

— Maura McGurk

The walk-off win vs. the Braves on 5/17 was a classic for the season. Down four runs in the 4th, this team played great small ball in the 7th and 8th innings with RBI hits from Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman and Jarren Duran before we witnessed Raffy’s first career walk-off homer. If he’s going to be putting up Big Papi DH-like numbers in our dreams, it’s nice to manifest some of his clutch factor.

— Jake Reiser

When Wilyer Abreu and Ceddane Rafaela combined to take a home run away from the Tigers. I’ve never seen anything quite like that on a baseball field before, and don’t expect to see that again for quite some time.

— Jacob Roy

I’m doubling down on the Abreu / Rafaela circus catch. This is in the running for the craziest, most unique play of the year. Baseball remains awesome, even if the Sox as a whole are not.

— Matthew Gross

Piggybacking off Maura’s answer, I liked May 24, too, but I’ll go with the Rafael Devers walkoff knock in Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Orioles. There was so much buzz in that game. I specifically recall hearing that Mayer was getting congratulated by teammates in Worcester and raced to my computer to break the news here. The botched double play that turned into a come-from behind rally that turned into when the vibes had been so unfortunate. We won’t talk about the rest of that weekend, though…

— Dean Roussel

After two months, are you going to change your preseason prediction?

No. 86 wins felt good in March and is still reasonable with a good run at some point in the season.

— Mike Carlucci

Yes. I can hope for a good run, or for players to start clicking, or whatever, but that optimism doesn’t feel earned at this point. It’s true that June through September can change my mind again, but I no longer think we have a playoff team. Or, if we squeak in there because the playoff system is overly generous these days, we won’t put anything together in a substantial way. And that sucks!

— Maura McGurk

Yes. For a team I was really high on, the amount of question marks have tripled beyond the pitching. Losing Triston Casas for the season and Alex Bregman for an extended period of time are major, major losses for this team, no matter what you thought of either of their performances pre-injury. Unless a miracle happens, I’m dropping my win total by a dramatic enough degree to see the Red Sox out of playoff contention even before the race for the last Wild Card begins. There’s still a lot of work to do with this team, despite our hype pre-season.

— Jake Reiser

As I’ll keep reminding everyone every month, I was sour grapes coming into the season. But I could not have fathomed this defense being THIS bad, the injury bug that bit the infield and wouldn’t let go, Devers’ antics tying up two positions even though he’s been absolutely raking (I’m team let him play wherever he wants, but come on, now…), and certain dependable members of the bullpen being less than clutch. I thought Trevor Story would be injured by now, but perhaps almost as bad is how he’s been playing while healthy.

With that being said, as I’m writing this, the Red Sox are about to be 4 games under .500. Roman Anthony will likely be called up by month’s end, Wilyer Abreu will find a groove again, and the Devers madness will be closer to some sort of resolution, even if it’s that he definitively stays at designated hitter, which appears to be the most likely scenario. This will also give Kristian Campbell some finality for at least this year. With ALL of that being said, I still have the Red Sox over .500 to end the season, but I’m sliding them down a few wins from 86 to 82. At least they won’t be last place in the division again…

— Dean Roussel

I’d certainly take the under on the 89 wins part of my prediction, but the finish second in the division and make the playoffs piece of the equation is still very much on the table thanks to the dynamics in play, so I’ll cling firm to that until the ship goes down.

— Matthew Gross

I said they’d win the World Series. They’re not playing like a World Series-winning team, so a sane person would change that prediction. I, unfortunately, am not a sane person. So no, I will not be changing that prediction. They’re going to win the World Series somehow, some way.

— Jacob Roy