Imago
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel
Imago
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel
For a minute there, it felt like Boston forgot how to score. In the 10 games immediately following the Rafael Devers trade, the Red Sox offense collapsed. Not in theory but in brutal, scoreboard-confirmed reality. They hit a collective .184. Their OPS was a painful .556, the worst in baseball. Only one team, the Guardians, managed fewer runs. The rest of the league? Watching Boston flail and miss, seemingly unsure who would step up without their franchise bat.
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Then came the pivot and it’s been dramatic.
On Saturday, the Red Sox routed the Nationals 10–3, capping a stretch that’s flipped the script entirely. Over their last seven games, Boston owns MLB’s best team batting average (.331) and OPS (.973). And the turnaround didn’t come via some magical trade or minor league call-up. It’s been the same players. The same bats. Just with a different mindset rookie Roman Anthony offered the clearest explanation yet.
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“I think we’re just making good decisions and we’re prioritizing hitting the fastballs, especially over the heart of the plate,” Anthony said after the win. “You’re only as good as the pitch you swing at.”
Simple? Sure. But also deadly effective.
During their slump, the Boston Red Sox had one of the league’s worst marks on fastballs in the strike zone just 29 hits over 10 games. Now? They lead the majors with 54. The swing decisions have improved. The production has followed.
Trevor Story has spearheaded this change, notching nine hits on fastballs in the zone second-most in MLB during this recent surge. Anthony has eight. It’s a dramatic shift from chasing pitches out of the zone to punishing the ones begging to be hit.
Perhaps the best example is Ceddanne Rafaela. Since May 27, he’s been Boston’s best hitter, slashing .306 with a .927 OPS. Before that date? He made 31 outs on pitches outside the zone. Since? Just 12. He’s figured it out, and the rest of the lineup is following.
This isn’t just a good week. It’s a blueprint. “We’re in a good spot,” said manager Alex Cora. “We hit a wall, but we’ve adjusted. Now we’re dangerous again.”
The numbers back that up. And suddenly, the post-Devers offense looks like a problem just not for Boston. For everyone else.
“You Belong Here”: Red Sox rookies mindset
Roman Anthony hasn’t just started hitting, he’s started believing. Since June 27, the rookie player of the Red Sox has shown exceptional performance with a batting average of.407/.696/.593; however this sudden success is only part of his story. His composure, during batting, his attitude, in the dugout, and how he discusses the game all indicate a young athlete who isn’t waiting to blend but is eager to make his mark. He already does.
Imago
Credit: Yahoo Sports
“It’s just one of those things, I think that you just have to, playing at a new level, even in the minor leagues, you just have to experience it,” Anthony told Audacy’s Rob Bradford. “There’s no way to get ready for it other than to just be yourself and prepare and then, you know, experience it.” The combination of a grounded mindset has proven to be advantageous on the field for Anthony. He not only has been able to keep pace with top-tier pitching in the big leagues, but he’s also displayed hints of mastering it.
That confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. The Red Sox haven’t babied him. They’ve thrown him into the fire batting leadoff, playing right field regularly, and even keeping him in the lineup against tough lefties. Instead of sheltering their prized prospect, Boston gave him the freedom to figure it out in real-time. “I don’t think there’s been a time where I’ve gotten to the box and been like, ‘Wow, I have no chance,” said Anthony.
“You know you belong here, and you’re here for a reason.” That belief is starting to show up in every swing.
Written by
Edited by
Irfan Kabeer