Red Sox's Biggest Red Flags Early in 2024 Season

With a 17-13 record through their first 30 games, the Boston Red Sox were shaping up to be one of baseball's biggest surprises thanks to a vastly improved starting rotation.

However, things have not gone as smoothly in May, and there are a few red flags looking ahead to the rest of the season.

Several of their starters have started to regress relative to their early success, the infield has been one giant question mark outside of Rafael Devers at third base due to injuries, and the team has struggled to perform in front of the home fans.

Let's take a closer look at those three notable red flags.

A Losing Record at Home

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 26: Ceddanne Rafaela #43 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after scoring the game winning run Milwaukee Brewers during the eighth inning at Fenway Park on May 26, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox defeat the Brewers 2-1. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The Red Sox are not playing well at Fenway Park this season:

• Home: 11-15, -16 run differential
• Road: 17-12, +45 run differential

That is less-than-ideal for a team set to play 12 of its next 16 games in front of the home fans, but they will need to turn things around if they want to climb back into contention in the AL East standings.

It's a relatively small sample size and quality of competition home and away has certainly played a role, but it's a puzzling early trend nonetheless.

An Underperforming Infield

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Dominic Smith

Here's a rundown of where the Red Sox rank in terms of production by their infielders so far this season:

• 1B: .691 OPS (16th in MLB)
• 2B: .423 OPS (30th in MLB)
• 3B: .727 OPS (9th in MLB)
• SS: .714 OPS (16th in MLB)

Those numbers don't quite tell the whole story, though.

Third base is just fine with Rafael Devers again having a strong season at the plate, but the stats at first base and shortstop include the production of Triston Casas and Trevor Story before they both landed on the injured list.

Meanwhile, second base has been an absolute disaster with newcomer Vaughn Grissom hitting .141/.197/.155 over 76 plate appearances after opening the year on the injured list.

Eventually, top prospects Nick Yorke and Marcelo Mayer could provide a boost, but for now it's Grissom and David Hamilton handling the bulk of the starts up the middle, while Dominic Smith and Garrett Cooper man first base.

Significant Regression from the Starting Rotation

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Kutter Crawford

The Red Sox led all of baseball with a 2.71 ERA in April thanks in large part to the performance of their starting rotation.

Their pitching staff has not exactly fallen off a cliff, but a 3.99 ERA in May ranks 15th in the majors, and several of the starters who were thriving in April have taken a step backward this month.

Here's a look at some notable April standouts:

• Kutter Crawford: 5 GS, 1.65 ERA, 27.1 IP
• Brayan Bello: 4 GS, 2.91 ERA, 21.2 IP
  
• Cooper Criswell: 4 G, 3 GS, 1.65 ERA, 16.1 IP
• Garrett Whitlock: 3 GS, 2.03 ERA, 13.1 IP
• Nick Pivetta: 1 GS, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP

And here is how they have fared so far in May:

• Kutter Crawford: 5 GS, 4.66 ERA, 29.0 IP
• Brayan Bello: 4 GS, 5.66 ERA, 20.2 IP
• Cooper Criswell: 5 GS, 5.64 ERA, 22.1 IP
• Garrett Whitlock: Oblique strain, has not pitched
• Nick Pivetta: 4 GS, 6.16 ERA, 19.0 IP

Tanner Houck is having a legitimate breakout season and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, but the rest of the Boston rotation has crashed back to earth in a big way over the past few weeks.