If you only looked at the final box scores, you might think the 2025 Boston Red Sox season was just another year of "almost" in the AL East. But honestly, that’s not the whole story. The red sox standings 2025 tell a tale of a team that finally stopped spinning its wheels and actually forced its way back into the October conversation.
They finished with an 89-73 record.
That’s a solid 16 games over .500. For a fan base that suffered through a four-year postseason drought, that number felt like water in a desert. They took third in the division, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, who both finished with 94 wins. It was a dogfight.
The Wild Ride of the Red Sox Standings 2025
The season didn't start like a masterpiece. By early May, the Sox were hovering around .500, looking exactly like the middle-of-the-road team critics expected. Then June happened. The team went on a tear, including a massive series sweep of the Yankees that basically flipped the vibe at Fenway.
Alex Cora really leaned into the "chaos" brand of baseball.
They weren't just winning; they were stealing bases and taking extra bags. Jarren Duran continued his evolution into a legitimate superstar, while the addition of Alex Bregman—yeah, that still feels weird to say—provided a veteran stability at third base that they desperately needed after the shocking Rafael Devers trade to San Francisco in mid-June.
🔗 Read more: Inter Miami vs Toronto: What Really Happened in Their Recent Clashes
Why the Third-Place Finish is Deceptive
You might look at third place and shrug. Don't. The AL East in 2025 was a meat grinder. The Blue Jays eventually took the crown on the very last day of the season, but the Red Sox remained within striking distance until the final week of September.
- Final AL East Standings:
- Toronto Blue Jays: 94-68
- New York Yankees: 94-68
- Boston Red Sox: 89-73
- Tampa Bay Rays: 77-85
- Baltimore Orioles: 75-87
The Sox actually clinched their postseason berth in dramatic fashion on September 26. It was a walk-off against the Tigers at Fenway. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a "wall-scraper" home run in the bottom of the ninth, and the city absolutely erupted.
The Pitching Revolution (Sorta)
Craig Breslow promised pitching, and he actually delivered a version of it that worked. The trade for Garrett Crochet was the catalyst. Crochet stepped in as the undisputed ace, racking up 18 wins and striking out over 250 batters. He was the guy you wanted on the mound when the season was on the line.
Behind him? It was a bit of a patchwork quilt.
Tanner Houck was having a career year until the wheels came off in August. He ended up needing Tommy John surgery, which was a massive gut punch to the rotation's depth. Brayan Bello showed flashes of brilliance but still struggled with consistency, finishing with an ERA that hovered just under 4.00.
💡 You might also like: Matthew Berry Positional Rankings: Why They Still Run the Fantasy Industry
Then there was the bullpen. Bringing in Aroldis Chapman on a one-year deal was a classic "high risk, high reward" move. It worked... mostly. He wasn't the 103-mph fire-breather of 2016, but he gave the back end of the game a level of intimidation they’d lacked for years.
Key Performers Who Moved the Needle
Trevor Story finally looked like the guy the Red Sox paid for. He stayed relatively healthy and led the team with 25 home runs. It’s funny how much better a lineup looks when your shortstop isn't in the trainer's room.
Wilyer Abreu proved that 2024 wasn't a fluke. He hit 22 homers and played a Gold Glove-caliber right field. Between him, Duran, and Rafaela, the Red Sox outfield was arguably the fastest and most defensively sound unit in the American League.
What Really Happened in the Playoffs?
The postseason return was short-lived. Since they finished as the third Wild Card, they had to travel to the Bronx to face the Yankees. It was a best-of-three nightmare.
They lost the series 2-1.
📖 Related: What Time Did the Cubs Game End Today? The Truth About the Off-Season
The deciding game was a heartbreaker—a 4-3 loss where they left the tying run on third base in the eighth inning. While the exit was premature, the fact that they were there mattered. It changed the narrative around the front office.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're tracking the Red Sox moving forward, keep your eyes on the youth movement. The 2025 season saw the debuts of guys like Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell, both of whom are expected to be cornerstones.
What to watch for now:
- Starting Pitching Health: With Houck out for much of 2026, the Sox need to find another arm. Expect them to be aggressive in the trade market for a mid-rotation stabilizer.
- The Anthony Extension: Roman Anthony signed an eight-year deal worth up to $230 million with escalators. He is the new face of the franchise. Track his Spring Training numbers to see if he’s ready for a full-time 162-game grind.
- The Bregman Factor: Alex Bregman has a player option or contract nuances to monitor. His leadership was cited by every young player in the clubhouse as the reason they didn't collapse in August.
The red sox standings 2025 might show them in third place, but for the first time in half a decade, the arrow is pointing straight up in Boston. Use this offseason to monitor the "pitching-first" philosophy. If they can replace Houck's innings, they aren't just a Wild Card team; they're division title contenders.