The Red Sox looked buried in early June. Sitting in the basement of the AL East and running out of answers, they had the feel of a team drifting with no real direction. By July 24, though, Boston had flipped the script and climbed into one of the top Wild Card spots after a stunning second-half surge powered by timely hitting, strong pitching, and a new voice in the dugout.
That voice belongs to Chad Tracy, who took over as manager in April after the team moved on from Alex Cora. Tracy, who had been managing Triple-A Worcester, arrived with a track record that included a 357-331 record there. The early results with Boston were uneven, with wins and losses trading back and forth, but the tone changed after a 3-2 loss to the Rockies.
Tracy decided the group needed to hear directly from him. He’s not usually big on team meetings, but he made room for one when the moment called for it.
“I’m not going to turn on you,” Tracy said via The Boston Globe. "I know what you’re going through.
I’ve been here. All these losses, we’re doing it together, and we’re going to find a way to win together.
When you guys are rolling in the [expletive], we’re rolling in it with you. And when we get to the point where all the flowers come out, we’ll be there with you.”
The turnaround still didn’t happen overnight. Boston took a 2-1 series edge against the Rockies, swept the Yankees, then dropped two of three to the Nationals.
The trust had to build. But once the team started clicking, the Red Sox stopped being the punchline and became the club other teams had to worry about.
That stretch included a 15-game win streak that recently came to an end, and during it Boston swept the Angels, White Sox, Mets, and Rays. The numbers have followed the run: the Red Sox rank near the top of MLB in home runs, RBIs, runs, batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging. Sonny Gray has been one of baseball’s top pitchers, and offseason trade pickup Caleb Durbin, after a rough first half, has given the lineup a needed spark.
Durbin said Tracy’s steadiness matters every night.
“Win or lose, we know our manager, the guy who’s leading us, is going to be the same guy every single day,” said Durbin. “That goes a long way, especially in a market like this.”
Boston’s approach has been built on patience, walks, making the most of the pitching staff, and a willingness to adapt to the ABS System. Tracy has also leaned into voluntary workouts and a style of coaching that has helped push the team forward.
“What we are doing, what we have done, it’ll be for me to get across to the players. It’s not, ‘Cool, special run, now it’s over,’ ” said Tracy.
“It needs to be, ‘This is who we are now, and how we play baseball.’ So whenever we do lose, let’s go again the next day.”
In Other News...
Kristian Campbell Is Suddenly Forcing A Tough Red Sox Decision
Kristian Campbells season has been uneven enough that Triple-A Worcester started to feel like a reset point, but the recent version of him has looked a lot more like the player the Red Sox believed in when they locked him up long term. After a difficult overall year, Campbell has been better in the second half, batting .273 with an .805 OPS, and July has been even sharper, with him hitting over .300 and posting a 1.006 OPS.
He has also started driving the ball again, with multiple recent home runs helping turn a quiet stretch into something more interesting for Bostons front office to monitor. Given the commitment the Red Sox made to him at the start of the 2025 season, Campbells progress is no small subplot, especially with his bat now creating a real question about how long Worcester can hold onto him if this run keeps going. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Just Made A Deadline Trade Fans Did Not See Coming
After a 15-game winning streak, the Red Sox are clearly approaching the deadline like buyers, and the latest move fits that posture even if the names attached to it were not the ones most fans had circled. Boston added Curtis Mead, a right-handed Australian infielder who is in the middle of the best offensive season of his young career, giving the lineup another bat with some pop and a profile that matches a club looking to deepen its infield mix.
The part that makes the trade stand out is the fit, or at least the lack of an obvious one. Mead has been handling third base, but Boston already has Caleb Durbin in the picture and the team has not said how it intends to sort out the position. With the deadline approaching, the Red Sox have addressed a need, but they have also created a new question about where Mead actually plays once he gets to Boston. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Reportedly Passed On A Massive Joe Ryan Trade Haul
The Red Sox spent part of the lead-up to the 2025 trade deadline trying to add another starter, and the pursuit apparently reached a level that showed how serious they were about the market. Boston had its eyes on Minnesota right-hander Joe Ryan, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, and the discussion centered on a deal built around two of the organizations more notable prospects.
Minnesota ultimately passed, keeping Ryan in place and betting on what he has delivered this season. He has been one of the steadier arms in the Twins rotation, and the decision to hold onto him leaves Boston to wonder how close it came to landing a pitcher it clearly valued enough to put real prospect capital on the table. [Read more 🡒]