Losing Alex Bregman Is a Double-Edged Sword for the Red Sox

Stats taken prior to play on May 28.

Alex Bregman couldn’t have asked for a better start to his Boston Red Sox tenure. He’s thriving with his new organization and has been one of the best players in all of baseball to open the 2025 season.

Among position players, the 31-year-old is 10th in MLB in fWAR at 2.5. In 226 plate appearances, Bregman is hitting nearly .300 with a .405 wOBA that is eighth in MLB. He also has the eighth-best wRC+ in baseball (160), and his 28 extra-base hits are tied for the seventh most, which includes 11 homers and 17 doubles.

Needless to say, he has been an essential piece of Boston’s offense to open the season.

Unfortunately, during a blowout win against the Orioles last week, Bregman hit the 10-day injured list over the weekend with a right quad strain. It’s yet to be seen just how much time Bregman is going to miss, but manager Alex Cora told the media that it is a “significant injury,” suggesting that he could be looking at an extended absence.

It’s obviously a substantial blow for a Red Sox team that had championship aspirations heading into the year. Not to mention the ball club hasn’t gotten off to the start they were hoping for, and now they will be without one of their best and most important players for the foreseeable future.

However, while it goes without saying that the Red Sox would rather have Bregman healthy and available, there is a silver lining that should give Red Sox fans a sliver of excitement.

Bregman’s Injury Opens the Door for Boston’s Top Prospects

For a while now, baseball fans have wondered how the Red Sox would handle their logjam of top prospects who are knocking at the door of the big leagues.

Kristian Campbell broke camp with the Red Sox and has been a vital and versatile piece of Boston’s 2025 campaign thus far. While he’s slowed down a bit as of late, he was one of the most productive rookies in Major League Baseball to open the season and has been thrusted into an important role for Boston.

Roman Anthony, the top prospect in all of baseball, still has yet to make his MLB debut despite swinging one of the hottest bats in Minor League Baseball. Sooner or later, the Red Sox will need to make room for Anthony on the big-league roster because he truly has nothing left to prove in the minors.

Perhaps losing Bregman and the production that he brings to the plate opens the door for his promotion, but more on that in a little bit.

In light of Bregman’s injury, the Red Sox called up top prospect Marcelo Mayer, Just Baseball’s No. 28 prospect.

Mayer, 22, was posting very solid results in Triple-A this season, batting .271/.347/.471 with nine homers and a 115 wRC+ in 193 plate appearances. A shortstop by nature, Mayer didn’t have a clear path to the majors with Trevor Story holding down the position and Campbell and David Hamilton splitting time at second base.

Bregman hitting the shelf has paved a path for Mayer, and Red Sox fans will finally get to see one of the organization’s top prospects in action.

Marcelo Mayer Can Be a Sparkplug

Mayer may not match the level of production that Bregman was bringing to the table, but he’s got tons of prospect intrigue and has the potential to be the shortstop of the future in Boston.

While he’s not going to be playing shortstop for the time being, it’s going to be valuable — and exciting for Red Sox fans — to get him some run in the majors, especially considering how well he’s swung the bat to open the year.

It’s encouraging to see Mayer hit the ground running after battling through a down year in 2023 and injuries in back-to-back seasons in ’23 and ’24.

Back in ’23, Mayer received a promotion to Double-A but struggled mightily. In 43 games, he hit just .189 with a .609 OPS and 60 wRC+, which was a far cry from what he did in other levels prior to his promotion.

Mayer got back on track in a big way in 2024, though, despite his season being cut short due to a lumbar strain. He spent the entirety of the 2024 season in Double-A, this time batting .307/.370/.480 with an .850 OPS and 139 wRC+ while also stealing 13 bases in 77 games.

He opened the 2025 season in Triple-A and the results have been impressive, as was highlighted earlier. In his four games since being called up to the majors, Mayer is 5-for-15 (.333) with two doubles and a walk.

Now, expecting Mayer to step up and fill Bregman’s shoes in the lineup is wishful thinking, and he shouldn’t have those expectations set for him. He can, however, be a productive middle-of-the-order bat for the Red Sox and provide some power and athleticism for a team that has lost five in a row and is looking for a spark.

Is It Finally Roman Anthony Time?

It’s only a matter of time until the Red Sox call Anthony’s number, and perhaps no prospect has the ability to make a greater immediate impact upon his call up than him.

Anthony has played 48 games in Triple-A this season, and in 217 plate appearances he is batting .320/.452/.529 with a 164 wRC+. He’s walking as much as he’s striking out (43 walks to 43 strikeouts) to go with eight bombs, eight doubles, and two triples.

In short, he’s crushing the ball nearly every time he makes contact.

It’s clear that ability isn’t what’s preventing him from being promoted. Instead, there simply hasn’t been a spot on the major-league roster given the state of Boston’s crowded outfield.

With Devers occupying the full-time DH role and there being no position in the outfield that is up for grabs, Anthony simply hasn’t had the path to major-league playing time.

However, with one of their most important offensive talents hitting the shelf for what appears to be an extended period of time with Bregman, perhaps his injury forces Boston’s hand in promoting their top prospect to help fill the void on offense.

The Red Sox would still need to find playing time for Anthony, which will still be a challenge with Jarren Duran in left field, Ceddanne Rafaela in center field, and Wilyer Abreu in right field.

Realistically, Rafaela is really the only player of that trio who could be in line to see his playing time cut, as he currently sports just a 65 wRC+.

However, the Red Sox are clearly content stomaching his underwhelming offensive production because of what he brings defensively. Rafaela is a defensive savant and is one of the best defensive outfielders in MLB.

But losing Bregman could have major repercussions on this team’s offensive performance. If the lineup struggles in the coming weeks, the Red Sox may have no choice but to turn to a more offensively driven outfielder and call upon the top prospect in baseball to help fill Bregman’s void in the lineup.

Final Thoughts

Again, the Boston Red Sox are better when Alex Bregman is healthy and in the lineup, that should go without saying.

However, with that said, the Red Sox being able to get valuable, everyday playing time for some of their top prospects certainly makes it an easier pill to swallow. It’s always unfortunate to see one of the best in the game go down with an injury, but at least Boston has some young, promising options to turn to as a potential solution.

Still, the fact remains that the Red Sox lost an integral player at a time when they can’t afford to take a step back. Currently sitting fourth in the AL East with a record of 27-31, Boston’s bats will certainly have increased pressure to perform in order to get this team back on track.