Why You Should Be Excited By 2023 Red Sox Youth Movement

The Boston Red Sox had a disappointing season in 2023, finishing in last place of the American League East division for the second consecutive season.

The season as a whole, however, did not come without some key positives regarding the future.

As key pieces departed after 2022, the Red Sox needed their next wave of young talent to elevate their game at the major league level and form the next core in Boston. Several players answered the bell to create promise for 2024 and beyond.

Among the new wave, a few themes stand out from Boston's youth movement.

- Young Arms Show Potential
While the Red Sox struggled in the starting rotation throughout the season as a major flaw, a few pitchers stood out in 2023 to establish themselves in the future of the Boston staff.

Brayan Bello absolutely headlines that group. The Red Sox developed a rare special starter in Bello, who got a fresh start after struggling in his big league introduction at the end of 2022.

A poor September with 13 earned runs in his final two starts inflated his ERA to 4.24 to close out the season. In actuality, he was the team's best starter during the summer months on a dominant stretch from June to August, where he routinely tallied six innings and rarely allowed more than three runs.

Bello led the Red Sox in starts (28) and innings pitched (157.0) in 2023. With the experience of how much endurance a full season requires, Bello should be ready for another step forward in 2024.

Staying in the rotation, Kutter Crawford showed flashes of stability and looks to be a solid option to open next season as the No. 5 starter. The right-hander improved his pitch mix and consistently challenges hitters with a fastball that plays up in the zone. The righty struck out 135 hitters in 129 1/3 innings and could be ready to go deeper into starts next season.

In the bullpen, Josh Winckowski broke out in a new role. The former prospect return in the 2021 Andrew Benintendi trade previously worked as a starter in Boston. That experiment did not work, posting a 5.89 ERA in 15 games and 14 starts in 2022. Winckowski moved to the bullpen as a middle reliever in 2023 and took off. His velocity went up with a sinker that sizzled at 98 mph. He lowered his hits per nine innings by one and struck out nearly three more hitters per nine innings. With a 2.88 ERA over 84 1/3 innings, Winckowski is a staple in a very good bullpen.

If the Red Sox can get healthy seasons out of Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck, both of whom are still in their 20s, the pitching staff with rely on youth to improve in 2024.

- Bats Pressure Opponents
The Red Sox saw a number of contributors emerge in the lineup throughout the 2023 season.

After coming over to Boston in exchange for Christian Vázquez, Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez offered quality at-bats from the left side and could find roles in Boston moving forward.

In addition to his strong defense (four defensive runs saved and 22 runners caught stealing), Connor Wong improved at the plate, hitting nine home runs while each stat in his slash line rose from 2022.

In terms of mainstays, two hitters stood out more than others.

Jarren Duran got his chance to produce in Boston after Adam Duvall suffered a wrist injury in April. After multiple stints up and down from the minors, 2023 quickly turned into a "prove it" season for the 26-year-old. Duran stepped up and delivered. When he was healthy, he truly changed the complexion of the lineup. He hustled to routinely turn singles into doubles. In 102 games, he slashed .295/.346/.482 for a .828 OPS with eight home runs and over a third of his hits coming on doubles (34/98). A toe injury at Yankee Stadium ended the outfielder's season after a season in which he showed big league potential.

In the infield, the Red Sox found a staple in Triston Casas. Now, that wasn't the case when he was hitting under .200 for the first two months of the season. Then, he turned his season around with a monster July (seven HR, 1.199 OPS) in which he won American League Rookie of the Month. The 23-year-old mashed down the stretch and finished the season with 24 home runs and a .856 OPS.

Rafael Devers and Masataka Yoshida will fill out the heart of the order to add depth to the new talent that can mash in the Boston lineup.

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- More Help Is On The Way
After being a bottom-ranked system to close out the 2010s, the Red Sox now have one of the best farm systems in baseball.

The previously mentioned graduated players are helping the Red Sox now. More top prospects could make an impact in Boston as early as 2024.

Ceddanne Rafaela made his debut late in the season after starting 2023 in Double-A. He very well could compete for the starting job in center field to start next season.

Who could be the next player to follow his path? Marcelo Mayer? Kyle Teel? Roman Anthony?

Boston's future is bright because of its youth. Adding the right impact players this offseason determines to what degree that future can shine in 2024.