Red Sox’s Bats Went Cold At Worst Possible Time Vs. Yankees

Going into the playoffs, the Boston Red Sox’s offense was a concern. The team had struggled to score runs consistently since Roman Anthony went down in early September, averaging just 4.14 runs per game and going 11-11 without him. The Red Sox ranked 22nd in runs scored during that period, struggling to pick up the slack in his absence.

Unfortunately for Boston, those issues carried over into October, as the team’s bats went cold at the worst possible time against the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Series.

The Red Sox scored just six runs on 19 hits in the three games, batting a meager .198/.280/.360 with one home run and 30 strikeouts. They did not score during the final 15 innings of the series and were shut out in Game 3 — their first offensive shutout since July 19 and only their fifth all season.

The Red Sox were 27th in homers in the second half after being 10th in the first half. They have just one this postseason.
Can't win in the postseason in today's game if you don't hit home runs.

— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) October 3, 2025

During its biggest game of the season, Boston simply had no answer for Cam Schlittler, striking out 12 times against him and allowing him to author one of the greatest starts in postseason history.

The Yankees had the better lineup, and it showed. They batted .253/.295/.343 despite getting just one hit from Giancarlo Stanton and no extra-base hits from Aaron Judge.

Trevor Story, Alex Bregman and Masataka Yoshida contributed the bulk of the Red Sox’s offense, accounting for 12 of the team’s hits and all six RBI. The rest of the lineup fizzled, batting a paltry .106 (7-for-66) with 23 strikeouts.

As such, adding offense will be crucial for Boston this offseason, especially if Bregman and Story opt out. The team still needs to replace Rafael Devers’ bat in the middle of the order after trading him in June, and someone like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso or Kyle Tucker would fit the bill.

The Red Sox faced a similar predicament heading into the winter of 2017-18 after slipping offensively following David Ortiz’s retirement. They solved it by signing J.D. Martinez, who immediately reinvigorated their lineup and led them to a World Series title in 2018. Hopefully the front office adds a similar impact slugger this offseason.