2024 Boston Red Sox Q&A: What are their playoff odds, players to watch, biggest questions?

The 2024 Boston Red Sox will look to bounce back from a dismal 2023 campaign that ended in another last-place finish in the American League East. After a lackluster offseason, it seems like the club will be going into the new season with a lot more questions than they have answers. 

Will the Red Sox make a comeback? Or will they find themselves in the basement of the AL East for the third consecutive season? 

Here are answers to some of the most anticipated questions regarding the 2024 Boston Red Sox. 

How many games are the Red Sox projected to win and what is their season outlook?

The Red Sox are projected to win 77.5 games, per FanDuel Sportsbook. They have a +340 odds to make the playoffs and the current odds have them ranked 20th out of 30 teams to win the World Series (+6000). 

Boston's betting odds to win the AL East aren't great, either. They come in last at +1900, following behind the Tampa Bay Rays (+500), Toronto Blue Jays (+380), Baltimore Orioles (+200) and the New York Yankees (+150). 

When is Opening Day and who has the start?

The Red Sox will head to Seattle to face the Mariners on Thursday, March 28. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. EST. 

Boston will call on recently extended righty Brayan Bello to take the mound. Bello ended 2023 with a 12-11 record, 4.24 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 132 strikeouts. He also led the rotation with 28 starts and 157 innings. Right-hander Luis Castillo (3.34 ERA in 2023) will have his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Seattle Mariners.

Notable offseason additions?

Not as many as fans hoped. Boston had a very uneventful offseason which led to little improvement to a roster that ended 2023 with an 78-84 record. 

Veteran hurler Lucas Giolito was the most notable signing, but he is already out for the 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery. The other notable acquisition would be second baseman Vaughn Grissom, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Atlanta Braves for Chris Sale. 

Biggest questions going into 2024?

The starting rotation and outfield are two of the biggest questions for the Red Sox this season. 

Boston is going into 2024 with a rotation that is composesd of Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford, with Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Cooper Criswell still competing for the last two spots. It looks almost identical to the rotation that finished the 2023 season with a team ERA of 4.52, which was the 10th worst in MLB.

The Red Sox's outfield continues to take shape with Opening Day on March 28. With the addition of Tyler O'Neill, the Sox will look to move Masataka Yoshida into a full-time designated hitter position. Yoshida is arguably the worst defender out of the group, so moving him to DH will help them improve defensively. Elite defender and No. 76 overall prospect Ceddanne Rafaela also has the chance to be the Opening Day center fielder, which could give the group a boost. 

Players to watch?

Vaughn Grissom: The 23-year-old infielder was acquired to bring stability to a position that has been a revolving door since Dustin Pedroia's departure. Grissom played in 23 Major League games last season before being sent down to Triple-A,  where he slashed .330/.419/.501. 

Grissom will look to turn some heads with his offensive and defensive abilities. Manager Alex Cora has compared the slugger to the likes of former Red Sox All-Star Xander Bogaerts. Though, he will start the season on the injured list with hopes of returning in late April. Once Grissom returns, he will take the field paired with shortstop Trevor Story.

Brayan Bello: Keep an eye on the young right-hander as he will look to cement his status as the ace of Boston's rotation. Bello was one of the most consistent starters last season but ran out of gas toward the end. After having a 3.04 ERA during the first half, the hurler had a 7.62 ERA over his final five starts. 

2023 was Bello's first complete season in the Majors, so there's still plenty of room for improvement. If he can increase his strikeouts and generate more grounders on his offspeed pitches, you can guarantee that the 24-year-old will have a breakout season. 

Will there be an improvement from last year?

It is difficult to say whether there will be any improvement at all for the Sox this year. Thanks to ownership being unwilling to spend, it looks like Boston will find itself in a similar situation to the 2023 season. It is hard to be optimistic about a team that is bound to finish last in the AL East for the third consecutive year. If they do so, it will be the first time since the 1925-1927 seasons. 

The team has set itself up to depend heavily on its young core of players to get the organization back on track and until that comes around, don't expect ownership to be opening up their wallets anytime soon.