The year 2025 marked an important step forward for the Red Sox, who exited their long-term rebuild and reached the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
But getting there wasn’t easy.
This past year brought plenty of ups and downs, with thrilling walk-off wins, crushing defeats and moves that will impact the franchise for years to come. As we head into the new year, here’s one more look back at the biggest Red Sox moments from the past year.
10. Tolle vs. Skenes
You want to talk about pressure-packed MLB debuts, how about taking the mound at Fenway Park on a Friday night against Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes?
That’s what Payton Tolle faced when he received his call to the big leagues on Aug. 29.
Barely a year removed from being drafted out of Texas Christian University and only five months into his first professional season, Tolle rocketed up through the minors and earned an extended look down the stretch during the Red Sox’s playoff push. His MLB stint as a whole had some bumps, but his debut against the Pirates was nothing short of electric. Tolle struck out eight and allowed two runs on three hits over 5.1 thrilling innings, leaving the game with the Red Sox leading 2-0.
The Red Sox wound up blowing the lead and losing 4-2, which put a damper on the evening as a whole, but purely in terms of moments Tolle’s debut was hard to top.
9. Rafaela hits shortest walk-off on record
Ceddanne Rafaela had three walk-off hits in 2025, and the first might have been the most unlikely we’ve seen at Fenway Park in a long time.
Facing the Angels at Fenway Park on June 4, the Red Sox fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first, rallied to pull ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the frame and then gave the lead right back with three more runs in the top of the second. Back and forth the two sides went until Rafaela stepped to the plate with the game tied 9-9 in the bottom of the ninth.
With one out and a man at first, Rafaela hit a sinking liner the opposite way down the right field line directly at Pesky’s Pole. Usually hits like that curl foul, but somehow this one threaded the needle and landed in the stands just beyond the pole for a walk-off two-run home run.
Measured at 308 feet, the home run was not only the shortest walk-off homer by a Red Sox player since Statcast debuted in 2015, but the shortest walk-off homer by any major leaguer over that span.
Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony made an immediate impact following his MLB debut in June. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
8. Anthony’s MLB debut
In terms of long-term historical significance, there’s a chance Roman Anthony’s MLB debut could wind up being among the most important moments in franchise history.
Ranked as the No. 1 prospect in MLB, Anthony made his long-awaited arrival at Fenway Park on June 9. He went 0 for 4 with a walk and an RBI in his first game, a 10-8 loss to the Rays in 11 innings, but over time Anthony would play a pivotal role in the club’s turnaround.
At the time of Anthony’s debut the Red Sox were 32-35 and fourth in the AL East. From that point on they went 57-38, finishing second in the AL Wild Card to earn the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2021. The club also made a point to avoid repeating its mistake with Mookie Betts, signing Anthony to an eight-year contract extension that will keep the young standout in Boston through the end of the decade and beyond.
7. Anthony gets first walk-off
The trade deadline was undeniably a disappointment for the Red Sox, who had won four of five and were clearly establishing themselves as viable playoff contenders.
Yet if there were any concerns of a post-deadline swoon, an unlikely hero stepped up and kept the train on the tracks.
Making his only MLB start of the season, Cooper Criswell went toe-to-toe with eventual Cy Young finalist Hunter Brown and held his own, allowing one run over seven strong innings of work. The Red Sox and Astros eventually went to extra innings, setting the stage for Anthony to deliver his first career walk-off with a towering single to deep center field.
The 2-1 win was the highlight of a 9-1 stretch, which eventually put the Red Sox 13 games over .500.
6. Narvaez’s walk-off lifts Crochet
Garrett Crochet vs. Aaron Judge was a heavyweight matchup for the ages, and through Judge’s first three at bats the bout leaned decisively in Crochet’s favor. The Red Sox ace struck out Judge each of his first three times to the plate, and in the top of the ninth the two squared off one more time with Boston leading 1-0 and Crochet looking to polish off his first career complete-game shutout.
Then Judge hit an absolute moonshot over the Green Monster 443 feet into the night sky, tying the score and sending the game to extras.
Disappointing as the moment was for Crochet, the fans at Fenway Park still went home happy with Carlos Narvaez lifted his team with a walk-off single off the Monster in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Red Sox a memorable 2-1 win over their biggest rivals.
Alex Bregman helped lead the Red Sox to their first playoff appearance since 2021 after signing with the club in February. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
5. Bregman signs with Sox
The Red Sox had already made one major addition over the offseason, acquiring Crochet in a blockbuster trade with the White Sox, but on the eve of spring training fans were still clamoring for the front office to make some kind of free agent splash.
Finally, just as players were reporting to camp, Craig Breslow delivered.
The signing of Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal with two opt outs wasn’t quite the long-term statement fans have been waiting for, but Bregman proved a transformative addition who helped change the Red Sox culture and lead the club back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
4. Devers traded to Giants
For better or worse, Rafael Devers was the story of the Red Sox season through the first half of 2025.
Mostly for the worse.
Between his drama-filled spring training, his season-opening slump and his unwilling transition from third base to designated hitter, Devers was in the headlines throughout the season’s early months. The acrimonious divide between the Red Sox and their star slugger finally came to a head on June 15, when Breslow traded Devers to the Giants hours after the club capped off a three-game sweep of the Yankees at home.
The Devers trade was and remains divisive within the Red Sox fandom, but to this point the move has worked out for Boston. The Red Sox performed better after the trade than they did beforehand and made the playoffs, while the Giants faded from contention despite Devers hitting 20 home runs with a .807 OPS in 90 games with San Francisco.
Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet pitched brilliantly to give his club a 3-1 win over the Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
3. Crochet delivers Game 1 win
When the Red Sox first acquired Crochet, they envisioned the big lefty one day taking the mound in Game 1 of a playoff series and dominating.
Crochet more than lived up to the moment when that time finally came.
Facing the Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, the Red Sox ace threw 7.2 outstanding innings, striking out 11 while allowing just one run on a solo shot by Anthony Volpe in the bottom of the second. From that point on Crochet retired the next 17 batters he faced, keeping New York at bay long enough for the Red Sox to rally for two runs in the seventh in the club’s eventual 3-1 win.
Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run to beat the Rays on July 11. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
2. Rafaela ‘kills it’ to beat Rays
If there was one moment it became clear this year’s Red Sox were made of different stuff, it was probably the evening of July 11.
Trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, Roman Anthony drew a one-out walk to bring Rafaela to the plate. The center fielder then hit a towering two-run blast into the night, eliciting probably the best call of Dave O’Brien’s Red Sox career.
“Swing and a drive! Oh! He killed it! It is out of here! It’s gone! Ceddanne does it! The Sox win it! They walk it off against Tampa Bay! Are you kidding me?”
The shot gave the Red Sox a dramatic 5-4 win and the eighth of what would become a 10-game win streak to close out the first half.
1. Rafaela’s playoff-clinching walkoff
Could it have been anything else?
Needing only one more win to clinch the club’s first playoff berth since 2021, the Red Sox erased a late 3-1 deficit and went into the bottom of the ninth tied with a chance to finish the job.
Once again Rafaela was up to the task, following Romy Gonzalez’s single by crushing a walk-off triple to give Boston the playoff-clinching 4-3 win over the Tigers.
And with that, the raucous clubhouse celebration was on.