WORCESTER — As the leaves on trees start to change colors and the word “pigskin” fully enters our purview, that usually signals the shifting of seasons.
And here in the Canal District, that means the end of the baseball season for the Worcester Red Sox.
With the WooSox wrapping up their fifth season in Worcester — since moving from Pawtucket, Rhode Island — let’s take a look at some of the top moments from the 2025 season for the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
Roman’s reign begins
Call it the shot heard round Worcester.
On June 7, the top Red Sox’ prospect at the time in Roman Anthony hammered a grand slam over the right-center field wall at Polar Park to put an exclamation point on Triple-A Worcester’s 10-4 win over the Rochester Red Wings.
Roman Anthony hits grand slam for Worcester Red Sox
Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony hit a majestic blast in Triple-A Worcester’s win Saturday night.
The majestic blast traveled 497 feet and exited his bat at 115.6 miles per hour. It was the farthest and hardest hit ball in all of baseball that night.
“That ball was murdered,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said.
It helped put an exclamation point on Anthony’s stay in AAA, as the 21-year-old outfielder was called up to the Boston Red Sox two days later.
The call ups
Speaking of call ups, Anthony’s promotion to the big leagues came on the heels of his best friend, Marcelo Mayer, getting called up to Boston on May 24.
The 23-year-old infielder was leading the International League in RBIs at the time and Mayer was the first of many highly-anticipated big-league debuts this year for the Red Sox.
“The entire room just went bananas out there,” Tracy said of telling Mayer of his promotion to the big leagues. “They just went ballistic. So his teammates love him. You guys know all the stories in spring training about how much his teammates in the big leagues loved him and him and Roman being around, and he’s fun to have in there.
“So I’ll say that the reaction was complete happiness for him from his teammates.”
A few months later, another WooSox player had his big moment when Jhostynxon Garcia was promoted to Boston on Aug. 21.
A player better known for his unique nickname of “The Password,” Garcia garnered a lot of attention in AAA this year — both for his play on the field and panache off it.
“The Password’s arrival and what he did sticks out in my head,” Tracy said when asked to reminisce about his favorite moments of 2025. “He went ballistic there for a while. Like, when we lost Roman and Roman went up and started doing his thing in the big leagues, I was like, ‘Oh, boy, how are we gonna fill the gap here?’ And then Jhostynxon arrived.”
High points on the field
On April 17, WooSox pitchers Cooper Criswell, Isaiah Campbell and Jacob Webb combined for a seven-inning no-hitter against Rochester. It marked the second no-no in WooSox history.
The feat underscored a swell of pitching depth that crashed through Triple-A Worcester this season, moreso than any other year during Tracy’s tenure with the club.
“The best I’ve ever had in my four years,” Tracy said.
Other high points on the field including ESPN-worthy highlight catches from outfielders Nate Eaton and Trayce Thompson, visits from future MLB Hall of Famer Max Scherzer and Red Sox rehabbers Brayan Bello and Masataka Yoshida, and career win No. 300 for Tracy with the WooSox.
Memorable moments away from the diamond
Beyond being the main attraction this year on the diamond, Anthony found himself in the spotlight off it.
Whether it be celebrating his 21st birthday in the WooSox dugout with a “pong” party, or sneaking past opposing fans in a laundry cart, all eyes were on the Red Sox rookie sensation.
“He’s a special kid,” Tracy said.
Other highlights off the field included the induction of three new members into the WooSox Hall of Fame and introduction of a new unofficial team mascot — Scout — a kitten found by The Password’s partner and given to team photographer Ashley Green to take home during the last week of the regular season.
What a memorable year it was for the Worcester Red Sox.
“It’s all the big moments on the field (that) stick out the most. You know?” Tracy said. “Like, when the team’s playing well or there’s dramatic wins, those things stick out, especially when it’s guys that are highly thought of as big prospects in our (organization) and they live up to it and do great things. It was cool.”
—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.