Boston Red Sox: Predicting the 2030 Opening Day Roster

What will the Boston Red Sox Opening Day roster look like in 2030?

The Boston Red Sox have the tools to win right now. They also have the tools to win in a few years. So it seemed like a fun idea to try and figure out what the Opening Day roster could look like for the 2030 season.

There is a lot to love about the Red Sox roster right now. In fact, there’s a lot to hate about the roster too if you’re being honest. At the moment, they have a good mix of young talent and valuable veterans. However, there are some obvious glaring issues.

What about the future of the team though? Does Boston having staying power? That’s what we’re going to decide.

There is only one rule when it comes to this experiment – the players have to already be in the Red Sox organization. That means we aren’t going to be adding any potential free agents, trades, or future draft picks. Obviously, this will change things in real life. Boston is always a hot spot for trades and big signings. So that will inevitably happen. 2030 is also pretty far down the road, so there will likely be some future draft picks that could be on the roster at that point too.

All of that is too impossible to predict though. So to keep it as simple as possible, only people in the organization now are eligible. That still leaves us with a lot of options. There will be a mix of players already in the Majors, top prospects, and some surprises.

Also keep in mind that we will be looking at them based on their potential. So basically, I’ll be treating everyone as if they’ve reached it to the fullest extent. That means these are on the positive side. Obviously it’s unlikely the Red Sox have five aces for example, but the five starters all have ace-like potential. So these projections will make it seem like this is the best team ever – that’s just thanks to using the highest points of their potential.

We’ll break them down into a few categories. Starting pitchers, relief pitchers, infield, and outfield. Then finish it off with how the Opening Day lineup will look. This way you get a taste of the 26-man roster, what positions and roles they will play, who will be starting, and what the batting order will be.

Red Sox Starting Pitchers

The Red Sox pitching staff has been “eh” for the last few years. They’ve had depth problems for one thing. Lack of top-tier starters has been the big one though – especially with Chris Sale injured.

The good news on that front is, they don’t have a lack of starting pitching prospects. And if everything goes right they have a lot of potential aces for that 2030 season. Starting with …

1. Bryan Mata

Bryan Mata is ridiculous. The only knock on him is his control. And that saw major improvements in 2019. Now the only issue is his lack of reps over the last two years. 2020 was a wash for the minors and 2021 saw Mata undergo Tommy John surgery right before the start of the season.

He’s only 22 though and has a ridiculous combination of pitches. The right-handed pitcher is going to rack up the strikeouts and if he can continue to improve on his command he will be one of the best pitchers in baseball at some point.

Starting the 2030 year, Mata would still only be 30. That could be right in the sweet-spot of his prime. So not only would he be the ace of the Boston staff, he could be the best pitcher in baseball.

2. Jay Groome

What’s scary is that Jay Groome could be right behind him. The left-handed pitcher ended up having a phenomenal 2021 season despite a miserable start. He tends to look untouchable and has a frankly disgusting curveball that will create a lot of problems for hitters.

Groome will be 31 on Opening Day of the 2030 season, so like Mata,, he could be smack-dab in the middle of his prime.

To this point in his career, injuries have really slowed down Groome. That’s sort of killed a lot of the hype surrounding him. However, that potential is still there and he could be one of the most dominant left-handed pitchers in baseball.

3. Brayan Bello

Brayan Bello will be sort of like the wild card of the group. He seems like he has the potential to go out there and throw a no-hitter any game. His stuff is that nasty. However, sometimes the right-handed pitcher loses it.

With that in mind, there will probably be stretches where fans are nervous that he’s on the mound and he struggles to get through four innings for a few starts. Those will be offset by dominant runs that see Bello go 20-something scoreless innings or something ridiculous though.

The strikeouts will come in absurd numbers and he will probably have some fantastic overall seasons. Might not be super consistent though so he slots in at three. He’ll be 30 at the start of the 2030 season – still in his prime.

4. Chris Murphy

Chris Murphy will be that fourth starter that a lot of teams wish they had as their ace. Might have a few implosion starts where he lets walks and home runs kill him. But for the most part the command will be under control and he’ll be picking up strikeouts left-and-right.

Murphy will be 31 to start the 2030 season. So expect him to be near the top of his game.  The left-handed pitcher doesn’t have many negatives and could be elite if he keeps those home run numbers down.

Murph’s best trait will be that he’s able to get you at least five innings basically every five downs. Outside the random implosion game (which let’s face it everyone deals unless your last name is deGrom), the Red Sox will always have a chance when he’s starting.

5. Wilkelman Gonzalez

Admittedly, Wilkelman Gonzalez is hard to project because the sample-size is so small. That’s why I put him at five. Although if we’re being honest he could be untouchable.

The right-handed pitcher made just four starts in Low-A this year, and was seen as a very raw prospect. But he absolutely dominated in those outings, proving that he already has some great stuff to work with.

Gonzalez will be just 28 to start the 2030 season. He might walk a few batters, but he’s not going to give up too many hits and he’s going to strikeout a ton. So if things work out for him the sky is the limit. And if the Red Sox have him as a fifth starter the rest of the league isn’t going to be having much fun.

Red Sox Relief Pitchers

Relief pitching has been a bit of an issue in Boston for a few years now. They have had serious troubles when it comes to consistency. Most importantly they haven’t been able to figure out the closing pitcher role for a little while. They have the tools in their minors to make everything work though.

Tanner Houck

This one was tough because Tanner Houck has nasty stuff and has already shown he can work in the starting rotation. However, he’s had his struggles there too and has been inconsistent when it comes to getting through a bunch of innings.

Boston doesn’t seem 100% sold on where they want to put him either. Due to that, the bullpen just feels like the safe option. At this point he would 33 heading into the season and could be established as a dominant bullpen arm.

Let him come out for an inning and look absolutely untouchable. Could be fun if he keeps the walks down. The right-hander would have the ability to eat a few innings if needed too, which is always great to have that flexibility.

Brandon Walter

Another pitcher that could definitely be a starter but we’re putting in the bullpen here. Brandon Walter will also be 33 to start 2030. The left-handed pitcher has worked as both a reliever and a starter in the minors. But the Red Sox should be fine in the starter department so why not have some strikeout machines in the bullpen.

Walter has great command and some nasty pitches. He won’t give up a lot of baserunners either so might actually be a high-leverage type of arm.

Joan Martinez

Joan Martinez was awesome in Double-A this season. After starting the year with some issues and command problems, the right-hander put it all together. He ended up walking just six batters in the final three months of the season and finished with a ridiculous .180 BAA. Clearly he has the stuff to produce weak contact and a lot of strikeouts.

Martinez will also be 33 to start 2030. His role might be a little more undefined, but Boston will certainly get a lot of use out of him.

Jeremy Wu-Yelland

Jeremy Wu-Yelland was used solely as a starter in his first year in the minors in 2021. The left-handed pitcher had some major walk problems though and sometimes struggled to get through even a handful of innings.

With that in mind, a move to the bullpen might not be a bad idea for his future. There’s major potential and he has some great strikeout stuff when he’s on. He’ll be just 30 at the start of the 2030 season and could be somewhat of a wildcard. Will produce a lot of dominant outings but might get into trouble with his walks every once in a while.

Darwinzon Hernandez

Yes, some fans aren’t the biggest Darwinzon Hernandez supporters. However, he still produces very well. And don’t forget he’s only 24. He’ll be 33 for the 2030 season and has already shown us what he’s about.

The left-handed pitcher will pick up plenty of strikeouts and is not easy to hit at all. However, he gets wild at times and this is what leads to him struggling at times. Hernandez is still young though and could very well iron that out as he matures. 3.66 ERA and .210 BAA in his career at the moment, that’s really good. Could be a piece for a long time.

Wyatt Olds

Wyatt Olds is a name that not all Red Sox fans might not know right now. That’s because the right-handed pitcher was a seventh-round pick in this years draft. So if you tuned out after the first round or two, you might not have caught him.

Olds has a lot going for him though and will be just 30 to start the 2030 season. In 12 innings in his first season in the organization, Olds definitely flashed a lot of potential and became someone that I’m very excited to watch grow.

Not enough on him to give him a major role though. So he’ll be the extra reliever in this scenario. The guy that doesn’t seem to be used in high-leverage situations ever but still gets plenty of work and does a solid job.

Garrett Whitlock

I know there is a lot of talk about Boston moving Garrett Whitlock to the starting rotation. And that could absolutely be the case. I think in this scenario though they already have a lot of options in the rotation. And after watching the right-hander utterly dominate in his rookie season I couldn’t justify taking the risk of moving him around.

Whitlock will be 33 at the start of the 2030 season and will be the highest-leverage reliever that isn’t the closer. He’ll be able to work two innings if needed and could be just an unfair advantage for a long time.

Durbin Feltman

The reason I didn’t have Whitlock closing is because of this man. The hype surrounding Durbin Feltman certainly has died down thanks to a poor showing in 2019 and then 2020 being a year off. But 2021 was incredible and I’m amazed it didn’t bring back the “closer of the future” hype-train.

The right-handed pitcher has it all. Nasty pitches, keeps the walks down, and creates weak contact.

Feltman will be the anchor for the Red Sox bullpen for a while. He’ll be 33 to start the year and at that point will be well established as an elite closer.

Red Sox Infield

Boston’s offense can be inconsistent at times. But it certainly tends to lean on the side of dominant. They tend to have a lot of power, although speed has been absent for a while now it seems.

The good news is they should have a nice mix of contact, power, and speed with their future talent.

Catcher – Ronaldo Hernandez

One of the two catchers on the roster will be Ronaldo Hernandez. He’ll be 32 to start the 2030 season. Hernandez has an elite arm and really solid defense. There’s also got a dangerous bat though. Could hit for a good average and rack up the doubles with a good 15-20 home runs thrown in. The right-handed hitter does not walk much though, which is his big negative.

Hernandez will be a defensive force and limit base stealers. That’s something Red Sox fans would love to see as they had such a problem with that this year. The fact that he’s no slouch offensively makes him that much more exciting.

Catcher – Kole Cottam

The other catcher will be Kole Cottam. At the start of the 2030 season, Cottam will also be 32. He might not be as polished defensively but he’s worked really hard to sharpen that part of his game. It deserves recognition as it went from being a weak-point in his game to being solid. If he keeps working on it Cottam could be fantastic. He’s already a very good game-caller.

Most importantly though, Cottam can mash. The average will be solid and he has tons of power. Could hit 30 doubles and 20 home runs in a season and I wouldn’t bat an eye.

These two together will be incredible and the only issue would be trying to get them both a lot of playing time.

First Base – Triston Casas

You had to see this one coming. Triston Casas is the prize of the minor leagues. He’s set to be a star in Boston for a long, long time.

Casas will be just 30 in the 2030 season, and manning first base. There really isn’t much that needs to be said here as everyone already knows how good he is. Middle-of-the-order left-handed bat. He’s solid defensively and has the ability to be a .300 hitter with 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBI.

MVPs could be in his future. And yes, I said “MVPs” with an “s” at the end. Plural.

Second Base – Nick Yorke

At second base will be Nick Yorke who looked amazing in 2021 and shocked a lot of people. The right-handed hitter was seen as a solid prospect, but someone that Boston reached for in the 2020 draft. Instead he was their best hitter in the organization this season.

Yorke plays a good second base and will 28 for the 2030 season. He’s going to hit over .300 and walk a good amount, setting up a lot of RBI opportunities for the middle of the order. Decent enough power, will rack up the extra-base hits and even steal a few bases. Nothing not to love.

Shortstop – Marcelo Mayer

Marcelo Mayer will be holding down the shortstop position. The Red Sox somehow got him at fourth overall in the 2021 draft despite being the consensus top prospect.

Mayer will be 27 for the 2030 season and the left-handed hitter should bring everything to the team. He’s very good defensively and could win some Gold Gloves. Meanwhile, his offensive game is phenomenal. Mayer has the ability to steal a handful of bases, hit over .300, and manage 25-plus home runs. Just elite stuff.

Third Base – Rafael Devers

It’s wild to think, but Rafael Devers will not only still be on the team, but there are some people in this article that are older than him – and they haven’t even played in the Majors yet. Devers will still be just 33 for the 2030 season. That’s pretty insane.

At that point, the left-handed hitter might be one of the best players in Red Sox history. He certainly has all the offensive tools to do just that. And he’ll still be young enough that he could be in his prime – which is just ridiculous. We could still be getting 30-40 home run seasons from him at that point.

Third Base – Blaze Jordan

Blaze Jordan’s offensive game is just fun. There’s really no other way to put it. He’s going to be that tape-measure home run type of player. Like when Giancarlo Stanton gets a hold of one and it leaves the park in two seconds and you’re wondering if it went over 500 feet. Yeah, that’s going to be Jordan.

The right-handed hitter is solid defensively and should be good at third base. He’ll be 27 for the 2030 season and might be flirting with 200-plus career homers at that point. Should hit for a decent average and rack up the extra bases, home runs, and RBI.

Middle Infield – Jeter Downs

I have Jeter Downs set as a backup. The 2021 season certainly didn’t do him any favors. However, the right-handed hitter has already been correcting that issue. He finished the year strong and has looked great in different leagues this offseason already.

Downs should still get a decent amount of playing time in this scenario. He can plays second base and shortstop and maybe will even throw in some time at third base. Due to limited time his numbers might not be insane, but could be the guy that you trust at any time and will fill in like a superstar when needed. He’ll be 29 to start the season and the biggest issue might be that he’d want to go to a team where he gets more playing time because he could be a star.

Utility-man – Ceddanne Rafaela

Ceddanne Rafaela will be the utility-man. Brock Holt 2.0. And I know this is going to get a lot of hate because Holt is a legend and everyone in Boston loves him (as they should). But I’m going to say it anyways. Rafaela will be infinitely better – and just 29 at the start of the 2030 season.

Holt was very good defensively at second base. I honestly think he could have won a Gold Glove at some point if he played there full time. But everywhere he was average.

Rafaela is a stud everywhere. Legitimately can play all three outfield spots, third base, shortstop, and second base. And he is a Gold Glover at all of them. The right-handed hitter also has a lot going for him on offense. Elite speed that could warrant 25-30 steals. Decent contact and pop that could see 10-plus homers as well and a lot of extra base hits.

He’ll get a lot of playing time because he can go anywhere.

Red Sox Outfield

The Red Sox outfield had some serious defensive issues in 2021. Their offense slapped though. That being said, the 2030 lineup shouldn’t have that first lineup. They might not be flawless but there will be a lot to love. And the offense is still going to go hard.

Centerfielder – Gilberto Jimenez

Gilberto Jimenez will be the centerfielder. He has insane speed. His defense is really solid and he has a good arm. That might be surprising considering the switch-hitter is not very big and is far from a power hitter.

Jimenez could be the throwback type of leadoff hitter. He’ll be just 29 at the start of the 2030 season and might be 250-plus steals in already. Seriously, he’s got that type of speed. Slapping singles and stealing bases. Love to see it from the leadoff guy.

Jimenez could hit .300 and steal 50 bases. Might add some power (he tried to do it but it was pretty unsuccessful this season), but honestly if he doesn’t, I’m more than happy having that type of guy at the top of the order and letting the rest of the lineup bring him in. Great defense, great contact, insane speed.

Corner Outfielder – Jarren Duran

Jarren Duran got his first taste of the Majors in 2021. Things didn’t go particularly well for him in that time, but he also flashed the potential of someone that could be an absolute stud.

One big issue was the strikeouts. And that felt like it came with his new power. Sometimes it felt like he was swinging for the fences and that led to some slumps. But Duran is so insanely talented that if he just plays his game, the home runs will come and the left-hander will hit for average as well.

Could be a good average bat with 20-plus homers and 40-plus steals. He’ll be 33 at the start of the 2030 season so everything should still be clicking nicely for him. Not elite defense but he’s improved and his speed will help him as he patrols one of the corner outfield spots.

Don’t let 107 at-bats in 2021 turn you off from the amazing talent that is Jarren Duran. He’s a major part of the Red Sox future.

Corner Outfielder – Alex Verdugo

Alex Verdugo is another one that already has a seriously significant role on the team now that will still be around in 2030. Verdugo is only 25 right now and will be 33 at the start of the 2030 season. Patrolling left or right field, he’ll still be a Gold Glove type of player.

Meanwhile, offensively Verdugo will likely still be the same type of player. Not major power but might be able to get you 15 home runs, 20 in a good year. Really good contact, with the ability to hit around .300 with 30-plus doubles and a handful of steals. Just a great bat to have in your lineup. And you can’t not love the energy.

Backup Outfielder – Nick Decker

Nick Decker will be 30 to start the 2030 season. The left-handed hitter will be serving a role as the backup outfielder. He’s going to be great for that too as he has the athleticism to takeover at any of the three spots if needed. Meanwhile, he has a good combination of contact, power, and speed.

Maybe he isn’t elite in any of those three categories, but the fact that he could hit .280-plus with 15-20 homers and 15-plus steals makes him so valuable. Decker will be able to give the Red Sox whatever they need whenever they need it.

Utility-man – Ceddanne Rafaela

Really not much to say here that hasn’t already been said, but felt like he needed to be added because Rafaela will be playing in the outfield as much as the infield. Seriously, the defense is legit and even in games where he didn’t play don’t be surprised to see him patrolling a spot someone on the field late in games as a defensive replacement.