Did the 2024 Boston Red Sox live up to expectation? Finishing with an 81-81 record and third in the American League standings, Boston had the 11th-highest payroll in MLB, so perhaps, they fell a bit short.
Despite that, Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers still turned in All-Star-level efforts, providing Sox fans some hope each night. There were a few other players, though, who did not grab any headlines but still contributed more than expected
Going into the 2024 season, these three players were not anticipated to garner solid numbers but surprised Boston fans with a nice campaign.
3 Red Sox who posted a surprisingly good season in 2024
1. Greg Weissert
Greg Weissert was paid on a one-year, $744 thousand deal in 2024 after enduring a rollercoaster career with the New York Yankees, where he was called up and sent down constantly. He pitched in just 29 games in the past two seasons combined, but his inaugural campaign in Boston went much better than expected.
He appeared in 62 games and pitched to a 3.13 ERA with 58 strikeouts across 63 1/3 innings. Weissert did not surrender a single earned run from August 20 to September 28, which spanned 17 outings. The Fordham alum did not surrender an earned run in 49 of his 62 appearances, becoming a potential reliable arm in the future.
Greg Weissert, K'ing the Side. pic.twitter.com/eGmxoP5Y8G
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 1, 2024
2. Justin Slaten
Justin Slaten made his MLB debut this season at 26 years old and was one of the unsung heroes of the 2024 slate. He sparkled with a 2.93 ERA in 44 appearances with 58 strikeouts in 55 1/3 frames. He walked just nine batters and generated an impressive 1.012 WHIP.
Slaten struggled mightily with his control in the minor leagues and his WHIP reached almost 2.000 in 2022. He started to dial it in during the 2023 campaign. The third-round pick out of high school gave Boston a resounding rookie season.
He ended on a great note, handing over just two runs in September across 11 innings with an 11/0 strikeout-to-walk rate. Slaten's end to the 2024 season has even placed him among the contenders for the Red Sox's next closer.
Justin Slaten's Filth
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 7, 2024
5Ks in 2 innings. pic.twitter.com/dWS2hl3wKK
3. Connor Wong
Connor Wong logged 126 games apiece in 2023 and 2024. Although he posted the same number of games, Wong's contribution was far bigger this past season. He boasted career-highs in batting average (.280), home runs (13), RBI (52), hits (125) and OPS (.758).
His defensive metrics were quite as kind to him in 2024, but he has started to figure it out on offense as the go-to catching option. He was particularly hot at the dish through June and was shockingly hitting at a .323 clip halfway through the season.
Boston has plenty of options to consider this offseason. It will make sense for them to try and acquire some All-Star talent, but the Red Sox had these three players step up in a season that saw the franchise fall flat. Their efforts may have been bought them another life with this rebuilding organization.