Much of the focus on the 2025 Boston Red Sox has been on new additions to the team, whether they're offseason signings like Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman or new prospects like Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer.
However, ESPN's David Schoenfield recently shared a rather bold prediction about the Red Sox outfielders, all of whom were on the team last year. If it comes true, it'd be a big step forward for the team from within the organization.
In ESPN's preseason power rankings, they shared bold but realistic predictions for each team. For the Red Sox, they predicted that Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu could all win Gold Gloves. No team has ever won all three outfield Gold Gloves, so it's fair to say this is a unique prediction.
ESPN predicts Gold Gloves for Red Sox outfielders Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu
Jarren Duran doing his best Spiderman impression 🕷️ pic.twitter.com/b4Aor3mkoa
— NESN (@NESN) September 12, 2024
Although it might sound totally crazy, a closer look reveals that Schoenfield's prediction isn't out of the question. Abreu, who's already off to a hot start at the plate, won a Gold Glove in his rookie season last year. Duran was a finalist in center field last year and ranked in the 95th percentile in outs above average. He can also fly, which gives him excellent range. Rafaela also has great speed and a strong arm, and he'll benefit from playing in center every day. The Sox are expecting a big improvement from him at the plate, so it's possible that he can take a step forward on defense as well.
Rafaela is the biggest question mark for three reasons. First, this should be his first full season in center, so it remains to be seen how he'll adjust. Second, Roman Anthony, the No. 2 prospect in MLB, is lurking, and the Sox hope he'll make his big league debut sometime this year. Rafaela will have to hit well enough to keep his spot in the lineup once Anthony gets the call. And finally, if Trevor Story's injury history is anything to go by, it's possible that Rafaela will have to do some time at short to cover for him, which could take away his eligibility for an outfield Gold Glove. So while ESPN's prediction certainly seems possible, a lot of things need to go right for the Red Sox to make it happen.