The Boston Red Sox are in the midst of a youth movement. Boston has called up many of its young players to fill vacancies left by free agents such as Justin Turner and Adam Duvall.
The Red Sox also traded a few players in exchange for young players with years of team control. It may just be the front office's self-imposed financial restriction, but Boston has a lot of faith in its up-and-coming talent.
Against all odds, the Red Sox have played well this spring and young players have had a big hand in their success. But what the current Boston team lacks in experience, it makes up for in athleticism. If the Red Sox's Grapefruit League play is any indication, they have no plans to let being one of the youngest teams in MLB affect their season.
There are a fair few young Red Sox poised for a breakout, and some have already started theirs. From new teams to contract extensions, Boston's roster is full of players itching to make a statement.
3 Red Sox who can turn the franchise's fortunes around in 2024
Vaughn Grissom
Vaughn Grissom has yet to play a game in a Red Sox uniform as he's been injured for most of spring training, but his acquisition represented a huge change for the Sox — they offloaded an oft-injured Chris Sale for a younger, less expensive player that they can keep around for longer.
The second baseman spent the majority of his 2023 season with the Braves' Triple-A affiliate, so he has relatively little big-league experience, but Grissom raked in the Braves' system last year. He posted a .330/.419/.501 slash line (good for a .920 OPS). He shows a similar prowess for hitting the ball to all fields as Turner, and his first career home run came over the Green Monster, so he's previously exhibited offensive success at Fenway Park.
Grissom is a key example of the types of players the Red Sox have targeted in recent years. Boston loves athletic players with quality bats who can be shaped into a quality defender across the field. Braves analyst Nick Green believes Grissom's best position is at second base and that a full year of play there will do wonders for his defensive abilities, and it seems like the Red Sox agree that he's just what they need: a player who can be coached into a quality all-around player.