The Boston Red Sox's biggest bats struggled in the early goings of the 2025 season, but their home opener included a few home runs to celebrate.
Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu mashed back-to-back homers in the first inning of Boston's April 4 game against its multiple-time World Series rival St. Louis Cardinals. As Story approached the plate to finish his second home run trot of the season, his teammates posted up at the top of the dugout steps with their brand-new homer celebration in tow.
As he reached the dugout, Jarren Duran crowned Story with a Wally the Green Monster mask. The shortstop walked through the dugout to collect his high-fives as he smiled through the mask's (rather horrifying) open mouth.
Story didn't get to wear the Wally helmet for long, as he immediately placed it over Abreu's head after his third homer of the season exited over right-center field. The Fenway Park crowd buzzed with energy the city hasn't consistently seen in years as the new homer celebration established itself quickly.
Red Sox don Wally the Green Monster mask as home run celebration in 2025
STORY'S HOME. pic.twitter.com/UD4IcOXT8U
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 4, 2025
The Wally mask is Duran's brainchild, according to the Red Sox on Twitter. The team posted a video of mascots Wally and Tessie handing the outfielder the mask, and he was actually the first player to don the mask before Story's homer. He responded with the words Red Sox fans also thought when they saw it for the first time: "This is insane."
The Red Sox have a recent history of fun home run celebrations, but the Wally mask is the most relevant to the team, so far. Boston's first traditional homer celly came in 2022 when the players pushed home run hitters through the dugout in a laundry cart. Former Red Sox Christian Arroyo credited fellow former Sox Kevin Plawecki with inventing the routine.
In 2023, the Red Sox opted to celebrate with a set of inflatable dumbbells in honor of Masataka Yoshida, also known as "Macho Man." Last year, manager Alex Cora participated in the Boston Athletic Association 5k before the Boston Marathon, and he donated his medal to the team to be the 2024 home run tradition.
Hopefully, Red Sox fans will see a lot of the Wally helmet this season. A healthy Story, a full season of Triston Casas, an on-track Rafael Devers and the addition of Alex Bregman (.375/.490/.750 slash line and 1.240 OPS over 21 career appearances at Fenway Park during his tenure with the Astros) should help the Sox dominate in the power department.