For some players, baseball never slows down, even in the offseason. On December 1, just one month after the conclusion of the World Seires, Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu participated in the Pepsi Fesival Jonrón — and he won.
The 23rd edition of the annual event took place in Valencia, Venezuela, at Estadio José Bernardo Pérez. Abreu went up against fellow sluggers Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia, Jackson Chourio, Willson Contreras, Salvador Pérez, Andrés Chaparro, Francisco Rentería and Yasiel Puig.
Abreu crushed 20 homers in the first round of the competition and finished the night with 44 bombs. He beat Puig in the semifinal to advance to the last round, where he clobbered nine home runs to edge Chaparro, a first baseman in the Nationals organization, by one.
Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu wins Pepsi Festival Jonrón in Venezuela, beating out elite big league home run hitters
Red Sox fans knew Abreu could slug, as he hit the second-most home runs on the team in 2025 — he held the home run lead for quite some time, but Trevor Story's dominant final stretch of the season pushed him ahead. Abreu hit 22 home runs in 115 games last season, an over 30 homer pace for a full, 162-game season.
Abreu also secured his second consecutive Gold Glove Award for his work in right field in 2025, and he punctuated his season with a Home Run Derby win. He's been named a frequent trade candidate for the Sox and his two wins could boost his value on the market, but they could also show just how important he could be in Boston for a long time, especially after last season's power outage.
Red Sox send Kristian Campbell to play winter ball in Puerto Rico, will debut December 6
Kristian Campbell will also get in on more baseball action this winter. The Red Sox will send the young infielder/outfielder to Puerto Rico to join the Criollos de Caguas of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League (subscription required).
Campbell will debut on December 6. He'll be surrounded by Red Sox during his time in the Caribbean — the Criollos are managed by Red Sox bench coach Ramón Vázquez and Alex Cora lives in Caguas during the offseason.
Campbell didn't have a full-time position in 2025. He played mostly second base in the big leagues, leaving much to be desired with his infield defense, and keeping his positional future uncertain in Boston. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has mentioned that Campbell is best suited to playing the outfield, but he's listed as an infielder in the introductory post the Criollos made for him.
Many big leaguers have spent winters in Puerto Rico to help them improve their game, and after Campbell signed an eight-year extension early in 2025, the Red Sox need to make sure he gets enough experience to grow into a role with the team.