In a 5-4 deficit with runners on the corners, Wilyer Abreu came to the plate for Team Venezuela in their March 16 World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against Team Japan. Boston Red Sox fans held their breath, wondering if their team's run of success in the WBC would continue. It did when it counted most for Venezuela.
Abreu crushed a towering, 409-foot, second-deck blast off the reigning WBC champions to give his country the 7-5 lead on the way to an 8-5 upset. He hurled his bat into the air as his teammates swarmed him, and he celebrated his clutch homer all the way around the bases.
The achievement, the energy and the vibes are nothing Red Sox fans haven't seen from their outfielders in the recent past. Ceddanne Rafaela turned into the king of walk-offs in 2025.
Rafaela isn't known for his consistency at the plate, but he always seems to come through when Boston needs him most. On June 4, he walked off the Los Angeles Angels with a Pesky Pole homer — the 308 foot knock is the shortest walk-off of all time. Less than a month later, Rafaela christened the Red Sox's Fenway Green City connect jerseys with an over-the-Monster blast to crush Pete Fairbanks and the Tampa Bay Rays. It was Boston's eighth-straight win, and Rafaela hit safely in all of them.
Wilyer Abreu joins Ceddanne Rafaela as the Red Sox's latest clutch hitter
WILYER FOR THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/N8sznMbHfc
— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 15, 2026
Most notably, Rafaela sent the Red Sox to the postseason. After a rough start to September when he was the worst qualified hitter in the major leagues, Rafaela lifted a triple to center field, over the head of Detroit Tigers outfielders. He slid into third base and buried his head in the bag as his teammates swarmed him, tears in his eyes.
Let's not forget the countless clutch plays Abreu and Rafaela have made — sometimes together — on their way to their 2025 Gold Glove Awards. Roman Anthony is also no stranger to a huge moment. He walked off the Houston Astros during a playoff chase during one of his 71 major league games and he notched the winning run for Team USA against the Dominican Republic in their WBC semifinal matchup.
The Red Sox's 2025 offense was streaky and struck out its fair share of times, leading to plenty of opportunities for walk offs. Rafeala delivered most often, but Abreu has showed he can meet the moment, too.
With any luck, Boston's offense will be more consistent this coming season and there will be fewer close games to potentially walk off. Even if the offense isn't that much improved, the Red Sox outfield should be able to handle anything that comes its way. If there's such thing as 'the clutch gene,' Abreu and Rafeala definitely have it, and Anthony may be well on his way.