Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
For all the success that the Red Sox have had this millennium, it’s been an up-and-down ride to say the least. Boston has made the playoffs 12 times over the last 25 seasons and won four World Championships during that time. On the other side of the coin, they have also finished last in their division six times, two of those years sandwiched around their 2013 title. Being a Sox fan has to be rough on the heart. The current version of this team is an exciting one; they made the playoffs with a lot of young talent only to lose a tight wild-card series to their arch-nemesis, the Yankees. For a team that traded its franchise player mid-season due to some unrest and bickering about what position he wanted to play, the outlook for the Red Sox is very positive. There is no question this team is on the rise, and we might only be seeing the very beginning of another exciting championship run.
This offensive core could be elite when all is said and done. Replacing Devers as the face of the franchise is Roman Anthony, who did not look out of place at all during his rookie season. A late-season injury was the only thing that could slow him down and derail the Red Sox momentum. He is a superstar in the making, and the Red Sox locked him up in August in a tidy bit of business. Jarren Duran has trade rumors swirling around his head as we write this, and it has nothing to do with his performance; he causes havoc for opposing pitchers in the box and on the bases. Wilyer Abreu is one of the more underrated players in the game; he plays the game the right way and helps his team win ball games. Trevor Story had his best season in Boston, going 25/31 and staying on the field from start to finish. The loss of Rafael Devers hurts this lineup, especially considering they couldn’t get much in return because of the length and girth of his contact. Alex Bregman filled in perfectly, but somewhat surprisingly opted out of his 2/80 contract to see what else is out there; the hope is that he will return to a park that suits his swing as good as any. The young duo of Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell couldn’t replicate the production of their teammate Roman Anthony, but they remain big parts of this squad's future. Carlos Narvaez was a pleasant surprise and needs to be called out. Can Triston Casas live up to the lofty expectations people have set on him?
This entire staff was carried by Garrett Crochet all year long during his Cy Young runner-up season. He continues to get better and should anchor this pitching rotation for years to come; he’s a true ace. The rest of the staff was inconsistent at best. This is the reason they brought Sonny Gray into the fold in an offseason trade with the Cardinals. He is a perfect complement to Crochet and will serve as a solid #2 in 2026. Brayan Bello had his best season as a pro, and he provides a high-floor option in the middle of the rotation. Injuries and inconsistency plagued the back end of the rotation until two young lefties rocketed up the minors and made impactful contributions in September. Payton Tolle and Connelly Early will look to crack the lineup in spring training and build on their impressive debuts. The bullpen had some nice performances this season, but one man stood above the rest: Aroldis Chapman, who had one of his best seasons as a big leaguer, which is saying something for the 37-year-old. The Red Sox would love to bring him back on a free agent deal. Garrett Whitlock could be the next in line if they can’t lock in Chapman.
The farm isn’t quite as exciting as it used to be; many of the most talented players have either graduated or will not return to the minor leagues. Tolle, Early, Jhostnxyon Garcia all made their debuts and retained eligibility for 2026. They could all play huge roles for the BoSox as they look to push deeper into the playoffs. Luis Perales and Kyson Witherspoon head another wave of talented young arms that will look to move into the upper minors this year. The hitting talent has thinned out significantly with the graduations of Anthony, Mayer, and Campbell, but Franklin Arias has the tools to be a big league difference-maker.
All told, this team is ready to have a big season and overcome its AL East rivals. Can all the pieces fit together at the right time, and who will they move to make everything cohesive and efficient? Red Sox fans, are you ready for another ride?
Dynasty Buys
Kristian Campbell
After a stellar start to his rookie campaign, Campbell hit a wall and began to struggle. He slashed .301/.407/.495 through the end of April, then posted a .159/.243/.222 triple slash from May 1st to June 18th before he was demoted to Triple-A, where he turned things around a bit with a .273/.382/.417 line through the end of the year, but his power never quite returned to the levels we saw in 2024. Reports are now surfacing that he lost considerable weight during the season, and it may have affected his ability to impact the ball. He had other issues as well, like a bit of a swing and miss problem and the fact that he put the ball on the ground more than 50% of the time at both levels, but the level of talent that pushed Campbell to top 3 prospect status last winter doesn’t just disappear and the hope is that an offseason spent adding and maintaining size and strength can return him to the player we saw in 2024. The Sox will also need to find a position for him to play as their lineup is already crowded, and that situation won’t get any better with players returning from injury in 2026, but Campbell’s struggles in 2025 have created a buy-low window heading into 2026.
Marcus Phillips
You could look at any of the college arms the Red Sox drafted in the first three rounds of 2025 (Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson) and consider them a dynasty buy thanks to the organization they landed in, but let's focus on perhaps the least well-known of that trio - Marcus Phillips. Drafted 33rd overall in comp round A, Phillips was a two-way player as a freshman at Iowa Western Community College. He transferred to Tennessee as a sophomore and pitched out of the bullpen to mixed results before working his way into the rotation in his junior year. In making the transition to starting, Phillips cut his walk rate from 16% to less than 10% and improved his strikeout rate from 24% to 27%, helping cut his ERA more than a full run to 3.90. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but the stuff will catch your attention: it's an upper-90s fastball that can touch triple digits, a high-spin slider, and a changeup that could admittedly use some work. Phillips is a big body at 6’4”/245, and he really gets down the mound, creating elite extension to help his upper-end velo play up even further. That big body, stuff, and the fact that he is still relatively raw on the mound as a former two-way player, inspire dreams of a workhorse starter with big-time strikeout upside, but should his command hold him back, he could be a dangerous weapon out of the bullpen. Being relatively unheralded, he can likely be had outside the first couple rounds of FYPDs and is a nice dart throw for an arm with plenty of upside in a system that has shown an ability to get the most out of college pitchers. Don’t be shocked if he follows a path similar to that of Payton Tolle.
Dynasty Sells
Trevor Story
25 HR and 31 SB don’t grow on trees, but those numbers are exactly what make Trevor Story a sell-high candidate. It’s the first time he’s cracked 20+ home runs since 2021, his last year in Colorado, and the first time he’s ever surpassed 30 stolen bases in the majors. A big part of the reason for that is the fact that 2025 was also the first time he played at least 100 games in a Red Sox uniform. He had hand and foot injuries in 2022, elbow surgery in 2023, and a shoulder injury in 2024, limiting him to just 163 games over the first three years of his tenure with the Sox. Add in the fact that his approach and contact metrics have never been great, and his quality of contact is down since leaving Colorado, and it seems unlikely that he’ll have another season like he just did at age 32.
Luis Perales
Perales was rising through the ranks prior to an elbow injury in June of 2024 that required Tommy John surgery after just 33.2 innings. He returned to make just a couple of appearances in 2025 and is now lighting up radar guns in the Arizona Fall League and fuelling his prospect hype once again. Perales has big time stuff, but doesn’t always know where it’s going; aside from his 33 innings in 2024 (and another 25 innings in complex ball back in 2022) he has failed to walk fewer than 12% of opposing batters at any level dating back to 2021 and he continued to struggle with command in the AFL where he walked nearly nine batters per nine innings. Command can sometimes be the last thing to return following TJ, so if he can return in 2026 with the same level of command he showed right before surgery, he will rocket back up rankings, but the more likely outcome is a fast-track to the big league bullpen. The AFL hype is creating a sell-high window, and now is the time to take advantage before everyone realizes the big radar gun readings were accompanied by an ERA above 9.00.
Top Fantasy Prospects
Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our September end of season list.
In many respects, Tolle is a prospect in name only and will only be eligible for a bit longer. The 23-year-old rocketed through the minor leagues after being selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of TCU, making his major league debut late in the 2025 season. Tolle is a big guy (6’6, 250 pounds) with a big mustache, a big fastball (64% usage, 96.6 MPH average, 67th percentile spin), big extension (7.5 feet), and earned big results. Tolle earned above-average whiff and barrel rates against big-league hitters, as well as strong strikeout and hard-hit rates, while allowing roughly 10% less zone contact than average. The lefty’s low release and five-pitch arsenal earned three starts from late August to early September before the Red Sox deployed him as a reliever for their playoff hunt. This time last year, we would have never expected Tolle to pitch meaningful major league innings. While his odds of starting the season in the rotation are lessened, Tolle is still as valuable a prospect arm as any, and his proximity only improves his standing for your dynasty team. - Drew Wheeler
The Password was incorrect in Garcia's first taste of the big leagues, but don't worry, he's got a few more attempts before getting locked out. He climbed inside our top 100 with his 2025 performance as the profile remains pretty much the same - he'll be a better asset in batting average leagues than OBP, but his average should help buoy his OBP enough that it won't hurt your team. He still showed solid power with a .203 ISO and 21 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A, but his contact took a bit of a step back in Triple-A, where his strikeout rate rose to 29%. Expect Garcia to start the year back in Triple-A, where he'll be given time to work on the finer points of his game, but he should get a more extended opportunity with the big league club in 2026. - Kyle Sonntag
Arias' power regressed as he saw his ISO fall from .178 in 2024 to just .111 in 2025 while he hit one fewer home run (8) despite playing in nearly 30 more games. Power was never likely to be a major part of Arias' game, though, as he is instead regarded more for his advanced plate approach and bat-to-ball skills. The contact took another step forward in 2025, posting a near 90% contact rate overall. However, his approach faltered, as his BB% fell from 13% last season to just 7% this year. His speed also seems to have taken a step back as he’s matured, and after stealing 35 bases in 41 attempts (85% success) in 2024, he swiped just 12 bags on 21 attempts (57% success) in 2025. With his contact skills and defensive ability, he could be an everyday lead-off hitter for the Red Sox, but how much fantasy value he provides will come down to whether or not his power and speed (or even just one of the above) can play to even 40 grade levels. He's still a highly regarded prospect, ranked in the top 100 or better in most publications, but now might be the time to sell before we see how his power and speed (or lack thereof) translate in the upper minors. - Kyle Sonntag
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Watch Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live & Stadium! | Amateur and Dynasty Team Writer/Podcaster | I love the Tennessee Volunteers, milk, pitchers, catchers, & you <3 P4:13
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
