The Boston Red Sox head into their April 2, 2025, matchup against the Baltimore Orioles in a familiar, frustrating position: trying to find early-season consistency after a slow start. Through their first four games, the Red Sox have managed just 11 runs and are struggling to get their offense in sync. While it’s far too early for panic in the 162-game marathon of an MLB season, the trends are familiar to fans—sluggish bats, inconsistent at-bats, and the burden of carrying close games falling too often on the pitching staff. Against a red-hot Orioles offense and a historically difficult divisional rival, Boston will need to show some urgency if they want to avoid falling further behind in the AL East. At the core of the Red Sox’s current struggles is their underwhelming offensive output. Rafael Devers, their most dangerous bat, has yet to heat up and looks out of rhythm at the plate. Triston Casas, who entered the season with high expectations after a strong finish to 2024, has also gotten off to a cold start. With those two struggling, the team’s power production has essentially stalled. The Sox have been overly reliant on bloop hits and defensive miscues rather than sustained rallies or extra-base power, and that simply won’t work against a team like Baltimore that can put up crooked numbers in a hurry. There have been a few positives, however. Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela have brought youthful energy and flashed signs of offensive upside, particularly in situational hitting. Masataka Yoshida has looked more comfortable in his second season, showing better plate discipline and making consistent contact. But overall, the Sox lineup lacks the kind of punch needed to keep pace with a Baltimore team that has already scored 24 runs in its first four games and shown no signs of slowing down. Pitching, on the other hand, has been reasonably stable—though far from dominant. The Red Sox have allowed 13 runs through four games, which would be manageable if the offense were pulling its weight. Starting pitcher Garrett Crochet, recently acquired from the White Sox and signed to a long-term extension, is expected to take the mound in this matchup.

Crochet has enormous upside with a fastball that touches triple digits and a wipeout slider, but he remains relatively untested as a full-time starter. The Red Sox are banking on him to develop quickly and give them a legitimate top-of-the-rotation arm moving forward. Boston’s bullpen, while improved on paper, has yet to be seriously tested due to the lack of leads to protect. Kenley Jansen returns as closer, but questions remain about the middle relief corps and their ability to bridge games effectively if the starters can’t consistently go six innings or more. Defensively, the Red Sox are average across the board. Rafaela provides elite defense in center field, and Devers has worked to improve his glove at third, but there’s still a lack of cohesiveness in turning double plays and preventing extended innings. In tight games, this can be the difference between a win and another frustrating loss. As they face the Orioles and their relentless lineup, the Red Sox must find a way to spark their offense and get a strong outing from Crochet. If they can do that—and finally get Devers and Casas going—they may be able to steal a game and avoid a series sweep. If not, they risk heading back to Fenway still searching for answers.