ARLINGTON -- Bruce Bochy still gets some butterflies on Opening Day. The Rangers' manager will begin his 28th season at the helm of an MLB club on Thursday afternoon when Texas faces the Boston Red Sox to kick off the 2025 season.
¡°I¡¯d be lying, if I was saying I wasn¡¯t thinking about Opening Day,¡± Bochy said. ¡°We have Boston coming up, we got to get ready for that. That day when I get up, that's when the juices really get going. These guys will tell you, doesn't matter how long you've been in this game, you're going to get ramped up. It's just -- it's an exciting time.¡±
Both clubs missed the postseason in 2024 and after active offseasons, both are ready to hit the ground running.
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Rangers: Opening Day is on March 27 at 3:05 p.m. CT. It will be aired on the newly-formed Rangers Sports Network and streamed on Victory+. Fans in the DFW area can also listen on the radio at 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) for English and KFLC 1270 AM for Spanish.
Red Sox: In Boston, the game will be televised on NESN with Dave O¡¯Brien doing the play-by-play and Lou Merloni serving as the analyst. The game will air on the many affiliates that make up the team¡¯s radio network, including the flagship station of 93.7 FM. Will Flemming, in his first year as the team¡¯s lead play-by-play voice, will be working alongside Will Middlebrooks.
What are the likely lineups?
Rangers:
- Marcus Semien, 2B
- Corey Seager, SS
- Wyatt Langford, LF
- Adolis García, RF
- Joc Pederson, DH
- Josh Jung, 3B
- Jake Burger, 1B
- Jonah Heim, C
- Leody Taveras, CF
The Rangers added some pop in the lineup this offseason, acquiring Jake Burger via trade and Joc Pederson in free agency. Bruce Bochy may decide to change things up with a lefty on the mound for the Red Sox on Opening Day, but this is the most probable everyday lineup.
Red Sox:
- Jarren Duran, LF
- Rafael Devers, DH
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Triston Casas, 1B
- Trevor Story, SS
- Connor Wong, C
- Wilyer Abreu, RF
- Kristian Campbell, 2B
- Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
With Bregman¡¯s big right-handed bat added to the mix, Devers will DH most of the time. Boston¡¯s lineup looks loaded. Kristian Campbell, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 7 prospect, won the job at second base.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi will take the ball on Opening Day for the second year in a row with Texas, his fifth overall after doing so three times with the Red Sox from 2020-22. The Alvin, Texas native has been the de facto ace of the staff the last two seasons with Jacob deGrom sidelined due to Tommy John surgery. The right-hander posted a 3.72 ERA in his first two years with Texas before being re-signed to a two-year deal this offseason.
Red Sox: While Garrett Crochet was brilliant in the first half of last season to earn a trip to the All-Star Game, it¡¯s quite possible he has another level to go to. Remember, 2024 was Crochet¡¯s first season as a Major League starter. He had made a total of 72 relief appearances from 2020-23 -- missing all of ¡®22 in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. In Spring Training, Crochet was throwing in the upper 90s on a regular basis while mixing in his sinker, cutter and sweeper.
How might the bullpens line up after the starter?
Rangers: The Rangers completely rebuilt the bullpen this offseason, adding six relievers, many of whom could fill high leverage roles: Chris Martin, Luke Jackson, Robert Garcia, Shawn Armstrong, Jacob Webb and Hoby Milner.
Red Sox: Aroldis Chapman, part of the Rangers¡¯ World Series championship team of ¡®23, is expected to open the season as the closer for manager Alex Cora. Liam Hendriks, Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Justin Wilson are other pitchers who will see action when the game is on the line.
Any injuries of note?
Rangers: Over the last two weeks of Spring Training, the Rangers lost a pair of starting pitchers in Jon Gray (wrist fracture) and Cody Bradford (elbow soreness), eliminating most of the depth in the rotation. Reliever Josh Sborz is sidelined until the summer after offseason shoulder debridement surgery.
Red Sox: From a position player standpoint, Masataka Yoshida is the only player the Red Sox will be without on Opening Day. While the left-handed hitter DH¡¯d throughout Spring Training, he isn¡¯t able to throw at full strength yet as he comes back from right shoulder surgery. Boston is down three starting pitchers to open the season in Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford. Bello and Giolito are expected back soon.
Who¡¯s hot and who¡¯s not?
Rangers: Manager Bruce Bochy said the offense isn¡¯t clicking on all cylinders just yet, but a number of key players seemed to hit their stride over the last week of Cactus League play. Joc Pederson hit a team-high four home runs this spring, while Corey Seager homered in back-to-back games to end his Cactus League season. Over his final eight games this spring, Seager hit .412/.565/.941 with two homers, two doubles and eight RBIs. In 10 games this spring outfielder Wyatt Langford slashed .481/.548/.815 with two home runs and seven RBIs. After a slow start to the spring, second baseman Marcus Semien had an .837 OPS over his last nine games.
Red Sox: Boston¡¯s two biggest acquisitions both had a strong Spring Training. Crochet notched a 0.57 ERA while striking out 30 over 15 2/3 innings in his five starts. Alex Bregman, meanwhile, wore out the replica Green Monster at JetBlue Park while putting up a 1.026 OPS. Quietly, Ceddanne Rafaela put together a solid spring, belting a pair of homers to go with 10 RBIs and a .935 OPS. Chapman was nasty, holding opponents to a .120 average while punching out 14 in 7 1/3 innings.
Anything else fans might want to know?
This will be the first time the Red Sox have opened their season in Texas since 2011, when Adrian Gonzalez¡¯s three RBIs and David Ortiz¡¯s home run weren¡¯t enough in a 9-5 loss. Prior to that, Boston opened in Arlington in ¡®06 and rode Curt Schilling¡¯s right arm to a 7-3 victory.