Red Sox 34-Year-Old Fan Favorite Gives Secret To Success In Platoon Role

It's a tough job to do, but he makes it look easy.

Apr 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Rob Refsnyder (30) slides into second base during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Part of what makes Major League Baseball so great is that it's not always the stars who win over the hearts of a team's fan base.

The Boston Red Sox have plenty of stars: Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, and Alex Bregman, just to name a few. But a fan couldn't be blamed for saying their favorite player on the team right now is reserve outfielder Rob Refsnyder.

Refsnyder, 34, has never been a full-time starter in the big leagues. It's somewhat surprising, based on his early-career trends, that he's still in the league. But although the Red Sox don't play him on a daily basis, he excels whenever he's given the chance.

Refsnyder had great seasons for the Red Sox in 2022 and 2024, and through just 12 games in 2025, he's on his hottest pace yet. He's slashing .333/.361/.606 thus far, with two home runs, three doubles, and five RBI, predictably causing damage whenever he faces left-handed pitching.

In a recent interview, Refsnyder spilled his "secret" of how he's able to excel despite such limited playing time; he currently has about a third as many at-bats as the Red Sox team leaders.

“There’s the process of having a good at-bat, not being as result oriented,” Refsnyder said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “Obviously results are fantastic. They’re super important to winning games. But if you try to put yourself in good positions, hopefully over the course of the year, you can help the team win.”

“Until maybe ’21, I felt like I was just treading water and just trying to figure out some things for that day to help me compete that night,” Refsnyder said.

Refsnyder played for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins before arriving in Boston three seasons ago. He totaled -0.4 bWAR on those five teams, but he's racked up 3.0 bWAR in 763 plate appearances with the Red Sox.

The fact that the Red Sox got Refsnyder back on the roster for a $2.1 million club option in 2025 was an incredible bit of business. He plays an invaluable role on this club, and he may simply continue to play it as long as he still has the desire to remain in the big leagues.

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