Red Sox's Split With Driveline Founder Confirmed

To what extent are the Sox still a Driveline shop?

Cincinnati Reds minor-league pitching coordinator Kyle Boddy walks around the bullpen during spring practice, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, at the baseball team's spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. Cincinnati Reds Spring Training 2 23 2020 | Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Debate about the Boston Red Sox's involvement with Driveline Baseball has grown in intensity over the last couple of years. Now, at least on paper, that involvement has shrunk.

Driveline founder Kyle Boddy had worked in the Red Sox organization since 2024 as a special advisor to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow -- essentially, for Breslow's entire tenure. In the middle of a horrific season for the Red Sox, debate about Driveline's methodology and how it was rubbing off on the hitters, particularly the young ones, grew in notoriety.

Late on Tuesday, The Boston Globe reported that Boddy and the Red Sox no longer had a professional relationship. Whether that means the Red Sox still strongly believe in Driveline's principles is too early to state.

What we know -- Kyle Boddy leaves Red Sox

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Six chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

According to Tim Healey's report, Boddy left about a month ago when he and Breslow realized his other advisory roles conflicted with what he was doing in Boston. Boddy's X profile lists special advisory roles with Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball.

“If not for that, I’d stay with the org, but had to make a tough choice is all,” Boddy said via text to The Boston Globe. “Still very close with all the guys and hope for the best for the organization.”

Boddy also told The Globe that his role had become "very part-time."

Driveline's philosophy of data-driven performance has drawn the ire of plenty in the baseball community through the years. And while tracking things like exit velocity and spin rate on pitches is far from a problem, the Red Sox have systematically cut down on the amount of scouts they've employed over the past few years, which could easily be taken as a sign of overreliance on the data.

When Boddy was first hired in 2024, however, the main goal seemed to be improving the pitching research and development function of the organization--a goal the Red Sox have definitely accomplished under Breslow. Driveline teachings definitely play a role as well in how Boston develops its young hitters, however.

At the end of the day, Breslow determines how much of a Driveline shop the Red Sox remain, whether Boddy has a job title with the organization or doesn't.