A Boston Red Sox Fan’s Guide To The 2023 Season

Opening Day for Major League Baseball is this Thursday, and Red Sox fans in Massachusetts are gearing up for 162 games of action.

There is a lot to know about the Red Sox heading into the 2023 MLB season.

Which players are new to the team?

How do I watch the games?

How much are tickets at Fenway Park?

Play MA has you covered, as we have put together our Red Sox Fan Guide that gives you all the information you need to know heading into the season.

In addition, now that online sports betting in Massachusetts is legal, there are even more reasons to be excited for baseball this season.

Red Sox team analysis

The Red Sox finished last season with a record of 78-84 and missed the playoffs. However, it is a new season, and the team is gearing up for a successful 2023 campaign.

There has been quite a bit of roster turnover in Beantown this offseason. The key loss to Boston’s roster was the departure of superstar Xander Bogaerts in free agency, as he signed with the San Diego Padres.

However, the team re-vamped by signing free agents veterans Justin Turner, Adam Duvall and Kenley Jansen. Other newcomers to Boston include Adalberto Mondesi, Corey Kluber, James Paxton and Masataka Yoshida.

There is a lot of hype surrounding Yoshida heading into his first MLB season. Yoshida signed a five-year contract with Boston in December after playing in Japan from 2016-2022. While there, he hit .327 with 133 home runs and 467 RBIs. The 29-year-old outfielder figures to be in the mix to win American League Rookie of the Year.

Boston’s best player is Rafael Devers, and he could make a run at American League MVP this year. He is no stranger to taking home hardware, as just a few seasons ago he won a Silver Slugger Award. He enters this season coming off back-to-back All-Star appearances, and will be the driving force for the Red Sox lineup.

Fangraphs projects that the Red Sox will finish with a record of 83-79, which would be a five-game improvement from last season. A record like that figures to at least put Boston in the AL Wild Card conversation.

Red Sox prices

The Red Sox have one of the most loyal fan bases in all of sports. They have ranked in the top five in attendance each of the past two seasons, and Fenway Park is expected to be full for most games again this season.

Here is a quick look at prices for tickets and concessions you can expect when attending a game at Fenway:

Tickets

As with any MLB ballpark, ticket prices at Fenway Park can vary. Some seats are more expensive than others, as the closer you are to the action, the more expensive the tickets tend to be.

Ticket prices can also fluctuate based on who the Red Sox are playing. In addition, weekend games tend to cost more than weekday games.

According to Play MA research, over the past two seasons, the average ticket price for an MLB game at Fenway Park was $61.71. That’s the highest price in baseball.

Concessions

On average, an estimated 22 million hot dogs are sold yearly at major league ballparks. At Fenway Park, the average price for a hot dog is $6.

The average cost for a beer at Fenway Park is $9.50, which is the seventh-highest average in the league. Both beer and hot dog price averages at Fenway Park are pricier than the league average.

NESN

Most regular-season Red Sox games are televised in Massachusetts on the New England Sports Network (NESN). The network is available through most cable and satellite providers.

If you live in the New England region and subscribe to a cable/satellite provider, you can also sign up for NESN’s streaming platform, NESN+.

In addition, the Red Sox figure to have several nationally televised games featured on ESPN, MLB Network and Apple TV this season.

MLB.TV subscription

If you are a Red Sox fan living outside of Massachusetts, MLB.TV may be the viewing option for you.

Yearly MLB.TV subscriptions for 2023 are available for $149.99 for the full season, or $24.99 per month. Both of these options would give you access to watch all MLB games.

If you are only going to watch Red Sox games, the single-team package is available for $129.99 for the season. Keep in mind that blackout restrictions may apply to all MLB.TV subscriptions.

Fenway Park

The Boston Red Sox have called Fenway Park home for over a century. The ballpark was designed by architect James McLaughlin and was constructed for $650,000. It opened in 1912, and remains the oldest ballpark in MLB to this day.

Fenway’s most famous feature, the Green Monster, is a 37-foot-high wall in left field that sits just 310 feet away from home plate down the left-field line.

The deepest part of the park is right-center, extending 420 feet from home plate. The shallowest part of Fenway is down the right field line, as the Pesky Pole sits just 302 feet away from home plate.

The seating capacity at Fenway Park is 37,305 during day games, and increases to 37,755 for night games.

Because of its age and history, Fenway remains a bucket-list destination for baseball fans. It’s a shrine to the game and the same park where Red Sox greats like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and David Ortiz all played.

RELATED: Red Sox Getting 42% Of World Series Bets At BetMGM In Massachusetts

Red Sox betting in Massachusetts

Now that online sports betting is live in Massachusetts, baseball fans in the Commonwealth have the opportunity to bet on the MLB regular season, playoffs and World Series.

There are seemingly endless wagers available, including the popular moneyline, run line and totals (Over/Under) bets. More niche bets like player props, team props and parlays are also available.

The chart below shows Red Sox futures odds at various Massachusetts sportsbooks:

Retail sports betting in Massachusetts has been live since Jan. 31. Bets can be placed at three Massachusetts casinos: MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park Casino. You can now place Red Sox bets (and MLB bets in general) at all three of these locations.

Online betting in Massachusetts launched on March 10. Six sportsbook apps are now available in MA. They are: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, WynnBET and Barstool Sportsbook. All of these platforms offer Red Sox betting odds for all 162 regular season games, as well as the playoffs and World Series.

In addition, all of these platforms feature Massachusetts sportsbook promos and bonuses for new users.

If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, call 1-800-327-5050 or visit www.mahelpline.org/problemgambling to speak with a trained specialist for free, 24/7