A lot can change in four years time, and in the four seasons since the Red Sox last made a postseason (2021), the Boston sports landscape has completely transformed.
Of course, the Red Sox themselves look entirely different. Their 2021 playoff lineup featured mainstays like Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and J.D. Martinez. Eduardo Rodriguez, Nate Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta emerged at the top of Boston’s rotation, with Chris Sale struggling with injuries during that time. All of these aforementioned players no longer play for the Red Sox.
In 2021, Bobby Dalbec was a breakout player, recording 25 home runs in his first full major league season. Despite looking like a young star in the making, Dalbec never panned out in Boston and now plays for the White Sox.
There are only a few current Red Sox players that were on the roster last time Boston played in the playoffs. Jarren Duran and Connor Wong were both just starting to crack into the lineup in 2021, playing in 33 and 6 MLB games respectively. Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock both pitched in games that season as well.
Certainly the 2025 Red Sox are lacking postseason experience, but they’ll be able to lean on Alex Bregman in that regard. Bregman has played in 99 playoff games in his career.
But aside from the Red Sox, how did the rest of the Boston sports teams look in October 2021?
A heated QB battle for the Patriots
The Patriots were full of hope for their future in 2021.
Just over a month before the Red Sox’ playoff berth, the Mac Jones era began in New England. Jones beat out Newton for the starting quarterback job in training camp, and that season he led the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth in his own right.
Jones wasn’t fantastic. But for a rookie, he showed a lot of promise that season. He threw for over 3,800 yards and 22 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. And for a few months, it looked like New England could be poised to reemerge as a threat in the AFC.
Instead, Jones regressed with unstable offensive coaching, and the 2021 playoff team would become the final playoff team of Bill Belichick’s 24-year Patriots tenure.
Celtics on the verge
The Celtics, who have since solidified themselves as the top dog Boston team of the post-Tom Brady era in New England, were still clawing their way to the top in the NBA.
Their current core — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — was in place when the 2021 season began in October. Those two were surrounded by former Celtics staples: Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Daniel Theis, Grant Williams, and Rob Williams all contributed major roles to the team, and the 2021-22 season ended with a trip to the NBA Finals. They added Derrick White a few months into the season.
Of course, Boston didn’t get over the hump that season, which helped spur the eventual rash of acquisitions in the summer of 2023.
Back in 2021, it was already clear the Celtics could go as far as Tatum and Brown would take them, even if they hadn’t hoisted the NBA Championship quite yet.
Bruins still clinging to their championship window
From a team on the rise, to a team hoping not to fall.
After the Bruins lost to the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, Don Sweeney and the Boston brass made a number of free agency swings to keep their championship window open before Patrice Bergeron retired.
The 2021 roster consisted of players like Craig Smith and Taylor Hall, going along with the mainstays: Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and David Pastrnak.
The 2021-22 season also saw Boston bring in Linus Ullmark, marking the first year of the Bruins’ iconic goalie tandem with Jeremy Swayman.
October 2021 was as exciting a time for the Bruins as it was for the Red Sox. Though both teams ended up suffering early playoff losses, the Bruins always seemed to have a chance for a run with Bergeron leading the way. The 2021-22 season was his second-to-last in the Black and Gold.
