The former Red Sox shortstop returned to Fenway Park on Friday for his first game there in more than three years, with thoughts on Roman Anthony, accountability and what keeps him playing at 33
The last time Xander Bogaerts suited up for a game at Fenway Park, he was wearing a Red Sox uniform. Today, he returned in a San Diego Padres jersey, stepping into the visiting dugout and taking in the familiar surroundings: the Green Monster, the tight infield dimensions and the cold spring air that immediately reminded him why he now calls Southern California home. It was a long-overdue return, more than three years after one of the most beloved shortstops in franchise history walked out of Boston.
A return more than 3 years in the making
Today marked the first time Bogaerts, now 33 and in his fourth season with the Padres, has actually played at Fenway since departing after the 2022 season. The Padres made a stop in Boston in June 2024, but a fractured shoulder kept him out of the lineup on that visit. Even sidelined, the Fenway crowd gave him a standing ovation, a gesture he described as genuinely touching.
Today was different. Bogaerts was announced in the starting lineup, batting second and still playing shortstop, and the crowd welcomed him back again with unmistakable warmth. For a player who won two World Series championships and holds the franchise record for games played at shortstop, stepping back onto that field carried real weight.
Xander Bogaerts gets a standing ovation in the first game he has played at Fenway since leaving the Red Sox đ pic.twitter.com/rF0ZAS1VJi
â MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2026
Reflecting on Roman Anthony and the face of the franchise
Bogaerts has been following Roman Anthonyâs rise closely from afar and recognizes in the young Red Sox phenom something familiar. Both were ranked No. 2 in the country by Baseball America heading into their respective call-up seasons, and both arrived in Boston during high-stakes pennant races. The comparison largely ends at the contract table.
Anthony secured an eight-year, $130 million extension almost immediately upon his arrival, a detail that Bogaerts, who could not reach an extension agreement with Boston and ultimately left for San Diego, acknowledged with both humor and genuine admiration. With Rafael Devers now traded, Bogaerts noted that Anthony has stepped into the role of carrying the franchise earlier and more visibly than most players ever have to.
What Bogaerts told the newest face of the Red Sox
When asked what advice he would offer Anthony, Bogaerts kept it focused on one essential quality: accountability. In a market like Boston, with the kind of history and fan expectation that the city carries, the ability to hold yourself to a standard, to your teammates, to the franchiseâs legacy and to the people in the seats, is the most critical thing a young star can develop. Bogaerts knows because it took time. He grew into that understanding over 10 seasons with the Red Sox, learning through both successes and difficult stretches that accountability in Boston is not a single moment but a daily commitment. He is passing that hard-won knowledge along.
From Boston expectations to Padres dreams
The contrast between playing in Boston and San Diego is something Bogaerts now understands from both sides. He noted the difference in how each fan base carries its relationship with winning. In Boston, the expectation of competing and winning is woven into the culture through years of championships. In San Diego, the energy is different: it comes from a city still searching for its first title and hungry in a way that Bogaerts has found genuinely energizing. Injuries slowed him during his first three seasons with the Padres, limiting him to 408 of 492 possible games. Despite that, bringing a championship to San Diego remains the clearest goal on his horizon.
Still a shortstop, and proud of it
One question that followed Bogaerts throughout his Boston career was whether he would eventually be moved off shortstop. More than a decade later, the answer is still no. He remains at one of the most demanding positions in the sport at 33, crediting extra preparation and more disciplined body maintenance for keeping him there.
He has come to understand what David Ortiz used to tell younger players in the Boston clubhouse: that age brings a kind of wisdom that compensates for what time takes from you in pure quickness. The game slows down in a different way, and the experience of having seen almost everything that can happen on a baseball field becomes its own competitive edge.
SOURCE: SSBCrack News