Red Sox's Alex Bregman Reveals Mentality Entering First Matchup With Astros

Jul 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox third base Alex Bregman (2) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

There are plenty of post-trade deadline storylines to examine as the Boston Red Sox open their series Friday against the Houston Astros, but we shouldn't lose sight of the Alex Bregman subplot.

Bregman will take the field for the first time in his major league career with the Houston Astros in the other dugout. The former Astros first-round pick played nine seasons in Houston, making two All-Star appearances and winning two World Series rings before signing with Boston in February.

The third-base slugger came to Fenway Park last August as a member of the conquering party, hitting a pair of back-breaking home runs as the Astros swept the Red Sox and dealt a huge blow to their playoff hopes. This time around, he's trying to prevent history from repeating itself.

So heading into an emotionally charged matchup on Friday night, what's going though Bregman's mind?

"I obviously have a lot of good friends over there, a lot of good memories, some friends for life. But I’m going to try everything possible to win every game against them," Bregman said, per Sean McAdam of MassLive.

Bregman made his comments on Wednesday, which meant he didn't yet know the Astros would re-acquire longtime teammate Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. But his comments still apply - and they might apply even more to next week's matchup, when the Red Sox will travel to Houston and Bregman will be greeted by his longtime fans.

“I don’t know what that’s going to be like,” Bregman said, per McAdam. “I’m just kind of taking it like the season, one day at a time and focus on the next pitch and really just focused on the game Friday. I played there for nine years, but with me and baseball, it’s focusing on the next pitch, the next game, and taking that mentality.

“Obviously, it’s going to be different because I played with those guys and I have really good relationships there, from top to bottom of the organization. Lot of good memories, a lot of wins. It will be different, but I’m excited. They’re a team in the American League that’s leading their division in the playoff race and it should be a tough matchup.”

That's the bottom line: These are games the Red Sox desperately need to win. There's time for Bregman to reflect, but the superstar has a job to do above all else.