The Duck Boats will be running on schedule through the rest of 2025 and presumably all of 2026.
The next championship parade through the streets Boston doesn’t feel imminent.
All four of the city’s big-four teams are at different stages of their building processes and nobody is near the finish line just yet. Depending on how drastically the Celtics overhaul their roster with Jayson Tatum, all four could miss the next round of playoffs in their respective leagues.
All of which begs the question: Which Boston team is closest to a championship as the region’s long, painful title drought is likely to reach two years?
This list isn’t a guess at who’ll finish closer to the top of the standings in their respective leagues in 2025-26. This is who is likely to next be drinking champagne, whether that happens as soon as October (not likely) or not until 2044.
Think of it like golf.
It wouldn’t have been that long ago that all four of these teams were on the green, a putt away from hanging a banner. Now they’re all much further from the hole.
This will be the first of two times I do this, this summer. I’m creating this list now to have a frame of reference after the NBA and NHL Drafts and free agency, as well as the MLB trade deadline. Everybody has a chance to get better with some shrewd maneuvers, or in the Patriots’ case, strong camps.
Anyway, here’s the list in reverse order.
Bruins Devils Hockey
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) reacts in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)AP
4. Bruins — The Bruins are currently furthest. But the offseason will shine better light on how far away they really are.
They have some key pieces in place, some money to spend, a high draft pick this year and a lot of draft picks in the years to come.
Internally, they’ll hope to have a healthier Charlie McAvoy, an available Elias Lindholm and an improved Jeremy Swayman alongside David Pastrnak in years to come.
But there are tons of unknowns. Marco Sturm is a first-year coach, and through signings and potentially trades, they’ll have a lot of new players.
There’s a good chance their high draft pick won’t be in uniform next season, but they’ll hope he can be an impact rookie in a year or two.
ESPN Bet has them at +10000.
Garrett Crochet
Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet has been stellar to date, but the same can't be said about the rest of the team's starting rotation. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)Getty Images
3. Red Sox— Let’s run through the ifs. If Alex Bregman and Triston Casas had stayed healthy, the Red Sox might have been in better position to make trades for bullpen help and a starter for a playoff push.
Now those guys are injured and the pitching, other than Garrett Crochet, is questionable and the lineup is weaker, and the Red Sox aren’t close to contending this year.
Spend a little money and get a little healthy and they can take a pretty big step in the offseason.
They’re going to have to make smart bullpen acquisitions in the offseason and figure out how to add another arm in front of the rotation.
But if Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer or Kristian Campbell become stars, there’s a nice foundation for the near future.
ESPN Bet has them at +3500.
Jaylen Brown & Derrick White of the Boston Celtics (2024)
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) talks with teammate guard Derrick White (9) after being called for a technical foul during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals against the Indiana Pacers, Monday, May 27, 2024, in Indianapolis.AP
2. Celtics— Playing off the golf analogy, they’re probably closest to the pin, but they’re sitting in sand trap.
As of now, Jaylen Brown is still on the roster and Jayson Tatum is expected to make a full recovery. So the 2026-27 Celtics will still likely feature two All-NBA players and potentially Derrick White. That scenario has the Celtics at No. 2 on this list.
What if Tatum doesn’t come back at full speed or Brad Stevens chooses to do a hard reset and trades Brown, White, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and rebuilds around Tatum?
That might be the right call, but if it happens, they’re much further away.
ESPN Bet has them at +1100 to win the 2026 NBA title.
Christian Gonzalez
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)AP
1. The Patriots — The Patriots aren’t close to the hole, but their ball is on the fairway with a clear look at the pin. Being No. 1 on this list speaks as much to their other teams’ troubles as it does the reasons for optimism in Foxborough.
Drake Maye has taken the first steps toward being an elite franchise quarterback. That doesn’t mean he’ll get there. His development and continued health are critical to any of this.
New England’s defense should be better and it looks like they drafted well.
In Mike Vrabel, the Patriots appear to have a capable coach.
ESPN has them at +7500 to win the Super Bowl.
What’s Hunter Dobbins got under the hood?
Major League Baseball is going to learn something about Hunter Dobbins this weekend. The rookie has spent much of this week looking foolish because his dad appears to have fibbed to him about the quality of his baseball career.
He’s obviously not the first dad to stretch the truth about their athletic career to impress their kid. But most of the exaggerators don’t get unmasked on the back page of the New York Post.
Adding to the drama, Dobbins pitches against New York on Saturday on national TV on Father’s Day Eve. If he gets knocked around by the Yankees, he’ll be the guy whose dad made him look foolish.
BUT...
If Dobbins overcomes whatever embarrassment he felt or feels and pitches well, suddenly he’s a guy with some toughness and guts out there. If that happens, Red Sox fans who already wanted to like him for talking trash to their first-place rivals will embrace him even more.
Don’t bounce it...
Rays Red Sox Baseball
Boston Bruins head coach Marco Sturm delivers the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP
Marco Sturm threw from the mound, reached the plate. That made the new Bruins coach’s ceremonial first pitch better than about 85 percent of people who attempt them.
Woe be to anyone, especially anyone who has a sports background, who bounces it, or worse, throws way high or way wide.
Football has a ceremonial coin tosser. Hockey drops a puck, while basketball flips the ball in the air.
Imagine if football forced its dignitaries to try to kick the ball off a tee? Baseball honors people by giving them a chance to embarrass themselves.
Rooting for a legend
If you only know Bill Plaschke from his regular appearances on Around the Horn, you’re missing the best stuff.
While Plaschke is good at being a sports guy on TV, he’s one of the best writers alive. His story this week on his own battle with Parkinson’s Disease is a powerful read.
Real Jeopardy! Clue
Sports clues from actual editions of America’s favorite quiz show. As always, mind the date
CATE GORY: ADDRESSING THE BALLPARK - $1000 - July 18, 2012
100 Joe Nuxhall Way
— Answer below
The Top 5
Top 5 Boston Athletes Under 25
5 - Mason Lohrei
4 - Christian Barmore
3 - Christian Gonzalez
2 - Roman Anthony
1 - Drake Maye
Today in Boston Sports History
June 13
2011 —The Bruins scored four times in just over four minutes to in Game 6 to force Game 7 vs. the Canucks in Vancouver.
NON-BOSTON BONUS — 1935 — Jim Braddock stunned Max Baer in a 15-round unanimous decision to win the world heavyweight title. Spoiler alert: That fight is the climax of the movie Cinderella Man.
Lightning round
Roman Anthony was an excellent hitter against left-handers in the minors. If he is what the Red Sox are hoping he’ll be, platooning him now is overmanaging and slowing his development.
The United States Men’s National Team isn’t exactly instilling confidence, a year out from the World Cup.
A clown parent in Vermont sued the Burlington Free Press for not covering his son’s basketball games. According to VTDigger, the suit suggested the lack of coverage “hurt his son’s college prospects and caused him stress and anxiety, gastrointestinal distress and panic attacks.” The suit was thrown out, but note to delusional dads everywhere: college coaches don’t find prospects via the Burlington Free Press.
Would the cap-strapped Avalanche trade Martin Necas for some of the Bruins’ draft capital? Seems worth finding out.
Happy Father’s Day to Dads everywhere, especially mine, who spent the better part of the 1980s driving this mediocre defenseman to rinks all over Massachusetts. The rides were as fun as the games.
Real Jeopardy! Question:
What is Great American Ballpark?
Finally...
If you need me, I’ll be trying to make new plans when it rains for the 13th straight Saturday.