GOOD NEWS: More Than Just a Pitch — How the Red Sox’s “Change Up the Conversation” Campaign Is Quietly Redefining Mental Health in Sports
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Fenway Park, Boston — July 2025
As the Red Sox enter the 2025 season with a promising roster and championship aspirations, perhaps the most inspiring story in Boston this year isn’t happening between the foul lines—but outside the stadium, in quiet conversations and support rooms across New England.
It’s called “Change Up the Conversation”—a season-long initiative by the Red Sox Foundation to bring mental health out of the shadows and into the heart of the community.
“We used to think toughness was about muscles and grit,” said veteran pitcher Garrett Whitlock at a recent sit-down with 150 high school students at Fenway Park. “Now we know—admitting vulnerability is a win, too. And if one kid here today gets help after this, then we’ve already won, no matter tonight’s score.”
From Bullpen to Therapy Rooms
Launched in May during Mental Health Awareness Month, the “Change Up the Conversation” campaign is a collaboration between the Red Sox Foundation and six nonprofit organizations across New England—including The Home for Little Wanderers, The Herren Project, and Mass General Psychiatry.
This isn’t just PSA videos or feel-good tweets. The campaign is deeply embedded in the community:
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Current players and Red Sox alumni openly share their mental health journeys.
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Young people are invited to Fenway Park for workshops and meet-and-greets with athlete mentors.
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Families are connected with free or low-cost mental health resources—critical in a region still facing both stigma and care shortages.
“We’re not trying to fix everything,” said Bekah Salwasser, Executive Director of the Red Sox Foundation. “We just want to start the first conversation. Because in mental health, silence is often the most dangerous thing.”
When Athletes Speak Up
Former Red Sox utility player Brock Holt was among the first to publicly open up, discussing his struggle with depression post-retirement. In a video played at Fenway, Holt recalls staring in the mirror and not recognizing himself. “My wife said, ‘You need to talk to someone.’ That was the turning point.”
Current starter Brayan Bello also shared how the pressure of being called up to the major league left him sleepless for weeks.
That kind of vulnerability—coming from athletes known for toughness—has become the cornerstone of this campaign. It’s not just awareness. It’s personal truth.
More Than a Marketing Move
This is not a branding play. The Red Sox Foundation is putting over $1 million annually behind mental health efforts across the region. That funding goes toward:
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24/7 youth hotlines accessible through text apps.
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School-based programs where former athletes speak with teens about anxiety and self-worth.
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Direct financial aid for families with children in long-term therapy.
A mother in Dorchester, Massachusetts shared: “If it wasn’t for the Fenway workshop, I wouldn’t have known how to help my child. They didn’t just show us the way—they walked it with us.”
The Game Can’t Be Played Without Mental Health
One July evening, as Fenway Park glowed under stadium lights, a special guest took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch: Eli, a 12-year-old who was diagnosed with PTSD after a car accident. Thanks to outreach from the Red Sox’s mental health partners, Eli found a support group—and now stood smiling alongside his hero, Rafael Devers.
As the game kicked off, fans didn’t just cheer for the score. They were cheering for something much deeper—a victory that doesn’t show up in the box score: a win for compassion, for openness, and for changing the game around how we talk about mental health in sports.
The Red Sox may not win every game this season. But if every pitch becomes a message, and every swing builds community, they’re already transforming the league in ways that matter most.