"I’m invested in how they’re doing as players" - Rob Refsnyder on using shared experience to lead Red Sox dugout

For many professional athletes, getting a position in the major leagues is the ultimate dream. But for Rob Refsnyder of the Boston Red Sox, that dream took a long path filled with challenges before becoming a reality. Refsnyder, who is now an established player, has decided to use the lessons from his difficult journey to help and guide his younger teammates.

In an interview with MassLive, the veteran discussed his role in the Red Sox dugout:

“I think they know I’m invested in how they’re doing as players. I definitely care. I’ve had a wide spectrum in my career of failure and different situations so I think that helps some of the guys be able to relate.”

At 33, Rob Refsnyder is one of the senior players on the Red Sox roster. But it was not until 2021 that he finally established himself as a regular player in the big leagues with the Minnesota Twins. Before that, he spent seven seasons bouncing between the majors and minors with the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.

The struggle has given him a lot of experience that he is now able to share with others. He knows how lonely and mentally draining the ups and downs of a minor league journey can be for young players with the talent to reach the MLB but lack the opportunity.

“It’s hard to fake if you really care how other people are doing," Refsnyder said. "I think baseball is such a unique sport where you can get so caught up in your individual success and failures."

This season, the Red Sox have had a lot of big-name, highly-paid players out due to injuries. Refsnyder himself joined the team on April 18 after being on the injured list. Three days later, he helped an inexperienced, young Boston team to a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates with an RBI double and one run scored.

Refsnyder’s teammate agrees he’s a good leader

One of Refsnyder’s closest friends on the team, Jarren Durran, recently praised him for his leadership in the dugout. Duran likely values Refsnyder's shared experience of bouncing around different teams and positions early on in his career.

“He’s a guy you look up to. He’s a very quiet leader but he’s one of the leaders who represents how you want to go about things every day,” Durran said, per MassLive.

This connection creates a sense of trust and allows Refsnyder to offer valuable guidance to the team. Entering his third year in Boston, the 2012 fifth-round pick has played 146 games for the Red Sox in the last two seasons.