What We Got Right

The Boston Red Sox have had an incredibly odd season so far in 2026.

We're about a quarter of the way through the season. Technically, 24.69 percent of the season has beem played and Boston is in last place in the American League East at 17-23. Obviously, that's not where the club wants to be. The Tampa Bay Rays are in first place in the division at 26-13 followed by the New York Yankees (26-15), Toronto Blue Jays (18-22), and the Baltimore Orioles (18-23).

Boston has taken some hits throughout the season from an injury standpoint with guys like Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, Johan Oviedo and Sonny Gray landing on the Injured List at different points. But the injuries aren't the story of the season so far. Even with the injuries, the Red Sox should be better. They have shown progress under interim manager Chad Tracy, but this is a club that should be closer to the top of the standings, not the bottom. Boston has the talent on paper, but the consistency hasn't followed.

With that being said, here are things we were right — and wrong — about through the club's first 40 games.

May 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs to third during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Boston's Offensive Struggles

Everyone — including the Red Sox themselves — saw offense struggles in the team's future. This past offseason, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow specifically pointed to a lack of power as a problem for the club that the team wanted to solve throughout the offseason. Boston added Willson Contreras, but didn't really add more power beyond him. Again, progress has been made over the last few weeks since Chad Tracy took over, but the Red Sox are still 28th in the league in homers and 27th in runs scored. You cannot contend with those numbers.

The Outfield Logjam Is Tricky And Not Getting Easier

Another thing that was a big talking point coming into the season and has remained the case has been the outfield logjam. With Anthony on the Injured List, it has quieted the conversation for a few days, but it will ramp back up when Anthony returns. The Red Sox have five outfielders and when everyone is healthy, there are guys not getting consistent playing time. Early on, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida felt this the most. Under Tracy, it has just been Yoshida. But the offense is struggling and Yoshida is one of the team's better hitters. In comparison, Duran is slashing .194/.253/.324. Something needs to be done to make sure Boston has its best lineup on the field each day.

What We Got Wrong

Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) throws during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Garrett Crochet's Early Struggles

Early in the season, we called Crochet's early struggles "fake" but that obviously isn't the case. Crochet should be fine in the long run, but he struggled early on and is now on the Injured List due to a shoulder issue. Clearly, the early struggles weren't fake.

Caleb Durbin

Caleb Durbin is young and has years of control left. In the long run, he very well may be a great addition to Boston. But his offense so far this season has been a struggle. When the Red Sox acquired Durbin, we were all over the deal, but so far, it hasn't been as great as initially expected.

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