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Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Red Sox biggest flop to begin 2026 MLB season

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Steve Silverman, ClutchPoints | Last updated Apr 6, 2026 10:04 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox have gotten off to a brutal start, and if Alex Cora’s charges are not careful, the team could find itself in a near-impossible position before the end of April.

Perhaps that is overstating the situation because there are so many games left in the 162-game season. The Red Sox find themselves down by 5.5 games to the archrival New York Yankees after just 10 games this season. Could a 10- or 15-game deficit be on the horizon?

The 2-8 start does not mean the Red Sox are destined for a brutal year, but if 2-8 becomes 5-15 or 7-19, it’s awfully tough to come back from that. Teams that are capable of overcoming somnambulant starts usually have hitting or pitching that can dominate the opponents.

The Red Sox clearly don’t have the hitting or power after trading Rafael Devers last season and then letting his replacement leave through free agency. Alex Bregman assumed the mantle of leadership in his only season with the Red Sox, but they did not see fit to keep him in the fold. The Red Sox did not want to match the offer the Chicago Cubs made for him — five years, $175 million — and his absence has been felt early in the season. At least some of that decision falls on owner John Henry.

Additionally, the Red Sox have first baseman Willson Contreras and third baseman Caleb Durbin. Neither one of those new additions have gotten off to acceptable starts. Both have struggled badly at the plate and Durbin has not looked particularly good in the field either.

Offense has been a major issue for this team. Wilyer Abreu appears to be the lone big bat that the Red Sox can count on. He is hitting .429 with 3 home runs and 7 runs batted in. He has looked like he has a chance to become a star this season. However the Red Sox need Roman Anthony to dominate and he is hitting just .235 with 1 home run and 2 RBI. That’s just not enough.

Red Sox are depending on their starting pitching

Photo Credit: Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

If there’s one area that Cora should be able to count on this season, it’s his pitching staff. Garrett Crochet ranks with the best pitchers in the American League after his dominant season 2025. He finished second to Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers in the Cy Young voting a year ago as he struck out a league-leading 255 batters.

Crochet is 1-1 to this point in the season after winning on Opening Day against the Cincinnati Reds and losing his next start to the Houston Astros. The Red Sox star left-hander is not the problem.

Former Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez is the team’s No. 2 starter, but he has not looked like it. He looked like he was having problems in spring training and his early starts for the Red Sox have been awful.

Suarez has made two starts for the Red Sox and he has pitched 8.1 innings. Suarez has given up 13 hits and 8 earned runs. He has given up two long balls and he has failed to strike out batters the way the Red Sox have expected. He has fanned just 5 batters while walking 3. Suarez has a brutal 8.64 earned run average and 1.92 WHIP. Neither of these figures are close to what the Red Sox have been expecting.

The hope is that he will show the form he had last season with the Phillies when he made 26 starts. Suarez had a 12-8 record while striking out 151 batters in 157.1 innings. He also had a 3.20 ERA last year. If Suarez can get back on track and find a similar form with the Red Sox, Cora will be happy.

Suarez is not the only Red Sox starter with issues

Suarez is not the only Red Sox hurler who has struggled out of the gate. Brayan Bello was one of the Boston mainstays a year ago and the team is counting on him to have a similar form this season. At this point, it looks like Bello has regressed. He came into Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers with just one start under his belt, and he pitched just 4.2 innings in that outing. He lasted just 3.1 innings against Milwaukee while giving up 5 hits and 3 earned runs.

The Red Sox acquired Sonny Gray in an offseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals and he pitched in the home opener against the San Diego Padres and earned the victory. He has pitched 10.0 innings and given up 5 earned runs. His 4.50 ERA is not ideal, but if the Red Sox were hitting a bit more, they could live with it.

Youngster Connelly Early earned a spot in the starting rotation based on his spring training performance. Cora likes the command he has of his pitches, and he could be a mainstay for years to come. That does not mean Early won’t have growing pains, but he could end up as the No. 2 or 3 starter on the pitching staff if Suarez and Bello don’t start to pick it up.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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