Five Former Red Sox Players Who Are Shining in the 2026 Postseason
It’s been over a week since the Red Sox were eliminated from the postseason. For those of us in Red Sox Nation who still feel inclined to follow the World Series chase, two camps can form: people who find an alternative team to support, and people who are resigned to watching former Boston guys excel on other teams. The latter is more fueled by nostalgia and loyalty, but it can be painful as well. Especially this year, the varied successes of former Massachusetts residents remind us of the recent flaws in building a new squad.
Let’s start with some big names already eliminated from contention. Though the Phillies were bested in the Wild Card round, slugger Kyle Schwarber managed a decent series. He managed four hits in eleven at-bats. Schwarber’s lone 2026 home run, a solo shot, called to mind his bombs during the 2021 Sox trip to the ALCS. Also on that journey long ago was Xander Bogaerts, who flashed his brilliance for the Padres this year before they fell to the Brewers. Together, those two big bats led what many consider to be the last great Beantown offense.
Shifting from what was to what might have been, the White Sox have used former Boston prospects to great effect. Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, and Chase Meidroth all came to Chicago via the Garrett Crochet trade, and this year’s postseason has proven that was a strong choice. All have contributed, but Montgomery delivered the signature moment: a go-ahead two-run double in the ALDS. Acquiring Crochet is, of course, still a worthwhile move, but given the tribulations in New England, it’s hard not to feel some jealousy.
As offseason expectations are considered and further analysis is done on this past year, discontent has really proliferated among the nine-time World Series champs. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow's strategy has never produced a truly elite offense. By many metrics, the 2026 team was even worse at the plate than their 2025 counterparts. Breslow has been extended for a few more years, so now the options seem to be waiting for a grand change of heart or watching longingly as the guys who used to call Fenway home now dazzle the rest of the world.
