Is the 2026 Red Sox Slow Start Cause for Concern?
The Siege of Boston, often recognized as the first phase of the Revolutionary War, saw George Washington spending months preventing the British army from moving by land. 250 years later, the Red Sox are doing their own siege in which they prevent winning baseball from entering their games. Though the quest for a World Series ring is not nearly the same as international conflict, the beginning of Boston’s 2026 MLB season has many sounding alarm bells. In two series, the team has won just one game and dropped the remaining five. This start is tied for the league’s worst, alongside the Chicago White Sox and the City-less Athletics. Though the sample size is very small, the sluggishness and lack of discipline displayed are worth noting.
With unexpectedly poor pitching and sleepy hitting, the nine-time World Series champions have been outscored 32-17 so far this season. Their second series, against the Astros, was especially disheartening, as the outscoring there was a lopsided 23-7. The lineup as a whole has struck out 73 times, a stat that also ranks among the league's worst. New signee Caleb Durbin is hitless in 18 at-bats, a major stumble for the young player who finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season. Roman Anthony had two strong games but four unexpected clunkers as well. On the mound, bad starts and relief innings abound. The starting rotation sports a 5.22 ERA, and the bullpen is not much better at 4.50. Even ace Garret Crochet, despite a stellar first outing, struggled in Houston, which, for fans, is like seeing Superman trip over the sidewalk. To make matters worse, the pitchers are not getting adequate help from their defense. Their six errors over as many games is not an insignificant stat.
This all might be blown out of proportion; framing it as a laundry list of grievances certainly adds insult to injury. It really is so early in the season. The team has not yet played at home. That comes on Friday afternoon. Perhaps Fenway Park will act as the site of rebirth, a proper beginning to the season that dispels an upsetting six-game prologue. There is that hope, to be sure, but the issue lies in the repetition of weaknesses. The big issues plaguing the Red Sox, namely failing to swing the bat and errors, are the issues that defined their downfall last year. There is undoubtedly room to grow and change, but wariness is surely up for the Boston organization. To close with another military comparison, though I swear watching baseball is a leisurely pastime, affairs with the Sox are not dire, but have perhaps slid down a DEFCON level.
