Why Boston can run with the big boys
This rotation is the reason to believe – and it's a very good reason.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow rebuilt the staff with intent. Behind ace Garrett Crochet – who carries one of the best pitcher projections in the entire sport – Boston added Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to a group that already had Brayan Bello. A 1-through-4 of Crochet, Gray, Suarez and Bello can match almost any rotation in the league.
The depth is real, too. Young arms like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early give the staff insurance for when injuries inevitably hit, and the back of the bullpen – anchored by Aroldis Chapman – looked strong. If the Red Sox make October, it will be the arms that carry them there.
A genuine ace at the top
Garrett Crochet is a front-line, Cy-Young-caliber starter with one of the best projections in baseball.
Rotation depth most teams envy
Gray, Suarez and Bello behind Crochet, plus prospects Tolle and Early, give Boston five-plus credible starters.
A 21-year-old centerpiece
Roman Anthony has legitimate 40-homer potential and MVP upside in his first full big-league season.
Where this season can come apart
Great pitching wins nothing if the lineup can't score – and that's the live fear.
Strip away Roman Anthony and the warning lights start flashing. Projections had zero Red Sox hitters reaching 20 home runs in 2026 outside of Anthony – a stunning lack of thump for a contender. Rafael Devers was traded to San Francisco, Alex Bregman left in free agency, and the lineup lost most of its proven power in one offseason.
It gets more specific: with Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez gone, Boston is built to struggle badly against left-handed pitching. And then there's the chaos – manager Alex Cora was fired in late April after a 10-17 start, with Chad Tracy taking over on an interim basis. A talented but thin offense, a lefty-hitting hole, and a midseason managerial change is a volatile mix.
Not enough power
Outside of Roman Anthony, the lineup projected for almost no 20-homer bats. Devers was traded and Bregman walked, gutting the team's thump.
A glaring hole vs. lefties
With Refsnyder and Gonzalez gone, Boston's best left-handed-pitching hitters from last year are all gone, leaving the lineup exposed against southpaws.
Mid-season upheaval
Manager Alex Cora was fired in late April after a 10-17 start. Interim manager Chad Tracy inherited a team still searching for offensive identity.
The one thing that decides it all
Boston's season rests on a 21-year-old's shoulders. If Roman Anthony delivers on his 40-homer, MVP-caliber ceiling in his first full season, he covers the lineup's biggest hole and lets the elite rotation pitch to leads. If he scuffles the way young stars sometimes do, there may not be enough power anywhere else on the roster to keep pace in the brutal AL East – and the best pitching staff in Boston in years could be wasted.
