Boston Red Sox
Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, and Ceddanne Rafaela have proven without a doubt that they should be everyday starters in 2026.
Ceddanne Rafaela hit a solo shot over the Green Monster Friday night. (Photo by China Wong/Getty Images)
COMMENTARY
On a night where the Red Sox started all four of their healthy outfielders, it’s never been clearer who their everyday starters should be.
There was a stark contrast in the performances of Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu on Friday night compared to the outings of Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida.
Rafaela and Abreu willed Boston’s offense to a win by each hitting a solo home run in the third and fourth innings respectively. They reached base a combined five times; the pair of home runs plus two Abreu walks and a Rafaela single.
NOW IT’S CEDDANNE RAFAELA’S TURN! 2ND HOMER IN 4 GAMES!
Haven’t seen him pull the ball with as much authority this season. Very good sign. pic.twitter.com/4nevnwkMzw
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) May 9, 2026
In all, Abreu and Rafaela went a combined 3 for 6 at the plate. Duran and Yoshida? 1 for 8. Yoshida was worse, going 0 for 4 on the day and 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position. Duran singled with his speed, and neither actually struck out in any of their at-bats, but their contact wasn’t good enough to get on base most of the time.
Duran had a fairly solid stretch of offense at the end of April, but has since cooled back down at the plate. And with everything Rafaela and Abreu are giving the Red Sox offense, on top of their defensive prowess, it’s clear they should be everyday starters in 2026.
Given their sub-.500 record, the team isn’t exactly in a position to hinder Roman Anthony’s development by relegating him to a designated hitter role long-term, either. Even if the young outfielder’s arm has struggled, he’s by far the best prospect Boston has had in years, and that isn’t something to take lightly.
So, when Anthony returns from his injury, something has to alleviate the Red Sox’ outfield logjam. A short DH stint to ease him back into the mix, but by the end of the year, every night should feature Rafaela in center field and Abreu and Anthony in each corner.
Both Yoshida and Duran could use a fresh start anyway. Yoshida hasn’t been a lineup staple in a couple of years and would benefit from a new place where he can be an everyday starter. Duran, meanwhile, hasn’t done much over the last two seasons to remind people that he was an All-Star Game MVP and top-10 vote-getter for American League MVP in 2024.
If either Yoshida or Duran were right-handed batters, that would change the landscape of the outfield conundrum significantly. All five of Boston’s big-league outfielders are lefties, and they’re prone to struggling versus southpaw pitchers at times. But neither Yoshida nor Duran fares any better against left-handed pitching, and that doesn’t help interim manager Chad Tracy craft a lineup with moving pieces.
What Boston needs most is some right-handed offensive reinforcements. Capable starters against lefties that can also make pinch-hitting appearances and help alleviate some of the pressure from other struggling bats in its lineup.
If Craig Breslow is committed to building the best team possible in 2026 and beyond, it’s probably time to start looking at Duran and Yoshida as tradable pieces for prospects and fringe starters that can make the Red Sox a more rounded unit.
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