After falling to the New York Yankees in the 2025 Wild Card Series, the Boston Red Sox took the scenic route to the same destination in 2026.
Boston’s rollercoaster season ended with another devastating Wild Card Series loss at Yankee Stadium. This one was even worse, with the Red Sox being outscored 18-2 in a two-game sweep. Again, Yankees ace Cam Schlittler asserted his dominance. Again, Boston’s offense looked lifeless. And again, managerial and defensive miscues proved costly.
The ugly series sets us up for a fascinating offseason for Craig Breslow and Co. But before we turn the page to what should be another eventful winter, let’s take a moment to reflect on all that transpired over the last eight months. What will come to mind when we look back on the 2026 Red Sox season? Did their midseason turnaround make it a success, or does another early playoff exit make it a failure?
Here’s what we’ll remember about the 2026 Red Sox:
Alex Cora out, Chad Tracy in
The 2026 Red Sox started their season 10-17 before Craig Breslow decided enough was enough. Boston’s chief baseball officer cleaned house, firing longtime manager Alex Cora along with most of his staff, including game-planning coordinator Jason Varitek, hitting coach Pete Fatse, bench coach Ramon Vasquez, and third base coach Kyle Hudson.
Breslow’s surprising move ended Cora’s eight-year tenure with the organization. He finished with a 620-541 record as manager and a World Series title in 2018.
“By acting today, it gives us 135 games ahead of us,” Breslow said in his press conference following Cora’s firing, “so we’ve got almost a full season’s worth of run to take advantage of this fresh start and ultimately to compete for a division and deep postseason run in the way that we talked about it and envisioned and believed heading into spring training.
“We believe in the group of players that we have in the clubhouse, down the hallway, and we believe that a new direction is warranted, new voices, and something that enables us to take a fresh start.”
Triple-A Worcester manager Chad Tracy took over for Cora as Boston’s interim skipper.
A historic stretch
The 2026 Red Sox will forever be remembered as the club that started 32-46, won 32 of its next 37, and clinched an improbable playoff berth. Their incredible turnaround included a franchise-record-tying 15-game win streak.
Boston looked dead and buried on June 24. Craig Breslow’s firing felt like a foregone conclusion. Then, the impossible happened.
The Red Sox went 77-58 with Tracy leading the charge. The club’s turnaround under his leadership was eerily reminiscent of what his father, Jim Tracy, accomplished as interim manager of the 2009 Colorado Rockies. He propelled Colorado to a 74-42 record after taking over in May and won the National League Manager of the Year award.
Role players step up
Willson Contreras, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela were the stars of the 2026 Red Sox season, but the team’s historic turnaround doesn’t happen without the key contributions of several role players.
Depth infielder Andruw Monasterio had a 1.044 OPS in July. Fellow ex-Milwaukee Brewer Anthony Seigler notched a .959 OPS in June and added an unexpected emotional spark to the dugout. Tsung-Che Cheng played great defense in 14 appearances at shortstop and saved Boston’s win streak with a spectacular catch.
Mickey Gasper and Nick Sogard weren’t huge factors while the Red Sox won 32 of 37, but they were enormous from August on. Gasper put up Barry Bonds-like numbers for a 12-game stretch and became one of Boston’s most reliable bats. Sogard shook off his reputation as a “4A” player and served as a perfect utility infielder with solid offensive numbers down the stretch.
Lefty masher Jahmai Jones, acquired from the Detroit Tigers in July for a player to be named later, had four homers and a .993 OPS in 37 games with Boston. Most of his damage was done in August, when he hit .474 with three homers and a 1.284 OPS.
A bold Craig Breslow trade deadline
Say what you will about Craig Breslow, but he hasn’t shied away from making bold, uncomfortable moves as Red Sox CBO. That was especially the case at this year’s trade deadline.
His most notable move was sending Carlos Narvaez and four top prospects — Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar and Harold Rivas — to the Baltimore Orioles for All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman. The deal was widely considered an overpay, but Breslow deserved credit for doing whatever it took to add a difference-maker to the big-league roster.
Breslow also parted ways with former top prospect Marcelo Mayer, who struggled mightily in his second season with the club. He was sent to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for left-handed reliever Erik Miller.
Promising rookie left-hander Connelly Early was shipped to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury during his second plate appearance with Boston. He brought in Jones and speedy outfielder Eli White in under-the-radar deals that helped the Red Sox over the final two months.
Injuries, injuries, and more injuries
The Red Sox persevered through a number of injuries in 2026. Here’s a breakdown of each:
- Ace left-hander Garrett Crochet made only six starts during the regular season due to a shoulder injury suffered in April.
- Former top outfield prospect Roman Anthony played in only 55 regular-season games because of a torn ring finger ligament. He exited Game 1 of the Wild Card Series vs. the Yankees and was removed from the playoff roster after experiencing more hand/wrist issues.
- Offseason addition Johan Oviedo made only one start before missing the season with a flexor strain.
- Trade deadline addition Curtis Mead suffered a fractured wrist on a hit-by-pitch in his second Red Sox plate appearance and did not return for the rest of the season.
- Outfielder/DH Masataka Yoshida suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in August.
- Reliever Justin Slaten missed time throughout the season due to an elbow injury that flared up again before the playoffs, forcing him off the postseason roster.
- Breakout slugger Mickey Gasper was left off the playoff roster because of a torn biceps tendon.
- Deadline addition Eli White missed the end of the regular season and the playoffs with a foot injury.
- Utility man Anthony Seigler went down with a foot injury at the end of the regular season, missed the playoffs.
- Breakout reliever Tyron Guerrero was left off the playoff roster due to a shoulder issue.
- Outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (quad/hamstring) and Willson Contreras (hand) were both banged up just before the playoffs.
- RHP Kutter Crawford and 1B Triston Casas missed the entire season.
- RHP Tanner Houck made just one appearance (Game 162) after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
It’s no excuse for how their season ended, but it certainly impacted their ceiling in 2026.
Craig Breslow and Chad Tracy get rewarded
On Sept. 22, the Red Sox removed Chad Tracy’s interim tag to officially make him the 49th manager in franchise history. He signed a three-year contract through the 2029 season with a club option for 2030.
Breslow was also rewarded, with his contract options being exercised through 2030.
At the time, committing to Tracy and Breslow made sense as they pulled the right strings to get Boston back into the playoffs after an abysmal start. But after what transpired in the Wild Card Series, it’s fair to wonder if there will be some buyer’s remorse.
The downfall of the “Big Three”
Marcelo Mayer was traded at the deadline. Kristian Campbell remains in Worcester with no clear path back to the majors. Roman Anthony can’t swing a bat without injuring himself.
The former top prospect trio was once hyped as the “Big Three.” While the Red Sox failed to clinch a playoff berth from 2022-24, they could at least hang their hat on the impending arrivals of three potential franchise cornerstones.
Now, there’s a real chance we’ll look back at 2026 as the year the “Big Three” dream died. Of course, Anthony and Campbell still have a chance to be difference-makers in Boston.
Chad Tracy provides an update on Roman Anthony after he was sent back to Boston following an early exit from Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
Different season, same result
The 2026 Red Sox gave us a fun summer. They will be remembered for winning 32 of 37 games — including a 15-game win streak — and clinching a playoff berth to complete a miraculous midseason turnaround. Besides that, they will largely be forgotten.
Red Sox fans don’t look back fondly on seasons that end with anything less than a deep postseason run. Even the 2021 Red Sox, who exceeded expectations with a trip to the ALCS, are an afterthought.
Don’t be fooled by the midseason surge. This was a club that entered the 2026 campaign as one of the favorites in the wide-open American League. They failed to match that expectation, marking the year as another failure for the organization.
