3 Red Sox players who must make improvements to fuel successful 2026

The calendar has flipped to 2026, and pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers in just over a month. Excitement is brewing for the upcoming campaign, but the offseason isn't over yet. Boston Red Sox fans have their hopes high after the team's first playoff appearance in four years.

Even though the roster still needs work, this is the time when fans start to get acclimated to who is going to be on the team next season. The Red Sox are returning a young core of players, which is even more exciting because that means there is a lot of untapped potential.

Some Red Sox players are budding superstars, like Roman Anthony. Others are players trying to cement their presence on the Opening Day roster, like Kristian Campbell. No matter their status, they all have something to prove coming into the new season, and for these three players, a few improvements could raise their status even more to help the Red Sox meet their lofty aspirations.

3 Red Sox players who must make improvements to fuel successful 2026

Marcelo Mayer

The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft comes with a high pedigree. Tabbed as the Red Sox shortstop of the future since he was drafted, he has quickly worked his way to the majors, but Injuries keep holding him back. The 23-year-old has yet to eclipse 100 games in a season in his young career.

Mayer is going to slot into the Red Sox infield in some capacity in 2026, and in his short debut last year, he showed flashes of elite defense. While his hitting needs some work, if he can have his first fully healthy season and steadily hold down a position for most of the year, then his defense alone will help the Sox to more wins next year.

Wilyer Abreu

Abreu has cemented himself in Boston's outfield with back-to-back gold gloves in his first two full seasons in the majors. The 26-year-old has shown streaky power from the left side, too, but that streakiness can hurt the Sox a lot at times.

Abreu looked to be on track for a 30-home run season at the All-Star break, but he cooled off significantly in the second half, and then an injury cost him over a month of playing time. The team is committed to giving him more at-bats versus lefties, and if that helps him settle into a rhythm and have consistent power all year, that will lengthen the Sox's lineup a lot.

Jordan Hicks

When the Red Sox landed Hicks in the trade that sent Rafael Devers to San Francisco, it was obvious he was a salary match more than anything. That being said, the righty reliever was on track for one of his best seasons by fWAR of his career. It didn't work in Boston, though, and he was a complete negative.

If Hicks can turn things around at all, he can be of great value to the Sox, and that may come by throwing the ball in the strike zone. When Hicks came to Boston, he had a 9.2 BB% and a 19.8 K%. With the Sox, his BB% rose to 12.4, and his K% fell to 15.5. If the 29-year-old can cut down on the walks and get his strikeouts back up, then he can be serviceable in the Red Sox bullpen, and that's really all they need.