Any fans worried about the 2026 Red Sox clearly aren't watching the World Baseball Classic

About a month ago, when the Boston Red Sox began their migration to Fort Myers for spring training, some fans and reporters expressed concern for the state of their lineup after the offseason.

Losing Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers in the same year would be rough for any team, but for the streaky, strikeout-heavy, defensively-unsound Red Sox, it sounded like a death sentence. Offensive production was the main concern, with a lot of faith placed in top prospects, rebounds and improvements on last season's work that aren't guaranteed.

But the World Baseball Classic is causing fans to think differently. The Red Sox have 15 players in the tournament, including some prospects, and they're delivering for their or their parents' home countries in huge moments.

Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran took center stage in the matchup between the U.S. and Mexico on March 9. Duran clubbed two homers to supply most of Mexico's offense, while Anthony mashed a three-run homer 417 feet to right-center field at Daikin Park.

Red Sox players are showing out representing teams across the world in the World Baseball Classic

Fans expect Anthony and Duran to be huge offensive contributors, but other Sox players are coming through for their teams, as well. Masataka Yoshida is the prime example, and he thrives in the spotlight of the WBC. He's logged five hits, including two home runs, four runs and six RBI over three games. Yoshida has stunned in international competition before — he broke the record for RBI in a single tournament in 2023.

Wilyer Abreu (3-for-12, three RBI), Willson Contreras (2-for-8, two RBI) and Ceddanne Rafaela (2-for-12, run) have also stood out on their respective teams. Nate Eaton even shocked the world by homering off Tarik Skubal on the first pitch in Great Britain's matchup against the U.S. He's 6-for-19 in the tournament.

The Red Sox have also held it down on the pitching side. Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock on March 9 made their first appearances for the Dominican Republic and the U.S., respectively, and they both came up big. Bello pitched five, one-run innings with seven strikeouts against Israel and Whitlock closed for team USA, collecting two strikeouts and a groundout to escape without any damage. Ranger Suárez posted just two innings against the Netherlands on March 6, but limited damage to just one run.

With games and playoff bids on the line around the world, Red Sox players have come through at every turn. Boston has a lot of players in on the action, but no other big league team has had its players meet the moment as consistently as the Red Sox have.

And they have some equally talented players in camp. Garrett Crochet declined an invite to play in the WBC, but he's still impressed Sox fans visiting Florida for Grapefruit League games (subscription required). Caleb Durbin has also surprised fans in his first few weeks as a Red Sox, and he'll be a great addition to the infield with Trevor Story, last year's team home run leader, next to him.

Red Sox players' performances in the WBC have eliminated many of the worries fans and experts had for the team after its many offseason free agent and trade misses. Hopefully, they can keep up the good work when the stakes get higher — the tournament will soon turn from pool play into the path to the final, and there will be plenty of Sox involved.