The Boston Red Sox are hours away from beginning their 2026 season in Cincinnati at the Great American Ballpark, after an Opening Day soirée like no other. The Reds are a fierce first opponent, with some frightening arms in the rotation and big bats in their lineup, like Eugenio Suárez and Elly De La Cruz. who also boasts next-level speed and athleticism.
But the Red Sox will counter with their newly-completed roster, on which they put the finishing touches on March 23. Many of the same players will return from last year, as Boston is a young team that didn't lose many players to free agency, but its busy offseason has made for some key differences.
Three new pitchers will give the rotation a boost, but not all in week one. Sonny Gray will start the Sox's second game and Ranger Suárez will debut in the second series because the World Baseball Classic limited his innings in the spring. Shockingly, Johan Oviedo will begin the season in the bullpen because top prospect Connelly Early forced his name onto the roster.
Early, 23, posted such an excellent spring training (1.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, five walks, 16 strikeouts, 17 innings pitched) that the Red Sox will forego their service time desires (for now) to get him a few reps through the major league rotation. He'll start game three on March 29 and Oviedo will come out of the 'pen, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.
Early's spot on the major league roster may not be permanent — Oviedo was hit hard in his final spring start and Suárez and Brayan Bello could use more time to ramp up for the season. The young righty would have to spend 35 days in the minor leagues this season for the Red Sox to maintain an additional year of service time over him, which could come when Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval are fully recovered.
Key storylines Red Sox fans should watch as Opening Day approaches
In opposition to Early, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet had a rocky spring training. He allowed 12 runs on 15 hits, including two home runs, with eight strikeouts and three walks over 14.2 innings pitched, a stark departure from his 2025 production when he was a Cy Young Award finalist. Crochet hopes to bounce back in his Opening Day start, and if anyone could do it, it's him.
After a long position battle between Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer, the latter has made the Opening Day roster as the second baseman. The former top prospect has been hyped up by the Red Sox organization for years, and it's finally time to see if he can stick for a full season in the middle infield. Alex Cora has announced that he'll platoon Mayer with Isiah Kiner-Falefa as the sophomore continues finding his way offensively.
Your 2026 Boston Red Sox Opening Day roster. pic.twitter.com/WWAMfWIGu8
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Durbin, a 2025 National League Rookie of the Year finalist, is already finding his way to fan-favorite status after his phenomenal play in spring training (.356/.453/.511 slash line, .964 OPS). He's already earned multiple comparisons to Dustin Pedroia, which will only have Sox fans more excited about his future with the organization.
Boston's outfield could be one of the best in MLB, with Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafeala and Masataka Yoshida in the mix. It still isn't clear how he plans to pull it off, but Cora wants to use all five outfielders, mostly cycling left fielders between the field and the designated hitter spot.
Anthony's first full season in the big leagues will be something special to watch, but Abreu has high expectations on his shoulders, as well. The Red Sox didn't sign a true slugger this offseason, expecting that much of their home run power could come from internal sources, with Abreu at the top of that list. Based on his game-changing performance in the WBC, Abreu's swing looks better than ever, and he could be the season's newest member of the 30-homer club.
These are some of the biggest storylines that Sox fans should watch out for this season, but there are so many more — Rule 5 Draft pick Ryan Watson made the roster in the bullpen, Aroldis Chapman will try to continue the monster rebound he started last year, Bello looks breakout-ready, Willson Contreras will begin his second season as a first baseman, and more.
The Red Sox briefly returned to the postseason in 2025 but their run wasn't long enough to satisfy fans or themselves. Craig Breslow made plenty of additions that could help return Boston to perennial-contender status, but progress from last year's players will also be key.