Athleticism has been an important requirement for Alex Cora in recent years. The Boston Red Sox manager has really been trying to push the organization towards improved defense and base running ability. Those philosophies spilled into the front office this winter, where Craig Breslow leaned into speed and defense when acquiring new talent over the winter.
Players such as Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin will really push the Red Sox forward in those areas. The entire outfield unit of Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Roman Anthony all embody those ideals. Marcelo Mayer making the Opening Day roster only helps this philosophy, too.
The other side of the offseason coin that was seemingly left void was power. Red Sox Nation was promised multiple sluggers this offseason, a promise that was left unmet. Now, projection systems aren't sure the Red Sox will have a single 30 home run hitter this season, with FanGraphs' ZiPS projections saying none will log even 20 homers. That's an extremely conservative projection, and maybe an utterly incorrect one.
While the lack of a true slugger may hinder the Red Sox a few times this season, they will be able to make up for it on the basepaths. Players turning singles into doubles, doubles into triples, stealing a base, or just the threat of any of those things can go a long way.
The Sox have a chance to do something this year that hasn't happened for them since 2017: two players with a 20 home run, 20 stolen base season. It doesn't stop at two, though — there could be three or even four players reaching that milestone in 2026.
The Red Sox have multiple players that will show off their power/speed potential in 2026
JARREN DURAN STEALS HOME 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mnWJPQ5HUR
— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2025
Two players on the current squad have reached that mark for Boston: Duran in 2024 and Trevor Story in 2025. Duran will need to bounce back in 2026 after his home run total dropped from 21 to 16 from 2024 to '25. Story is going to need to stay healthy for a full season again, but he reached that mark in late August last season. It's completely plausible that those two hit that mark and match Andrew Benintendi and Mookie Betts from the 2017 team.
Ceddanne Rafaela was four home runs shy of 20-20 last season. He had career highs with 16 homers and 20 stolen bases. He is still growing offensively, and the added depth in the infield should prevent him from playing any second base in 2026 — last year, Rafaela had a .309 OPS in the 23 games he played second base. Consistency of position should hopefully allow for continued offensive growth and a third 20-20 player for the Sox.
Two other potential players could reach the 20-20 milestone this season, though both would require massive gains. Marcelo Mayer and Caleb Durbin have the means to reach the feat. Mayer has posted 17 and 13 stolen bases in the minors and the raw power to hit over 20 homers. For him, it'll require a fully healthy season and growth against major league pitching.
Durbin had 18 stolen bases last season and was caught stealing six times. He will benefit from an aggressive coaching staff in Boston that will ask him to steal more. The power is going to come from the Red Sox's hitting lab getting him to lift the ball more. He had 11 homers last season, but also an above-average pull air%. If the hitting staff can tap into more fly balls than line drives, the righty will be able to turn some of the wall ball doubles into monster seats homers.
Twenty homers and 20 steals may not seem like a lot in an era with seasons of 50-50 or 40-70 by the game's top players, but when the raw power is lacking, teams can make it up on the basepaths. That's what the Sox aim to do in 2026, and with many players with the potential to reach the 20-20 milestone, they are keyed in for success this coming season.