The Boston Red Sox offense has scuffled out of the gates of the 2026 season. A solid series in St. Louis quieted the reasonably upset portions of the fanbase, but a brutal series loss to the Minnesota Twins solidified Boston's poor early season performance.
While the fanbase went into last season not expecting a top 10 offense like they had in 2025, they did go into the offseason hoping for that in 2026. The front office had promised major additions to the lineup, and the fanbase's thoughts immediately jumped to Pete Alonso. The Sox had a hole at first base, needed right-handed power, and needed someone to slot into the heart of the lineup.
Red Sox Nation was disappointed and upset when Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles. They were rightfully angry when it came out that the Sox's offer was even close to the Orioles'. Now, though, they are thanking their lucky stars after seeing the Polar Bear's start to the season.
Pete Alonso has been no Willson Contreras to start 2026
In 2026, Mitch Garver has a higher OPS than:
— Jage (@thejagepage) April 13, 2026
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Rafael Devers
- Ketel Marte
- Pete Alonso
…and y’all wanted to run him out of town smh smh
Alonso is hitting a lowly .200 with a .682 OPS to start the season. He has just two home runs and eight RBIs for the O's, has a strikeout rate of almost 27%, is swinging and missing almost 30% of the time, and is hitting just .182 with runners in scoring position. The only real positive for him so far is an almost 16% walk rate.
It's especially sweet for Red Sox fans after seeing how the guy the Red Sox landed instead has started. Willson Contreras has had one of the best starts for any hitter in baseball. The Venezuelan first baseman is hitting .298 through his first 17 games, has a .444 OBP, and a .935 OPS. Contreras has 11 RBIs, is hitting .357 with runners in scoring position, and has been one of the best defensive players in baseball this season (his three Outs Above Average rank in the 98th percentile).
It's early in this season, and things will likely normalize, but if Contreras and Alonso were swapped, the Sox would likely have two or three fewer wins. Many Red Sox fans were not initially happy with the Contreras trade, calling the Sox cheap for not spending big bucks on the household name. Now, Contreras is a household name for all of Red Sox Nation and has been the best offensive player for the team.
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