After a long offseason of additions to the starting rotation, the run prevention-focused Boston Red Sox were nowhere to be found in the first weeks of the 2026 campaign.
The Red Sox began the 2026 campaign at 2-8, which tied the team's worst 10-game start in franchise history. Boston's starters posted a 5.45 ERA the first time through the rotation, to the surprise of many fans and experts who predicted a better start for the revamped rotation, featuring Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Connelly Eary and Brayan Bello.
On April 6, before the rotation reached Crochet for the third time, Boston's run differential was -15, the fourth-worst in the league. The then-anemic offense didn't help matters, but pitching was supposed to be the greatest strength of this Red Sox squad.
Things changed for Boston the third time through the rotation. Crochet looked back to normal after a four run outing the week before, Gray posted his second-consecutive start of six innings or more, and Bello and Suárez posted their first six-inning appearances (subscription required). The quality pitching plus a burst from the Sox's offense brought their run differential all the way up to zero.
Improvements all around, but particularly for Red Sox pitchers, helped Boston bring its ugly early season run differential to zero
Suárez and Bello's improvements are possibly the best signs of the weekend. The Red Sox signed Suárez to a five-year, $130 deal over the offseason and he hadn't pitched like his usual self until April 11. He's posted an 8.64 ERA over 8.1 frames across his first two outings. On Saturday, he clocked six scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Bello had a 9.00 ERA in his first two starts, but mustered 6.2, two-run innings against the Cardinals.
The offense also woke up to complement the improved starting pitching. Before its April 11 game, Boston was the only team that hadn't scored seven or more runs in a single game. It racked up seven runs that day and nine the following day to leave St. Louis happy and with a serious confidence boost.
The run differential reaching square one is a promising and funny development for Boston. Over the last two seasons the Red Sox have spent a lot of time with a .500 record or something around that. Being perfectly average has been the name of their game (except defensively), and their immense improvements bringing them to a perfect balance will feel familiar to Sox fans.
The Red Sox, essentially, have a clean slate heading into their upcoming series with the Minnesota Twins. Sure, their record is still below .500 at 6-9, but the American League has struggled across the board in the early goings in the Sox have plenty of time to make up some ground in the win column.