There has been some concern about the Boston Red Sox offense this spring. The Red Sox made numerous additions to the lineup, and while they added some quality hitters, they whiffed on acquiring the big power bat that they told us was a priority ahead of the Winter Meetings.
However, many of the concerns are overblown. Some guys left in Fort Myers might not have overwhelmed, but the World Baseball Classic contingent is showing out.
Regardless of where you fall on the worry meter, there is some good news for their season-opening matchup. Boston will take on the Cincinnati Reds for the first three games of the season, and it might be exactly what the doctor ordered to get the offense clicking from day one.
That's because Reds' pitchers have had the worst ERA so far this spring, coming in at a 7.89 mark at the time of this writing.
It's been a rough spring so far for Reds pitchers.... pic.twitter.com/GreVSoDYUc
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) March 10, 2026
You can only take spring stats so far, so just as a poor offensive showing by a key Red Sox regular doesn't automatically mean he's doomed, the same applies to these Reds hurlers. With that said, there are a few key things to keep in mind.
The Reds pitchers' poor spring showings could give the Red Sox an advantage when the 2026 regular season kicks off
In recent days, the Reds were dealt a blow learning that their ace, Hunter Greene, will likely be out until July as he undergoes right elbow surgery to remove bone chips. Greene is a tough customer who has posted ERAs of 2.75 in 2024 and 2.76 in 2025, but the Sox can't just breathe easy because he'll be out.
Cincinnati will still throw out a pair of tough lefties to start the series in Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo. Abbott has struggled this spring, posting a 12.27 ERA, but has established himself as one of the best young southpaws in the game, turning in a 2.87 ERA performance last season. Lodolo has been lights out this spring with a 1.80 ERA, and has long been a guy with high-end stuff as long as he's healthy.
The lefty onslaught to start hits harder because of the deterioration of the Red Sox's lefty slayers. Rob Refsnyder defected for Seattle over the winter, and Romy Gonzalez will be on the shelf with a shoulder injury.
Where the Reds are really susceptible, though, is in the bullpen. Their big move to solidify a questionable bullpen over the offseason was to reunite with closer Emilio Pagán. Pagán has pitched to an 18.00 ERA this spring, and while he was impressive with a 2.88 mark last season, he put up a 4.50 ERA in 2024.
His primary setup man, Tony Santillan, was second in the majors in appearances with 80 last season, and was lights out in most with a 2.44 ERA. That marked the first season that the 29-year-old shouldered anywhere near that level of work. Things get even softer with seventh-inning man Graham Ashcraft, who just barely squeaked under the 4 ERA mark, coming in at 3.99, for the first time in his four-year career (first year out of the 'pen).
The rest of Cincinnati's bullpen additions were low-cost guys in trade or free agency, like Caleb Ferguson and Brock Burke. Burke has been good this spring, while Ferguson has not. Both are typical volatile reliever fare.
Some of the best performers in the Reds' bullpen this spring are the guys who were the least secure heading into the warm-up period. Their fans were ready to run Sam Moll out of town in the offseason after he posted a 6.38 ERA. He's yet to allow an earned run this spring.
So while you can't put too much stock into spring numbers, good or bad, what is clear is that if the Red Sox are able to keep things close against the Reds' starters, they'll be able to feast against the Cincinnati bullpen and can start the year with a ton of momentum on the offensive side of the ball.