A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[notin]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Nap Lajoie

Davey Lopes

Hugh Duffy HOF

Gabby Hartnett HOF

Ken Ryan former Sox

Rick Lancellotti former Sox, once the all time MiLB HR king

"Sullivan" https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sulli01.shtml

While probably not true, Rick Lancelloti always felt like the inspiration for Crash Davis.  I still connect the two…

[dannycater]

From Globe, yikes

The offense has reached levels of futility unseen since the dead-ball era. The Sox have scored just 22 runs in their last 12 home games, tied for the fewest over any 12-game home stretch in a single season in Fenway Park history and the lowest since 1917.

[drewski6]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

I dare you to buy a Mickey Gasper jersey.  Probably cheaper, and my understanding is if you buy two, they come with Mickey Gasper.  
 

But then you have to feed him…

Id buy a mickey gasper jersey as long as the store was sold out of cocoa crisp and derek lowe jerseys.  Or if they had a buy 2 get 1 free sale.

[Duran Is The Man]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

BTV has Durbin worth 23! That's more than Paredes at 19!

SOLD!

[drewski6]

22 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

His name is pronounced "JordAHn" though. It doesn't rhyme with the others, man. 

Us rappers call that a slant rhyme.  But fair point. 

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Us rappers call that a slant rhyme.  But fair point. 

It's a near rhyme, not a slant rhyme. 

Slant would be Gordon and bordom. Same vowel sound, different consonant. 

Near rhyme is similar, but different vowel sounds like JordAHn and Gordon. 

[harmony]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

18-25. 8-14 at home. 28th in HR. 28th in Runs scored. 29th in total bases. 26 out of 43 games the Red Sox the Red Sox have scored 3 runs, or less. As Uncle Jed would say describing the Red Sox PITIFUL just plain PITIFUL.. I could care less how close the Red Sox are to a wildcard spot. 7 games under 500 might as well be 100. This team is just as lifeless and listless under Tracy as they were with Cora.🤭🙈🤮

Defensively, the Red Sox are the class of the American League:

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=fld&lg=al&qual=0&type=1&season=2026&season1=2026&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=&age=&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=&month=0

[notin]

35 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

BTV has Durbin worth 23! That's more than Paredes at 19!

Min wage.  More years of control.  And while Paredes looks like a Fenway Fit, most teams don’t play at Fenway…

[notin]

34 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Id buy a mickey gasper jersey as long as the store was sold out of cocoa crisp and derek lowe jerseys.  Or if they had a buy 2 get 1 free sale.

Act quickly.  He changes them a lot.  
 

Maybe you can buy a subscription?

[moonslav59]

2025>2026

.774>.529 Duran (.834 in '24)

.741>.547 Story (.809 career)

.721>.509 Durbin

.726>.608 Narvaez

.631> .456 IKF (.657 career)

[drewski6]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

It's a near rhyme, not a slant rhyme. 

Slant would be Gordon and bordom. Same vowel sound, different consonant. 

Near rhyme is similar, but different vowel sounds like JordAHn and Gordon. 

color me impressed.  Do you rap?

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

color me impressed.  Do you rap?

Only if I want to embarrass my kids. 

Rap isn't really my thing. The only show I went to was Run DMC/Sugar Hill/Grand Master Flash a loooong time ago. I'll listen to the 90's stuff (Dre, Nas, Tribe, Mobb Deep) and have checked out J Cole and Kendrick Lamar. That's about it though. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Nap Lajoie and Gabby Harnett.  They might need the only Hall of Famers from the Ocean State…

They hated each other, constantly contradicting, ignoring, interrupting... Nap and Gabby.

[mvp 78]

Midlock

 

[mvp 78]

On 5/6/2026 at 10:26 AM, JoeBrady said:

Probably not.  In 2025, these are the players that had an fWAR of 2.5 or higher, by age group:

• 32 (Marte's current age) 10 altogether
• 33 Judge, Suarez, Diaz, Contreras
• 34 None
• 35 Springer, Freeman
• 36 None
• 37 None

Past the age of 32, you enter into the area of 'possible, but less than likely'.  From the age of 34-37, the only ones you get are by random outliers.

I don't see Matt Chapman fitting into this group. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

37 minutes ago, harmony said:

Defensively, the Red Sox are the class of the American League:

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=fld&lg=al&qual=0&type=1&season=2026&season1=2026&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=&age=&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=&month=0

Best defense and Suarez firing blanks: exactly what Breslow said the plan would be for Boston's strengths...

... and exactly why he should be fired.

But before he leaves, fans should serve him a nice sirloin steak dinner -- without utensils.

And then award him a brand new car -- only it's missing the back tires.

It's ok, Brez, our plan was to prevent heart disease and reckless driving. You'll go hungry and won't get anywhere, but it's working.

[notin]

44 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

They hated each other, constantly contradicting, ignoring, interrupting... Nap and Gabby.

But they were so in love…

[moonslav59]

29 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Best defense and Suarez firing blanks: exactly what Breslow said the plan would be for Boston's strengths...

... and exactly why he should be fired.

But before he leaves, fans should serve him a nice sirloin steak dinner -- without utensils.

And then award him a brand new car -- only it's missing the back tires.

It's ok, Brez, our plan was to prevent heart disease and reckless driving. You'll go hungry and won't get anywhere, but it's working.

You crack me up!

[mvp 78]

 

[vegasbob]

3 hours ago, notin said:

Does this count?

 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/roman-anthony-701350?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

Looking at the spray chart, of RA's 25 hits this year, 10 did not leave the infield, including a double.

In a season where the Sox really needed a pure hitter , Anthony failed to come through so far.  The trouble is that when he finally heals, he'll still need time to get back to speed and if that is by May 31 , the Sox may be 10 games out of WC race.

 

[notin]

5 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

Looking at the spray chart, of RA's 25 hits this year, 10 did not leave the infield, including a double.

In a season where the Sox really needed a pure hitter , Anthony failed to come through so far.  The trouble is that when he finally heals, he'll still need time to get back to speed and if that is by May 31 , the Sox may be 10 games out of WC race.

 

Hit hard hit rate and exit velocity are in the 90% range.

Plus his line drive rate is up over last year, while his GB and FB rates are both down, but his BABIP is way down.  While last year’s.404 BABIP was probably unsustainable, tjis still screams “unlucky” loud enough to be heard at both poles simultaneously…

[notin]

2 hours ago, drewski6 said:

color me impressed.  Do you rap?

In Florida rap circles, he is known as MC P78…

[Duran Is The Man]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

2025>2026

.774>.529 Duran (.834 in '24)

.741>.547 Story (.809 career)

.721>.509 Durbin

.726>.608 Narvaez

.631> .456 IKF (.657 career)

i blame Driveline

[Duran Is The Man]

54 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

 

filed under Least Surprising News of the Day

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

i blame Driveline

I blame your username.

😅

 

[Duran Is The Man]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I blame your username.

😅

 

i'd change it to Duransucksass if i could.

[notin]

8 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

i'd change it to Duransucksass if i could.

We can call you that if it helps…

[moonslav59]

2 season drops....

Ellsbury: .928 in 2011>.781 in 2013 (.716 w NYY in the following 4 seasons)

Duran: .834 in 2024> .529 in 2016 (??? going forward???)

[Duran Is The Man]

12 minutes ago, notin said:

We can call you that if it helps…

doesn't bother me even a little. Duran, like just about everybody else in the lineup has turned to s*** this year. weird how they all decided to suck at the same time. 

[mvp 78]

41 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

i blame Driveline

They take direction from Breslow. If Breslow said "teach them how to go oppo" that's what they'd start teaching. It's (a) too many cooks in the kitchen and (b) player regression.