A Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox: Part I

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

Big 4 game series in NY the end of the month with a DH to boot. Hope both teams are pretty much healthy, and their should be an old time buzz going on.

I'd love to be a half-game up and leave with a split.  That would win us the season series.

[Nick]

MOON, ITS TIME FOR PART II.....WE NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT TEAM

[UtahSox]

3 hours ago, notin said:

No Yoshida?  Dude has a .915 OPS during the streak…

He was there I just couldn’t figure out where to play him. Good luck to Tracy. 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Nick said:

MOON, ITS TIME FOR PART II.....WE NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT TEAM

I'll get to it- hopefully tonight.

Got some things going on.

[Nick]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

I'll get to it- hopefully tonight.

Got some things going on.

Thanks...no thread should be 340 pages long.

[mvp 78]

10 minutes ago, Nick said:

Thanks...no thread should be 340 pages long.

The second longest thread in TalkSox history! 

Congrats @moonslav59

[moonslav59]

22 minutes ago, Nick said:

Thanks...no thread should be 340 pages long.

I used to break it into 3 or 4 parts. 1 pre-season, 1 opening day and 1 after trade deadline, but things got busy.

Sorry.

[mvp 78]

Refsnyder DFA'd. 

[Maxbialystock]

3 minutes ago, Nick said:

Thanks...no thread should be 340 pages long.

Agree it's long, disagree we have a whole new team.  The pitching and defense have been there from the beginning of the season and are the heart of this team's success.    Breslow has added two good bats, but both are on the IL.  Instead, we have seen Contreras's OPS stay over .900 all season long, Rafaela improve at the plate, Abreu up and down at the plate, Durbin, decent at the plate, Duran (despite an OPS of .602) having the 4th most total bases, tied for 2d in rbi's, and just 5th in runs scored.  Monasterio stunk through June and went lights out in July (OPS 1.044).  All 6 of those players have been together all season.  So have Yoshida, Wong, and Narvaez.  

Do I think this team has morphed from also ran to definitely in the hunt?  Absolutely.  Someone else said their secret is old fashioned baseball--solid pitching and defense and some hitting enhanced by bunts and good hitting with RISP.  They are doing this without their two best players from last year--Crochet and Anthony--who have both been on the IL for 3 or more months.  

And who gets the lion's share of the credit for this metamorphosis?  Breslow.  

[JoeBrady]

18 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Someone else said their secret is old fashioned baseball--solid pitching and defense and some hitting enhanced by bunts and good hitting with RISP.

It also feels like they are just playing baseball.  It's not exactly their fault, but I think the high expectations for Story and Mayer left the team unprepared for their awful starts.  Nothing too much was expected from Monasterio and Seigler, et al, so their performance lifted the RS spirits.  One of the reasons I am happy that Mayer is gone.

I think there is some benefits to telling the kids that this is your team, and that you guys deserve the opportunity to finish the ride.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Refsnyder DFA'd. 

Your favorite ex Sox player!

🤓

[moonslav59]

Go Sox!