A Realistic View at the 2026 Red Sox Part II

[notin]

33 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The last report on Mead (9/22) he was advancing from hitting off a tee to BP. I think the odds for Contreras are higher.

I think KC is not ready. Nothing on Seigler since Sept 16th. White and Yoshida are done.

I see the NYC line-up as such:

vs RHP (Schlitter & Cole)

1. L Anthony DH

2. S Rutschman C

3. L Abreu RF

4. R Contreras 1B

5. R Story SS

6. L Duran LF

7. R Durbin 3B

8. R Rafaela CF

9. R IKF 2B 

Bench: Wong, Sogard, Jones, Monasterio or Romy

vs LHP (Fried & Rodon)

1. L Anthony LF

2. R Rafaela CF

3. L Abreu RF

4. R Contreras 1B/DH

5. S Rutschman C

6. R Story SS

7. R Durbin 3B

8. R Sogard DH/1B

9. R Monasterio 2B/ Romy DH or 2B

Bench: Wong, Duran, IKF, Jones

 

So Contreras over Mead? Possible.  More likely both gone back on the second round.  Beyond that, largely equal except for I do think Romy isn’t coming back and Eaton is far more likely.  
 

Without posting a batting order, we are very likely to see:

C: Rutschman

1b: Sogard/Monasterio

2b: IKF

3b: Durbin

SS: Story

LF: Duran/Jones

CF: Rafaela

RF: Abreu 

DH: Anthony

BN: Wong, Eaton

I’m locking this one in as my final answer.

And it’s a great lineup of the object of the game was to use as many 7-8-9 hitters as possible while still making the postseason…

[moonslav59]

Getting Anthony and Story back has helped, but the rash of everyday player injuries has begun to rival the rotation injury level.

Contreras & Rafaela (who is back) are our two everyday WAR leaders.

Mead & Seigler have forced IKF, Monasterio & Sogard to play 2B.

Yoshida, Mead, Gasper, White & Romy have forced Duran to keep playing FT as Anthony DHs.

While only Contreras and Mead are major players, the loss of some of their replacements have put us in a bind.

Kinda like 2025's playoffs that saw 42 PAs from Romy (9) Masa (7) Sogard (7) N Lowe (7) Eaton (6) and Refsnyder (6)

[moonslav59]

16 minutes ago, notin said:

So Contreras over Mead? Possible.  More likely both gone back on the second round.  Beyond that, largely equal except for I do think Romy isn’t coming back and Eaton is far more likely.  
 

Without posting a batting order, we are very likely to see:

C: Rutschman

1b: Sogard/Monasterio

2b: IKF

3b: Durbin

SS: Story

LF: Duran/Jones

CF: Rafaela

RF: Abreu 

DH: Anthony

BN: Wong, Eaton

I’m locking this one in as my final answer.

And it’s a great lineup of the object of the game was to use as many 7-8-9 hitters as possible while still making the postseason…

They say the Contreras injury is slow to heal, but I think he returns. Just a hunch. The series starts Tuesday, so his bruise has 3 more full days to improve.

Without him, your line-up looks correct. I could see Eaton over Romy, but with Jones on the bench, when and where would Eaton play? The need at 1B, 2B and DH seems greater than 3B/OF, and both Romy & Eaton are RHBs.

IKF has done a fine job, so I'm not sure Romy will play over him, but I'd rather have Romy at 1B vs LHPs than Monasterio or Sogard. I'd rather have Romy at 2B than Monasterio, but they'd be 3rd string to IKF & Sogard.

I think Duran-Jones in LF with Anthony at FT DH is what we'll see, but I like Romy as the next DH vs LHPs than anyone else other than Jones/Anthony (whoever is not in LF.)

I'm sticking with Romy>Eaton, but it's the last guy on the bench in a 3 game series with a day off today and Monday and Sunday's game being a start the scrubs game.

[notin]

58 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

 

Without him, your line-up looks correct. I could see Eaton over Romy, but with Jones on the bench, when and where would Eaton play? The need at 1B, 2B and DH seems greater than 3B/OF, and both Romy & Eaton are RHBs.

MI'm sticking with Romy>Eaton, but it's the last guy on the bench in a 3 game series with a day off today and Monday and Sunday's game being a start the scrubs game.

If the need is 1b, 2b and DH, Romy isn’t the solution.  He is an absentee Andruw Monasterio this year.

I thought Eaton was the obvious choice over Romy.  Primarily because abuse they used him more over Romy down the stretch, but also because at tjis point, positions don’t matter as much as skills each brings to the table.  

I’m picturing the opening credits for the 2026 Postseason Red Sox at some point to say “starring Hugh Beaumont…..  Barbara Billingsley…. Tony Dow….  And Nate Eaton as Dave Roberts…”

[moonslav59]

43 minutes ago, notin said:

If the need is 1b, 2b and DH, Romy isn’t the solution.  He is an absentee Andruw Monasterio this year.

If the higher need is 2B/1B/DH Romy is a better solution to Eaton.

Monasterio is not what he was earlier. He's never been a plus on defense, as with Romy, but Romy hit .371 BA in SEPT AAA.

Monsaterio:

.198 OPS last 31 PAs.

.304 OPS last 75.

.651 last 240 PAs

Romy was demoted after he was called up before he was ready and hit .572 over 73 PAs.

Romy> Eaton & Monasterio.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Eaton needs to play LF after Jones pinch hits for Duran because neither Jahmai is even average in the outfield.

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Eaton needs to play LF after Jones pinch hits for Duran because neither Jahmai is even average in the outfield.

LF defense is important in NY, but our offense is what concerns me.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

LF defense is important in NY, but our offense is what concerns me.

The Over-Under on Red Sox runs in the WC is 6, established as a benchmark from 2025.

I'm going with the Over, and predicting if the Sox score 7 in the first two games, they'll sweep.

And if Boone waits to start Cam in Game 2 and it backfires, he'll be frontfired. Out of a cannon.

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The Over-Under on Red Sox runs in the WC is 6, established as a benchmark from 2025.

I'm going with the Over, and predicting if the Sox score 7 in the first two games, they'll sweep.

And if Boone waits to start Cam in Game 2 and it backfires, he'll be frontfired. Out of a cannon.

The game 1 starter gets to start the next round game 1, while the game 2 starter gets extra rest before his next start. I think Cam and Gray start game 1.

Tolle starts game 2. I think Fried starts game 2 for NYY, but it's a tough call.

[notin]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

If the higher need is 2B/1B/DH Romy is a better solution to Eaton.

Monasterio is not what he was earlier. He's never been a plus on defense, as with Romy, but Romy hit .371 BA in SEPT AAA.

Monsaterio:

.198 OPS last 31 PAs.

.304 OPS last 75.

.651 last 240 PAs

Romy was demoted after he was called up before he was ready and hit .572 over 73 PAs.

Romy> Eaton & Monasterio.

I don’t think they see Gonzalez as that much help. 
 

He’s been an option for several months now, but the Sox keep playing Sogard at 1b.  And Monasterio, who has 2 options left (source: soxprospects.com) and yet Romy stays in Worcester and Monasterio stays in Boston.

Tracy has made it clear which of these players he sees as backup 1b, and it isn’t Romy.

And 2b appears to belong to IKF.  I don’t think it’s a viewed as a big need right now…,

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Not sure about the WC roster, but after the upset, the Sox will welcome back the following for the ALDS -- with Games 3 and 4 in Boston:

Contreras' (not) broken hand, Gasper's broken biceps, Mead's broken hand, Crochet's broken shoulder, Dewey's broken brain and Hobson's broken elbow in '78, Rice's broken hand in '75, Tony C's broken eyesocket in '67, and Ted's broken dream from 1946.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Eaton needs to play LF after Jones pinch hits for Duran because neither Jahmai is even average in the outfield.

I assume that Duran DH's.  It makes it easier to PH.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

I assume that Duran DH's.  It makes it easier to PH.

I like him better in LF than Anthony, even though Duran's BA as a DH is higher than as an outfielder -- .233 in 30 ABs vs. .209.

As a PH, Duran is 0-for-9 with 6 Ks. He is useless on the bench, unless he PRs.

Ironically, Anthony is also .233 as a DH... in 86 ABs. As an OF, he hits .252.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, notin said:

I don’t think they see Gonzalez as that much help. 
 

He’s been an option for several months now, but the Sox keep playing Sogard at 1b.  And Monasterio, who has 2 options left (source: soxprospects.com) and yet Romy stays in Worcester and Monasterio stays in Boston.

Tracy has made it clear which of these players he sees as backup 1b, and it isn’t Romy.

And 2b appears to belong to IKF.  I don’t think it’s a viewed as a big need right now…,

I just don't see any need for Eaton, except as a PR.

I'm not dead set on the idea of Romy, but the guy has been one of MLB's best batters vs LHPs, and you know the Yanks will be using several during the series.