Red Sox 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base

Second base has been arguably the most hotly debated position on the diamond for the Boston Red Sox throughout all of spring training. That was all put to bed when Alex Cora informed reporters on March 21 that Marcelo Mayer would be making the Opening Day roster as the starting second baseman for the team. 

The word starter here is a bit subjective, as Mayer will be eased in against left-handed pitchers much like every other left-handed hitting rookie/non-veteran player has been under Cora’s management. He likely won’t start the first two games of the season against the Reds, as they are showcasing two lefties right out of the gates. That being said, second base is now no longer a position of discussion, and hopefully the revolving door has been replaced by a potential Gold Glove winner in Mayer. Behind him though, there’s still a few questions to be answered at the keystone for the Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox Second Basemen At A Glance

Starter: Marcelo Mayer

Backup: Andruw Monasterio, Caleb Durbin

Depth: Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Romy Gonzalez (on 60-day IL)

Prospects: Max Ferguson, Henry Godbout, Yoeilin Cespedes

Red Sox fWAR Ranking Last Season: 19th out of 30

Red Sox fWAR Projection This Year: 26th out of 30

The Good

Mayer is a potential Gold Glove-caliber defender. He’s young and plays the game with a swagger that is a bit foreign to most Red Sox players. He’s California cool and if he can stay on the field, he’s going to be a player that fans continue to fall in love with. It’s no secret that second base has been a black hole since Dustin Pedroia was injured on a dirty slide and forced into early retirement. Mayer should solidify the position for the next two years, until he slides over to his natural position at short stop after Trevor Story departs for free agency in 2027. 

Behind Mayer, we have newcomer Monasterio, who has been the surprise of spring training. They will work in an excellent platoon role that should highlight both of their strengths well. Monasterio hasn’t played a ton of second base in his big league career, but he’s incredibly athletic and has adapted well across the diamond during spring training. He can hit left-handed pitching with relative ease and should give Mayer a longer runway to come into his own.

Kiner-Falefa is, effectively, an older version of Monasterio and play everywhere on the dirt, but he will act as a veteran mentor to both Mayer and Monasterio. He has the experience to be an excellent teacher and still has the defensive ability to compete for the utility Gold Glove this season, something he has claimed multiple times he wants to win.

After that, Godbout has stood out for his new-found power in camp. While he’s still quite a ways away from sniffing the big-league roster, he’s shown that the future of second base appears to be in very good hands. Cespedes is a prospect that has been around the system for a couple of years, but Godbout has already passed him on the depth chart. He’s Rule 5 eligible after next season. so he’s either going to have to take fairly significant steps in 2026 and 2027 or he’s likely going to play his way out of the Red Sox's system down the road. Ferguson profiles as an emergency call up after an injury, but he tops out there.

The Bad

We can’t sugarcoat the fact that Mayer hasn’t played a full season of baseball since he was drafted due to injuries. He doesn’t carry the ‘injury-prone’ label yet, but another significant period on the shelf may force the Red Sox to start second guessing not including him in a trade for Ketel Marte during the offseason. Should the injury bug show back up, the team will be counting on Monasterio to take over at second, barring an unlikely mid-season position change for Caleb Durbin. Monasterio is unproven as a full-time starter and Durbin has played mostly third base since the Brewers moved him there during his rookie season in 2025. That’s a lot for three guys who are all still very early in their careers.

Kiner-Falefa has veteran experience aplenty, but his offensive profile is lacking at this point in his career. He’s best suited for platoon and backup roles on this team, so putting him in a situation where he’s the main starter at second, or any infield spot really, would hamstring this team in a way that would be tough to come back from.

The Bottom Line

Marcelo Mayer is looking to prove to everyone that he’s healthy and worth the number four overall pick the team used on him in 2021. Breslow wasn’t the one calling the shots then, but he has to be excited at the potential Mayer possesses. That being said, if Mayer falters and struggles to recover, then Breslow likely won’t hesitate to pick up a veteran option at the keystone.

This is Mayer’s chance to prove he belongs in Boston, and he seems ready to rise to the occasion. If he clicks, this team should have one of the best infields in baseball in 2026.