The Boston Red Sox passed their first test of the 2026 season as they shut out the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day, 3-0.
Other than being kept off the scoreboard for the first six innings, the Red Sox looked sharp in every facet of the game. Garrett Crochet pitched a gem, the offense racked up 12 hits, and the bullpen kept Cincinnati scoreless for the final three innings.
As always, Opening Day left us with plenty to overreact to with 161 games left in the regular season. Here are five instant overreactions to Boston’s victory:
Garrett Crochet is ready for another Cy Young bid
The 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up looks poised for another run at the award this season. After a rough spring training, Crochet was in peak form in Cincinnati.
The left-handed ace allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out eight Reds hitters over six innings. His only hiccup in the outing was a sixth-inning bases-loaded jam, which he escaped with back-to-back Ks:
As long as he stays healthy, Crochet should join the likes of Tarik Skubal as a Cy Young finalist once again. His excellent outing is a great sign for a Red Sox rotation that is expected to be among baseball’s best in 2026.
Roman Anthony already looks like a veteran
Anthony wasted no time making his presence felt to start his first full MLB season. The 21-year-old smoked a single up the middle on the first pitch of the day:
Later, Anthony rocketed one at 110 mph right at Reds first baseman Sal Stewart to start the day 3-for-3. Stewart was hurt on the play, but he stayed in the game.
The future superstar’s biggest moment came in the ninth, when he turned a strikeout into a walk by winning an ABS challenge to keep the inning alive. The next batter, Trevor Story, singled to add an insurance run:
Moments like that are what separate Anthony, once the league’s No. 1 prospect, from other talented prospects. He already looks and acts like a 10-year veteran, and that’s part of the reason many have him pegged as an MVP candidate in Year 2.
Lineup against lefties is a problem
Yes, the Red Sox tallied 12 hits, but a handful of them were infield singles, and they failed to score until left-handed starter Andrew Abbott exited the game after the sixth inning. Boston’s top three hitters against southpaws last year — Rob Refsnyder, Romy Gonzalez, Alex Bregman — aren’t on the roster, and it showed for most of the day.
The Red Sox need several players to step up against lefties this year. Wilyer Abreu should get the chance after sitting often against left-handers last year. Jarren Duran has historically struggled against southpaws, and Marcelo Mayer didn’t get to start due to his issues against lefties throughout the minors and in his brief MLB stint last year.
Boston was rightfully criticized for not adding another big right-handed bat to the lineup in the offseason. That could come back to haunt the club down the stretch, and Opening Day may have been the first hint that their issues against lefties still exist.
Marcelo Mayer showed why he belongs
Isiah Kiner-Falefa got the start at second base over Mayer due to the Reds starting a left-hander on the mound. Mayer pinch-hit for IKF in the seventh inning and made the most of his opportunity, drilling a double to deep center field. Ceddanne Rafaela drove him in with an RBI single to break the scoreless tie:
Later, Mayer laced a single to go 2-for-2 on the day. He plated the club’s second run on a Trevor Story single.
Mayer still has plenty of work to do against southpaws, but he can still make a tremendous impact both at the plate and in the field. He’s still capable of living up to expectations as a No. 4 overall draft pick, and any talk of him potentially not making the team out of spring training was silly. He should play an important role on Boston’s quest for a deeper playoff run.
Bullpen could be elite again in 2026
The Red Sox bullpen ranked second in MLB in ERA last season, and even if Aroldis Chapman doesn’t put up video-game numbers this time around, the group could be outstanding again in 2026.
Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock, and Chapman combined for three scoreless innings to complete Boston’s shutout victory. Slaten struck out two and walked one in the seventh, Whitlock struck out two and allowed one hit in the eighth, and Chapman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the year.
The middle relief arms still have some question marks, but the back end of the Red Sox bullpen looks like it’ll be one of the team’s biggest strengths again.
