The Boston Red Sox have dug themselves a deep hole through their first nine games of the 2026 season — one that few clubs in MLB history have successfully overcome.
After losing two of three to the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park, the Red Sox now own the league’s worst record at 2-7. Only 14 teams since 1903 have clinched a playoff berth after a 2-7 start or worse through nine games. The most recent examples are the 2001 Oakland Athletics (2-7), 2011 Tampa Bay Rays (1-8), and 2024 Astros (2-7).
Boston also has MLB’s fourth-worst run differential at negative-15. According to Justin Havens of the Baseball Is Dead podcast, 54 of the 57 teams that started 2-7 or worse with a negative-15 run differential or worse missed the postseason. None advanced to the World Series.
“This is unacceptable,” Red Sox star Roman Anthony said after Sunday’s loss to San Diego. “It’s unacceptable for the fans. It’s unacceptable to the standard that we set for ourselves.”
The Red Sox entered this season widely considered a playoff contender after winning 89 games and ending their playoff drought last year. They made multiple offseason moves to form what was expected to be one of MLB’s best starting rotations, and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow touted “run prevention” as their identity and strength heading into the campaign.
Despite his club’s historically bad start, Breslow remains optimistic.
“We still believe very, very strongly in this team,” Breslow said during Sunday’s Red Sox-Padres broadcast. “Your rational brain says baseball needs to be evaluated over the long term. Eight games in is not the time you want to draw conclusions, but your heart says, ‘How do we help the group? What do we need to do? What are we missing? How do we turn this thing around?’
“But we have a bunch of good players who are not performing up to their potential right now, and that’s going to turn.”
It had better turn quickly, because to reach 90 wins, the Red Sox will have to post a win percentage of roughly .580 the rest of the way. While that’s certainly possible, it will be extremely difficult to achieve in arguably the league’s toughest division, and their schedule won’t ease up any time soon.
Up next for Boston is a three-game series against the reigning National League Central champion Milwaukee Brewers, who are tied for the best record in baseball (7-2). From there, the Red Sox will hit the road again to face the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins before returning home to host the Detroit Tigers. They’ll finish the month with an AL East gauntlet: the New York Yankees at home, then the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays on the road.
It isn’t a stretch to say the Brewers series could determine the Red Sox’ fate. If they’re swept — a real possibility against one of baseball’s hottest clubs — they will have a 2-10 record. The 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates are the only team in MLB history to clinch a playoff berth after a 2-10 start.
Those looking for encouragement can find it in the 2019 Washington Nationals, who overcame a 19-31 start to win the World Series.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora seems aware that it’s time to operate with urgency. He made several noteworthy changes to his lineup ahead of Monday’s series opener against Milwaukee, sliding the struggling Trevor Story from second to fifth in the order while moving Masataka Yoshida up to the second spot. Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu will bat third and fourth, respectively.
Brayan Bello will take the mound in Monday’s game against Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff. Bello will look to bounce back from his season debut, when he allowed five earned runs on eight hits and three walks over 4.2 innings against the Houston Astros.
