Ken Rosenthal Reveals Missing Key Ingredient For Red Sox's Scuffling Offense

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras

Ken Rosenthal Reveals Missing Key Ingredient For Red Sox's Scuffling Offense originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Without Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman, the Boston Red Sox's offense has declined dramatically this season. After ranking seventh in MLB with 4.85 runs per game last year, the Red Sox are averaging just 3.65 runs per game in 2026 (26th) entering play on Saturday.

There are numerous reasons for that, including poor plate discipline, lack of power, struggles with runners in scoring position and simple underperformance. However, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal also believes Boston's lineup is missing a key ingredient from last year.

"Now Boston, they are not such a veteran group," Rosenthal said on Friday's episode of "Foul Territory." "And my concern with them all along, after losing Bregman on top of trading Devers, was they lacked that presence that kind of would take the pressure off their younger players."

The Red Sox still have Trevor Story and added a veteran bat over the winter in Willson Contreras, but Bregman was virtually irreplaceable from a leadership standpoint. He carried the team in that regard and was a valuable mentor to young players like Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and others.

Without him, Boston seems adrift.

"Bregman was the guy," Rosenthal added. "They, in my opinion, ask too much of their young players -- Roman Anthony, specifically -- coming into the season, and we're seeing that play out in their offense... I have never liked where they were going into the season offensively, and that was a question."

The pressure may be getting to Anthony a bit, as he's started the season in a major slump. So have many of his teammates, several of whom appear to be pressing and trying to do too much at the plate.

Perhaps the Red Sox are still adjusting to life without Bregman and Devers and figuring out their new identity. Their diminished offense has been a major factor in their 9-17 start, however, so they need to figure things out soon.

More MLB: Red Sox Offense Makes Encouraging Progress In Loss To Orioles