The Boston Red Sox are struggling this season with a 6-10 record, placing them last in the AL East. Key issues include sloppy defense, underperforming rotation, and a lackluster lineup.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela
The Athletic Reveals Surprising Reason For Red Sox's Early Struggles originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
This season has been a rollercoaster for the Boston Red Sox so far, who haven't started the year the way they wanted. They're 6-10 after Garrett Crochet got crushed by the Minnesota Twins on Monday, putting them last in the AL East and tied for the second-worst record in baseball.
A lot has gone wrong for the Red Sox in the early going. Their defense has been sloppy, their rotation hasn't been as good as advertised, and their lineup has struggled to get going.
Boston ranked No. 13 in The Athletic's MLB power rankings this week (subscription required), down one spot from No. 12 last week.
In his analysis, Chad Jennings wrote that the Red Sox's biggest surprise so far has been their offense, which he called "underwhelming."
"Most of the Red Sox lineup remains underwhelming. Roman Anthony has not been the instant sensation many expected, but the bigger issue is the left side of the infield," Jennings wrote, highlighting the offensive woes of Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin.
Jennings is right that Boston's offense has underperformed so far, ranking 17th in runs per game, 29th in home runs and 21st in OPS.
Despite strong starts from Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras and a few others, most of the Red Sox's lineup has been downright bad. For example, Abreu and Contreras have more home runs by themselves (six) than the rest of the team combined (five).
Boston's offense has started to heat up lately, scoring at least six runs in three straight games. The Red Sox have also played 10 of their first 16 games on the road, so they haven't had many opportunities to take advantage of Fenway Park yet.
Regardless, Boston needs to start hitting better if it wants to turn its season around and compete for a playoff spot.
More MLB: This Former Strength Has Shockingly Become Massive Weakness For Slumping Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox currently have a record of 6-10.
The Red Sox are facing issues with sloppy defense, an underperforming rotation, and a struggling lineup.
The Red Sox are currently last in the AL East and tied for the second-worst record in baseball.
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