Watch Willson Contreras Snap Red Sox's Home Run Drought

TL;DR

Willson Contreras hit a home run for the Boston Red Sox, ending a four-game home run drought. This marks another strong performance for Contreras early in the 2026 season.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras

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Willson Contreras started Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals by giving the Boston Red Sox a long-awaited power jolt.

Boston went the last four games without a home run after Contreras touched them all in Monday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The offseason addition continued his strong start to the 2026 campaign with another long ball in Sunday's rubber match at St. Louis.

Contreras gave Boston an early lead against his former team by hitting a two-run blast off St. Louis starter Andre Pallante in the opening inning. The 411-foot homer cleared the center-field fence at Busch Stadium after traveling off the bat at an 106.2-mph exit velocity.

The Red Sox posted a video of the home run on social media:

Preseason concerns over Boston's power look justified early in the season. The Red Sox entered Sunday's game with nine home runs in 14 games, tying the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks for MLB's second-worst tally behind the San Francisco Giants (seven).

Boston also ranked 27th in slugging (.341) and 28th in ISO (.115) before Sunday. Wilyer Abreu was the only player slugging over .425 in at least 15 appearances, so most of the Red Sox's regulars haven't contributed much pop.

Contreras, however, has begun his Red Sox tenure on a bright note. He upped his season slash line to .294/.446/.510 after going yard and collecting two more base hits in his ensuing at-bats, including an RBI single in the fourth.

The cleanup hitter may not flaunt the same power as Rafael Devers, but he now matches Abreu's team lead with three home runs. No other Red Sox hitter has more than one long ball in 2026.

Boston is up 7-1 over St. Louis in the fourth inning.

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Q&A

How did Willson Contreras end the Red Sox's home run drought?

Willson Contreras hit a home run during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, ending the Red Sox's four-game stretch without a home run.

What was the Red Sox's home run drought duration before Contreras's hit?

The Boston Red Sox went four games without hitting a home run before Willson Contreras's performance.

What has been Willson Contreras's impact on the Red Sox in the 2026 season?

Willson Contreras has made a significant impact by consistently delivering strong performances, including multiple home runs early in the 2026 season.