Why Red Sox's Slow Start Isn't As Bad As It Seems

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora

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The start of the 2026 MLB regular season has not been kind to the Boston Red Sox, who enter this week's pivotal series against the New York Yankees with a 9-13 record.

At first glance, that seems bad. The Red Sox are tied for last place in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays and are on pace for a 66-96 record, which would be their worst record since 1965.

On the other hand, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Boston still has 140 games left, which represents 86.4 percent of its schedule.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, the rest of the American League has also played poorly. Only four AL teams enter play on Tuesday with a winning record.

The Yankees have the best record in the AL, and Boston is only four games behind them. Depending on how this series goes, that deficit could be smaller by the end of the week.

Furthermore, being four games below .500 is hardly a death sentence. The Red Sox were still four games below .500 last year, ending May with a 28-32 record. Boston didn't take off until June, and still finished the year with 89 wins and a playoff berth.