What's Wrong with Red Sox? Boston Can't Overcome Poor Starting Pitching, Situational Hitting

Trevor Story

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The Fenway faithful are already reaching for the panic button, as the Red Sox have stumbled into a historic downfall to open the 2026 season.

Following a busy offseason in which the front office looked to build a contender for the AL pennant, Boston finds itself at the bottom of the MLB standings with a dismal 2–8 record. With their third straight loss on Monday night, the Red Sox matched the worst 10-game start in franchise history.

MORE:Alex Cora Reacts to Roman Anthony's Throwing Issues

That 8-6 defeat at the hands of the Brewers served as a microcosm of the team's early struggles. The Red Sox were undone by a defensive meltdown in the eighth inning and series of costly walks. A single by Milwaukee's Garrett Mitchell and wild throwing error from Roman Anthony allowed the Brewers to pull away, leaving Boston fans frustrated with yet another disappointing performance.

From a rotation that can't find the zone to a lineup failing to deliver in high-leverage moments, here is a breakdown of what is going wrong in Boston.

What's wrong with the the Red Sox?

Many analysts and fans expected the Red Sox to hit the ground running after a playoff appearance in 2025. Instead, the optimism of spring has been replaced by a sense of dread, as Boston sits firmly in the AL East cellar. Alex Cora's squad is already trailing the first-place Yankees by 5 1/2 games.

The primary engine of Boston's collapse is a starting rotation that has been unreliable. The starters have consistently been pulled before the fifth inning, forcing Cora to burn through his bullpen. Even Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet couldn't make it beyond the fifth in his second start of the season, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits against the Astros.

This lack of longevity has created a domino effect. Tired relievers are entering games in the sixth and seventh innings, and narrow leads are disappearing.

Offensively, the Red Sox are failing in the exact moments that define winning teams. While Boston's overall batting average isn't terrible (.231), it has the fourth-worst batting average in the league (.208) when hitting with runners in scoring position with no home runs in those situations. This trend stretches back to the opening series in Cincinnati.

The lack of situational hitting has become a recurring nightmare. While Wilyer Abreu has provided some pop with his bat, the lineup has largely failed to punish opposing pitchers. Trevor Story and Roman Anthony have combined for 30 strikeouts in just 10 games, and Jarren Duran has six hits and no home runs in 30 at-bats.

Red Sox stats through first 10 games

Here are a few statistics that illustrate the Red Sox's struggles so far, per Baseball Reference:


Category	Value*	MLB Rank (out of 30)*
Runs Scored	36	24th
Run Differential	-17	27th
Average with RISP	.208	27th
Total Strikeouts	97	8th-highest
Fielding Percentage	.970	29th
Team ERA	4.84	25th