# 2026 Boston Red Sox season
The 2026 [Boston Red Sox](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-red-sox) season was the team's 126th season in [Major League Baseball](https://www.edgepedia.org/major-league-baseball), played under manager [Alex Cora](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-cora) and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Boston finished 87 wins and 75 losses, reached the postseason as an American League Wild Card entrant, and was swept 2-0 in the AL Wild Card Series by the New York Yankees.[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/attend.shtml) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/e39b4c53a201a1b417d2fecdf9585d86)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Record | 87–75; eliminated in the AL Wild Card Series, 2 games to 0[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/attend.shtml) |
| Home | Fenway Park; total attendance 2,827,315, an average of 34,905 per game, 4th of 15 AL clubs[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/attend.shtml) |
| Payroll | $237,693,334[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/attend.shtml) |
| Offseason headline | Left-hander Ranger Suárez signed to a five-year, $130 million contract (no deferrals) after Alex Bregman left for the Cubs[3](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-offseason-moves-breakdown-2026) |
| Deadline headline | Acquired three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman ahead of the August 3 trade deadline[4](https://apnews.com/article/ed454aacc349690b72f13a7618bba4b2) |
| Preseason projection | ZiPS projected 90 wins, the most in the AL East, with a 72.7% playoff probability[5](https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-official-and-hopefully-not-too-erroneous-2026-zips-projected-standings/) |
| Notable streak | No Red Sox team in franchise history had a longer winning streak than the 2026 club[6](https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-91284724-OPP-60.pdf) |
## Offseason
Boston entered the winter targeting a pure power bat such as [Pete Alonso](https://www.edgepedia.org/pete-alonso), the retention of veteran leader [Alex Bregman](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-bregman), or a trade for a star position player (Ketel Marte) or an ace (Joe Ryan), and ended with none of those outcomes. Alonso signed with Baltimore the day after the December 9 Winter Meetings, and a month later Bregman went to the Cubs, turning down Boston's offer of five years at $165 million with deferrals and without the no-trade clause Chicago presented.[3](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-offseason-moves-breakdown-2026)
**A pivot to run prevention.** Chief baseball officer [Craig Breslow](https://www.edgepedia.org/craig-breslow) redirected the planned Bregman investment days after his departure, signing left-hander Ranger Suárez, a longtime Phillies starter with a 1.48 ERA in 11 postseason appearances, to a five-year, $130 million contract without deferrals. Boston had also acquired right-hander [Sonny Gray](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonny-gray) via trade before [Thanksgiving](https://www.edgepedia.org/thanksgiving), joining an rotation fronted by Garrett Crochet. Breslow then leaned into defense behind the pitching: free agent Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a former Gold Glove winner, on a one-year, $6 million contract, and infielder Caleb Durbin, a 5-foot-7 right-handed hitter who finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting for the Brewers, acquired in a six-player trade.[3](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-offseason-moves-breakdown-2026)
The team also added catcher [Willson Contreras](https://www.edgepedia.org/willson-contreras) by trade and kept its outfield of [Jarren Duran](https://www.edgepedia.org/jarren-duran), Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu intact without trading top pitching prospects [Payton Tolle](https://www.edgepedia.org/payton-tolle) and Connelly Early, who had debuted in the majors late in 2025.[3](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-offseason-moves-breakdown-2026) The open question Boston itself identified was where the home-run power would come from, with Anthony, Abreu, Rafaela, and Trevor Story, who led the 2025 team with 25 homers, named as the expected sources.[3](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-offseason-moves-breakdown-2026)
## Projections
Dan Szymborski's ZiPS system, run as a million [Monte Carlo](https://www.edgepedia.org/monte-carlo) simulations of the actual 2026 schedule, projected Boston at 90–72, the best record in the AL East, with a 26.1% division title probability, a 46.6% wild card probability, a 72.7% playoff probability, and a 7.4% [World Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-series) win probability. ZiPS noted the median projection understated the range: the average AL East champion was projected at 98.5 wins.[5](https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-official-and-hopefully-not-too-erroneous-2026-zips-projected-standings/)
## Regular season
The club's run prevention focus showed in a midsummer surge. A published account of the streak notes that at its start Boston was on pace to score 635 runs while allowing 664, a minus-29 differential, and that by August 25 the pace had improved to 719 scored and 605 allowed, plus-114; the same account states no Red Sox team in franchise history had a longer winning streak than the 2026 club.[6](https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-91284724-OPP-60.pdf)
**Broadcast schedule.** Boston appeared in five NBC and Peacock broadcasts during the regular season. The final one, against the Giants on August 23, closed out [Rafael Devers](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafael-devers)'s first series as a visitor at [Fenway Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/fenway-park); Devers had been traded from Boston to San Francisco in June 2025.[7](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2026/01/09/red-sox-mlb-nbc-peacock-schedule-2026/) • [8](https://apnews.com/article/9e0d65350cae0d62409f8c66e19c914d)
**Deadline.** At the August 3 trade deadline the Red Sox were among the day's most aggressive buyers, acquiring three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman hours before the 6 p.m. EDT cutoff.[4](https://apnews.com/article/ed454aacc349690b72f13a7618bba4b2)
**Late-season roster moves.** September transactions included selecting the contract of right-hander Jedixson Paez from Worcester, activating infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the 60-day injured list, designating infielder Brett Harris for assignment (he was claimed off waivers by the Giants), placing center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela on the 10-day injured list with a right quadriceps strain, and sending right-hander Tanner Houck to Portland on a rehab assignment.[9](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/transactions) • [10](https://www.soxprospects.com/transactions.htm) After the minor league season ended, Boston recalled Burgos, Paez, Tyler Samaniego, Tsung-Che Cheng, Romy González, and Kristian Campbell from Worcester.[10](https://www.soxprospects.com/transactions.htm)
Among the club's regular hitters, designated hitter Mickey Gasper posted a .265 average, .376 on-base percentage, .494 slugging percentage, and .870 OPS in 55 games.[11](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/stats)
## Postseason
Boston entered the AL Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium as the visiting wild card. Ace left-hander Garrett Crochet, a two-time All-Star who had not pitched since April 25 because of left shoulder inflammation, was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and available in the bullpen for the series.[12](https://apnews.com/article/e3b25154d3b84fffe27483d405f12453)
The Yankees swept the best-of-three series in two games. Max Fried dominated Boston in the playoffs for the second straight year, and Cody Bellinger and Luis García Jr. homered in a 9-2 Game 2 win on September 30 that ended Boston's season; New York advanced to face AL East champion Tampa Bay in the Division Series.[2](https://apnews.com/article/e39b4c53a201a1b417d2fecdf9585d86) Yankees captain Aaron Judge, sidelined since September 16 by a strained right calf, was left off New York's roster for the series.[12](https://apnews.com/article/e3b25154d3b84fffe27483d405f12453)
## References
1. [Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors, Baseball-Reference](https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/attend.shtml)
2. [Fried, Bellinger and García lead Yankees over Red Sox 9-2 for 2-game Wild Card Series sweep, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/e39b4c53a201a1b417d2fecdf9585d86)
3. [How the Red Sox landed on a whole new offseason plan, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-offseason-moves-breakdown-2026)
4. [MLB trade deadline: Red Sox, Phillies, Padres are the biggest buyers at the buzzer, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ed454aacc349690b72f13a7618bba4b2)
5. [The Official (And Hopefully Not Too Erroneous) 2026 ZiPS Projected Standings, FanGraphs](https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-official-and-hopefully-not-too-erroneous-2026-zips-projected-standings/)
6. [What has been Boston's biggest catalyst (2026 day-by-day account)](https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/ttabvue-91284724-OPP-60.pdf)
7. [Red Sox slated to play 5 games on NBC, Peacock in 2026, Boston.com](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2026/01/09/red-sox-mlb-nbc-peacock-schedule-2026/)
8. [Red Sox trade Rafael Devers to the Giants in a blockbuster deal, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/9e0d65350cae0d62409f8c66e19c914d)
9. [Transactions, Boston Red Sox, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/transactions)
10. [2026 Red Sox Transactions, SoxProspects.com](https://www.soxprospects.com/transactions.htm)
11. [2026 Red Sox Player Hitting Stat Leaders, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/redsox/stats)
12. [Aaron Judge left off Yankees' Wild Card Series roster against Red Sox with calf injury, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/e3b25154d3b84fffe27483d405f12453)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Baseball and related bat sports › Professional baseball in the Americas › MLB seasons and year-in-baseball chronology*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license