As Bill Belichickonce said, “We’re on to Cincinnati.”
The Red Sox will open the 2026 season on the road against Terry Francona’sReds beginning Thursday.
Boston’s spring was relatively uneventful, no major drama, just a team focused on preparation and a handful of position battles across the diamond.
Garrett Crochetwill make his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Red Sox after getting the nod against the Rangers last year. The dominant left-hander didn’t have his sharpest spring, posting a 7.36 ERA.
Spring training numbers don’t carry much weight, especially for a pitcher of Crochet’s caliber. Neither he nor Alex Corais concerned about his lackluster Grapefruit League performance.
“I feel like it’s been the story of my spring...,” Crochet said after his final start this week versus the Braves. “I felt like today was kinda like the rest of the spring. The line looks uglier than how it felt. It feels uglier than what I felt like I deserved. Whatever.”
Boston will only go as far as Crochet takes them this season. If he struggles, the Red Sox could be in trouble, but his spring performance shouldn’t raise concern.
Crochet enters the season as a Cy Young favorite alongside back-to-back American League winner Tarik Skubalafter leading all of baseball with 255 strikeouts in 2025.
The left-hander was a true workhorse for Boston last season, and the expectation is more of the same. If there’s one area for improvement, it’s limiting the long ball, Crochet surrendered a career-high 24 home runs.
Crochet focused on developing a changeup this offseason, a pitch he used just four percent of the time last year. It plays more like a splitter based on his grip and movement.
Garrett Crochet, Nasty 93mph Cutter...and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/r3zywcGsJM— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2026
If he’s able to turn it into a true swing-and-miss weapon, a jump past 300 strikeouts isn’t out of the question. Chris Salewas the last Red Sox pitcher to reach that mark, recording 308 strikeouts in 2017.
The Reds will counter with a left-hander of their own in Game 1, sending Andrew Abbottto the bump. This will be the first time Abbott will take the ball on Opening Day. He’s coming off a successful 2025 campaign where he earned All-Star honors for the first time in his career.
Like Crochet, Abbott didn’t have a strong spring and was hit around at times. He attributed that to mechanical adjustments, another reminder that spring numbers don’t carry much weight in the grand scheme.
Abbott has faced the Red Sox once in his career, earning the win in a 5–2 victory in 2024. He allowed two runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out 10.
Boston will turn to newly acquired Sonny Grayon Saturday for the second game of the series. He had a solid spring overall, allowing at least two earned runs and three hits in each of his four starts while focusing on refining his mechanics ahead of his Red Sox debut.
“I had no concerns, and I have no concerns,” Gray told reporters, including The Boston Globe, of his spring training stats. “I’ll be ready to go game two.”
For Gray, pitching against the Reds will be somewhat of a homecoming. He was with Cincinnati for three seasons from 2019-21.
Sonny Gray, Messing with Timing. pic.twitter.com/jOxfPCLsut— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 22, 2026
The Red Sox are counting on Gray to anchor the middle of the rotation after parting with top-30 pitching prospect Brandon Clarke and Richard Fittsto acquire him in November. The 36-year-old is a three-time All-Star and finished as the American League Cy Young runner-up with the Twins in 2023.
Gray piled up strikeouts last season, finishing with 201 against just 38 walks over 32 starts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio ranked best in the National League and fourth in all of baseball, trailing only Skubal, Crochet and Bryan Woo.
Now on the back end of his career and in the final year of his contract, Gray could be the ideal veteran presence to help guide the Red Sox come October.
The Reds will counter with Brady Singer, whose start was briefly in doubt due to a blister issue. The 29-year-old right-hander exited his outing against the Rockies last Wednesday after 51 pitches with a blister on his right index finger.
Nick Lodolohad been slated to pitch in the series as well, but will instead begin the season on the injured list with a blister issue of his own.
“The IL is not the greatest option, but what we don't want to do is pitch him and then lose him for three weeks,” Francona said to reporters, including MLB.com. “We're not rushing him to the IL. We'll see how it goes. He’s a different case than Singer, just in the fact that he's got a track record [for blisters].”
The series finale will feature two of the game’s young arms in Connelly Early and Rhett Lowder.
Early earned a spot on the Opening Day roster and is expected to start Sunday. The left-hander made four starts down the stretch last season, posting a 2.33 ERA, before getting the ball in Game 3 of the ALDS in New York.
He carried that momentum into a strong spring, ultimately edging out newcomer Johan Oviedofor the final rotation spot. Oviedo is expected to open the season in a bulk-innings role.
Stoked for Connelly Early. He put in the work this offseason by adding weight and it’s only made him nastier. 1.59 ERA/3.01 FIP in 17 IP. That’s with an 8.1 Opponent Quality. Have a feeling that sending him down is going to be even harder once Bello/Suarez are fully built up. pic.twitter.com/x86LWEJOW3— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) March 23, 2026
Early has come a long way since his postseason loss to the Yankees and believes he’s taken a step forward in his development heading into the year.
“I would say I’ve grown in a lot of ways,” Early said to reporters in Florida. “I feel like I took the offseason very seriously. Just wanted to get stronger, get in a really good spot, get a little more durable, and come out here and showcase that throughout the spring.
“(I’m) reading hitters’ swings a little bit. Knowing the game of baseball a little bit better. Slowing things down. I had a lot of conversations with other guys just on how they like to sequence pitches and stuff like that. Just more on the mental side of things for sure.”
In five Grapefruit League appearances, Early posted a 1.59 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 17 innings. He also beat out fellow left-hander Payton Tolle, who was optioned to Triple-A Worcester this week.
“I feel like (spring training) went really well,” Early said. “I felt confident out there. I was able to go on the road a lot and face a fair share of big league hitters. So I got to see their swings against me and figure out how I wanted to attack them.”
Red Sox fans will get a look at one of the game’s top young pitching prospects in Lowder.
The 24-year-old, ranked No. 86 overall by MLB Pipeline, debuted late in 2024 and impressed with a 1.17 ERA across six starts. He’ll look to build on that momentum as he enters his first full big league season.
“I’ve said it plenty of times: No matter what happens, I want to be the best pitcher I can be," Lowder said. "I want to be the best version of myself. I’ve got to keep working. I feel good physically, mentally. I think this game is a mental game no matter what, so if it’s not one thing, it’s another, so you’ve got to be strong no matter what.”
Lowder features both a two-seamer and four-seamer, with a slight uptick in velocity during his brief 2025 big league stint compared to 2024. Boston’s lineup will also have to contend with his slider — an above-average pitch in the mid-80s with sharp, downward bite — along with a changeup in the same velocity range that features strong tumbling action.
Early vs. Lowder should provide an intriguing matchup between two of the game’s rising young arms.
With the Grapefruit League schedule now complete, it’s finally time for meaningful baseball. Expectations are high in Boston, and the pressure is on Craig Breslow, Cora, and this young Red Sox' team to deliver.
