This season has gotten off to a nightmarish start, and through the first month of the season the Red Sox offense has been among the worst in MLB.
The numbers don’t lie.
Entering Saturday, the Red Sox ranked fifth-worst in MLB in runs per game (3.65), tied for fourth-worst in hits (194), second-worst in OPS (.641) and tied for last in home runs (15) while ranking near the bottom of most advanced metrics. The Red Sox were held to three or fewer runs in 15 of their first 26 games, and seven of the club’s 10 lineup regulars had an OPS+ of less than 100, which signifies below league-average offensive production.
Roman Anthony (97) was just below that threshold, but Marcelo Mayer (87), Ceddanne Rafaela (83), Carlos Narvaez (71), Jarren Duran (58), Trevor Story (54) and Caleb Durbin (30) have all fallen short of expectations.
Worse, the Red Sox have shown virtually no ability to fight back once they’ve fallen behind. The Red Sox had only two comeback wins on the season entering Saturday, and the largest deficit they’ve overcome is just one run.
Cold streaks inevitably happen over the course of any baseball season, but with each passing game there’s a growing body of evidence that this isn’t just a rough patch and that the Red Sox are what their resume says they are, which is a bad offensive ballclub.
Can the Red Sox still piece together their broken offense? There are a couple of paths forward, but this won’t be an easy fix.
Better performances ahead?
The easiest way for the Red Sox to turn things around is by simply playing better, which sounds so obvious that it almost goes without saying. But most of these guys have at least somewhat established big league track records, and past history suggests they’ll eventually turn things around.
Duran is coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 70 extra-base hits, but entering the weekend he only had six. Duran’s 3 for 4 showing with two opposite-field doubles on Wednesday was an encouraging sign, but for the Red Sox offense to hum they need Duran consistently hitting balls all over the field.
Story is in a similar boat. Since coming to Boston the veteran shortstop has occasionally been prone to severe slumps, and last May in particular Story ranked among the worst offensive players in baseball, batting .158 with a .432 OPS and only three extra-base hits in 101 plate appearances. But then Story got going and finished as one of the team’s top offensive producers, batting .289 with 18 homers, 22 stolen bases and an .827 OPS from June 1 onwards.
The tricky part is how the club’s younger players will respond to adversity. Though Anthony, Durbin and Narvaez have all produced at the MLB level before, they are also still in just their second big league seasons. Same with Mayer, though he’s still searching for his first extended run of success at the plate.
Red Sox outfielder Kristian Campbell probably isn’t the answer to the club’s offensive woes at this point in time. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Few internal options
As far as internal options for improving the current group, the Red Sox don’t have many good choices.
Triston Casas, who could theoretically be one of the club’s top power hitters if healthy, was recently moved to the 60-day injured list after suffering another setback and won’t be available until late May at the earliest. Same goes for Romy Gonzalez, who would normally be a logical alternative to Mayer or Durbin in the infield but who is also out until at least June after undergoing a shoulder procedure in March.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio haven’t been any more productive at the plate than Durbin or Mayer either, and  Triple-A infield options like Nick Sogard, Tsung Che-Cheng and Anthony Seigler aren’t likely to significantly move the needle.
In terms of prospects, the cavalry has already arrived. Kristian Campbell was batting .253 with a .692 OPS at Triple-A entering Saturday, nothing like the numbers he was posting prior to his MLB call-up last year, and he’s been playing exclusively in the outfield anyway, where the Red Sox already have a logjam.
Other than Campbell, the only other prospect of note who could conceivably impact this year’s team is Mikey Romero, a 22-year-old former first-round pick who is off to a solid start at Triple-A but who could use more at bats at that level.
Franklin Arias, the organization’s top hitting prospect, has gotten off to an awesome start, batting .408 with six home runs and a 1.340 OPS through his first 14 games. But he’s still in Double-A and wouldn’t be a realistic option until the second half even if he keeps crushing the ball.
Connor Wong could play more until Narvaez heats up, and there could be more at bats for Masataka Yoshida, who has been one of the club’s early standouts despite limited playing time.
But thanks to the club’s disjointed roster construction that will be hard to do without also sitting Anthony or Duran in the process.
Three-time All-Star Ketel Marte is one of the top offensive producers the Red Sox could realistically acquire this season. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Early-season trade possibilities
There are a couple of bats the Red Sox could target to give their offense a jolt.
One option is circling back to the Houston Astros about third baseman Isaac Paredes, who was long rumored to be a potential Red Sox target throughout the offseason before the club traded for Durbin. The Astros have an infield logjam of their own, and while Paredes hasn’t gotten off to a particularly strong start, he’s been better at the plate than Durbin or Mayer and has a longer track record of MLB success.
The Red Sox could also call a few other clubs who have tumbled down the standings. Would the Twins entertain dealing third baseman Royce Lewis? Would the Phillies move second baseman Bryson Stott?
Houston Astros’ Isaac Paredes celebrates after his solo home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Then the club could also try to make a big swing.
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was one of the top players available on the trade block this past winter but wasn’t moved. Prying him away from the desert would surely take a massive offer, and Diamondbacks boss Mike Hazen likely wouldn’t bite unless Mayer was included in the deal, or if not him then one or more of the club’s top young pitchers.