The unofficial first half is in the books, and it was a tumultuous one for the Boston Red Sox, who entered the season with World Series aspirations, sank as low as the basement of the American League, and now find themselves right back in the thick of things in the wild card picture. 

These are the five biggest takeaways from the first 94 games of the 2026 season, as Boston is 46-48.

Red Sox starters got out to a slow start in the 2026 season, posting a 4.35 ERA through the first month of the season, the ninth-highest mark in baseball. However, since then, they have lived up to their offseason billing as one of the best staffs in baseball, posting a 3.22 ERA, which is far and away the lowest mark in the sport. 

What has been most impressive about the Red Sox rotation run is that they have done so while being ravaged by injuries throughout the season. At various points, they have been without Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early, and 2025 Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet, who has been on the injured list since April 29 with left shoulder inflammation. 

Whether it be Payton Tolle or Jake Bennett, or spot starters like Eduardo Rivera, each pitcher who took the mound in place of an injured starter didn’t miss a beat, jumping right in line with the dominance of the staff. 

Through 94 games, the Red Sox rotation has accrued 12.4 fWAR, a 21.4 fWAR pace for a 162-game season, which would rank as the fifth-highest mark in Red Sox history since 1975 and the best staff since 2017. 

Simply put, this is shaping up to be an all-time season from a Red Sox pitching staff that has, thus far, more than lived up to the hype. 

When the Red Sox entered the season, they did so without really replacing the void in the lineup left by the 2025 trade that sent Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, leaving them without the big hitter opposing teams had to circle before games. 

Instead, they were relying on the then 21-year-old Roman Anthony to become an instant impact player in his first full season in the big leagues. Anthony has been on the injured list since May 5 with a torn ligament in his right ring finger, with no return in sight. However, prior to going down with the injury, Anthony experienced some growing pains, hitting .229/.354/.321/.675 with only one home run in 30 games. 

Regardless of Anthony’s prospect pedigree or his performance in 71 games in 2026, to expect Anthony to immediately become your impact hitter at just 21 was too much. While he still very well could become that guy, it was poor lineup construction to rely on him to do so after just 71 major league games. 

Along with a reliance on Anthony to become a top-of-the-order presence, Breslow was also banking on 27-year-old Wilyer Abreu to take a step forward and become the middle-of-the-order presence that he had shown flashes of being in the past. For the second consecutive season, Abreu came out of the gates hot, hitting .300/.372/.459/.831 with six home runs and 19 RBI in his first 45 games of the season, looking like that step forward had finally arrived. 

However, in the 47 games since, the back-to-back American League Gold Glove winner in right field has hit just .224/.295/.399/.694, bringing his season totals down to .261/.332/.428/.759, a line that much more closely resembles his career averages. 

While the 27-year-old remains one of the most valuable outfielders in baseball thanks to his incredible defense in one of the most difficult right fields in baseball, it may be time to say that the step forward into the middle-of-the-order presence will only show up in flashes. 

Having spent the entirety of his career in two great baseball markets, St. Louis and Chicago, it should come as no surprise that the 34-year-old first baseman arrived in Boston and immediately fit in. However, after just 94 games, it’s clear that the energy and passion with which Contreras plays the game were built for Boston. 

Not only has Contreras been the Red Sox' best hitter for the duration of the season, hitting .285/.379/.542/.921 with 20 home runs, but he has been the emotional spark for a team that at times has been in desperate need of one, willing to shake things up with his antagonistic tactics in order to set the tone for a young clubhouse. 

His performance on the field, paired with that passion, is the kind of makeup that makes Red Sox legends, and with Contreras sending a clear message to the front office that he wants to remain in Boston for the rest of his career, he’ll certainly have that chance. 

It’s so easy to get caught up in every pitch, reacting to every little nuance in the game, but if there’s one thing the 2026 Red Sox have taught us, it’s that things can change in an instant. Just 20 days ago, Boston found itself fresh off a series loss to the Colorado Rockies with the fewest wins in the American League. Now, after a 14-2 stretch, they sit just two games under .500 and half a game back of the final wild card position in the AL. 

However, things can swing just as easily in the other direction. If Boston doesn’t come out of the gate with the same intensity and ‘never say die’ attitude they ended the unofficial first half with, they can find themselves right back where they were just 20 days ago in the blink of an eye. 

The Red Sox will kick off the unofficial second half on Friday afternoon in game one of a doubleheader against the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Jake Bennett (4-3, 2.64 ERA) will get the start for Boston opposite Griffin Jax (5-6, 3.47 ERA) for Tampa Bay. First pitch from Fenway set for 1:35 p.m. ET. 

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