With one week until the Wild Card round begins, we'll look at how the Red Sox' postseason roster could take shape.
BOSTON -- Thanks to an Atlanta Braves victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon, the Boston Red Sox have clinched their place in the postseason. They'll likely head to the Bronx for a rematch of the 2025 Wild Card series against the New York Yankees.
With one week until game one, here's how we project the postseason roster taking shape:
Pitchers (12): Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, Brayan Bello, Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Jovani Moran, Greg Weissert, Erik Miller, Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock, Aroldis Chapman
The Red Sox have yet to announce their rotation for the wild card series; however, Tolle, Gray, and Suarez will be the three starters in New York, with Tolle expected to take the mound in game one.
The back end of the bullpen is solidified with some combination of Miller, Guerrero, and Whitlock serving as the primary setup men in front of Chapman. However, how the rest of the pen shakes out is worth monitoring.
Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet continues his comeback from left shoulder inflammation during a side session at Polar Park on Sept. 19, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectCrochet's health is the biggest wild card in the bullpen. The 27-year-old faced live hitters for the first time on Tuesday, telling MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo, "I felt like, with the way that went, I could go get outs." However, whether or not the team feels good enough about his return to activate him for the postseason remains to be seen. But, as former manager Alex Cora said when including Joe Kelly on the 2018 postseason roster, "you don't leave 100 on the bench," and Crochet certainly has the ability to be a real X-factor out of the pen.
Weissert has performed well over the last month, allowing only three earned runs in 16 innings, making him about as close to a lock as possible. Despite being optioned to Triple-A when the team activated, Olds performed incredibly well in an expanded role in recent weeks, allowing two earned runs in nine innings in September. His spot on the roster likely depends on what the team plans to do with Tanner Houck, who made five rehab appearances for both Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester before the minor league season ended. Should Houck be activated ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale and look up to the task, his ceiling is undoubtedly higher than Olds ', potentially giving him the edge.
Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett is a notable omission after an incredible debut season; however, the 25-year-old would be in line to start game one of a potential division series, making him the odd man out for now.
Catchers (3): Adley Rutschman, Connor Wong, Mickey Gasper
Sep 11, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Mickey Gasper (30) runs around the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Natalie Reid-Imagn ImagesThe catching room is pretty straightforward. Despite Rutschman's slow start at the plate in a Red Sox uniform, he is one of baseball's best defensive catchers and will undoubtedly start every playoff game, with Wong as his backup.
Gasper is unlikely to see time behind the plate, instead serving as the designated hitter against right-handed pitching in a platoon with Jahmai Jones, who we'll get to shortly.
Infielders (5): Willson Contreras, Nick Sogard, Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Like the trio of catchers, the infield offers few surprises. Kiner-Falefa's return from the injured list on Sept. 1, paired with Jones's ability to serve as a lefty-masher off the bench, likely means utility man Andruw Monasterio will miss the initial postseason roster. Kiner-Falefa is a much more dependable defensive option across the infield, while Jones has swung a much better bat lately.
Amid Monasterio's struggles, some thought Romy Gonzalez, who posted strong numbers in Triple-A, could find his way onto a postseason roster. However, the fact that Boston has not yet recalled him likely means his chances of joining Boston for the playoffs hinge on an injury.
Outfielders (6): Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Jahmai Jones, Braiden Ward
Sep 19, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran (16) reacts after he triples during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn ImagesManager Chad Tracy will face a tough decision at designated hitter in game one against the Yankees' ace Cam Schlittler, choosing between Duran and Gasper.
Duran has been one of baseball's most disappointing players in 2026, entering play on Tuesday with a weighted runs created plus of 68, the second-lowest mark among 135 qualified hitters. While Gasper is undoubtedly the hotter hand, Duran represents a much higher ceiling, but has he flashed enough of that talent to draw into the lineup?
Jones' role is straightforward: against left-handed pitchers, he'll serve as the designated hitter, and against right-handed starters, he'll pinch-hit for whichever of Duran or Gasper starts at DH.
The season-ending foot injury to Eli White opens the door for Ward, a spring training standout, to make his major league debut with Boston in the postseason as a base-stealing specialist.
The Wild Card series gets underway on Sept. 28, with the Red Sox opponent and scheduled first pitch still to be determined.
