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The Red Sox gave their fans a summer worth remembering. The Yankees gave them an ending they would rather forget. Boston’s two-game Wild Card Series exit closes a season that somehow managed to feel like several different seasons stitched together.
There was the April disappointment that cost Alex Cora his job. The June low point that left the Red Sox 14 games below .500. The extraordinary winning streak that made checking the standings fun again. Then came October, where the room for another comeback disappeared quickly.
Boston finished the regular season 87-75, a significant achievement considering where it had been. But a playoff berth followed by an immediate exit leaves the organization with a complicated assessment: The recovery was real, and so was the gap between reaching the postseason and advancing.
The offseason now becomes an opportunity to address that gap.
Here are five questions the Red Sox take into the winter.
1. Can Boston build a contender that needs less rescuing?
On June 24, Boston was 32-46. From there, the Red Sox went 55-29 to finish with 87 victories.
A SWEEP IN THE BRONX! 🧹 pic.twitter.com/DK8ZowrDV9
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 1, 2026That closing stretch represents a .655 winning percentage over 84 games. It was sustained winning, even beyond the spectacular streak that attracted national attention.
The challenge is making that level of competitiveness show up earlier. Boston’s comeback demonstrated how well the team could play. Its first three months also demonstrated how much ground an inconsistent start can surrender.
A stronger opening would give the Red Sox more room to navigate injuries, slumps and the inevitable difficult stretches of a long schedule. It could also improve their position entering October.
The Yankees series offered a reminder of how unforgiving the Wild Card round can be. Boston spent months repairing its season, then had little time to repair a bad postseason start.
2. What changes when Chad Tracy begins a full season in charge?
Tracy took over following Boston’s 10-17 start and finished the regular season with a 77-58 managerial record.
The Red Sox removed his interim designation on Sept. 22, naming him the franchise’s 49th manager. His contract runs through 2029, with a club option for 2030. That gives next season a different starting point.
Tracy will enter spring training as the established manager, with the opportunity to shape preparation and expectations before Opening Day. He also brings familiarity with players he managed during his years at Triple-A Worcester.
The summer supplied a compelling argument for retaining him. Boston’s 15-game winning streak tied the franchise record set in 1946, while its 27-3 stretch from July 3 through Aug. 7 was the best 30-game span in club history. Those accomplishments earned Tracy an opportunity. The next test is producing consistency across an entire season, including the games that carry the greatest pressure.
3. Can Roman Anthony get the uninterrupted season Boston needs?
Anthony’s health belongs near the top of Boston’s offseason concerns.
The 22-year-old missed 101 games from May 5 through Aug. 29 because of a right hand injury. He finished the regular season batting .245 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and a .735 OPS in 55 games.
Then he aggravated the hand in the postseason opener and was unavailable for Game 2. That is a difficult way to develop momentum, both for a young hitter and for a lineup counting on his presence.
Boston’s planning has to account for his recovery while recognizing how much an extended healthy stretch could matter. More availability would give Anthony the chance to settle into regular at-bats and give the Red Sox a better opportunity to evaluate their offense at full strength. His season provided far fewer of those opportunities than anyone wanted.
4. How does Boston build around its dependable production?
Sonny Gray delivered an 18-5 record and a 2.72 ERA in 29 regular-season starts, striking out 149 over 169 innings.
Wilyer Abreu appeared in 157 games, hit 24 home runs and drove in 76 runs. His 38 doubles helped him finish with 66 extra-base hits. Those performances give Boston concrete strengths to build around.
Gray supplied effective veteran innings. Abreu gave the lineup durability and extra-base production. Over six months, those contributions helped make the comeback possible.
The offseason question is how to support that production more consistently. That does not mean every answer requires a major acquisition. Better health, internal development and more dependable contributions from the existing roster can matter considerably.
But the front office has to evaluate where those improvements are realistic and where additional help is necessary.
MORE: From 121 losses to an Astros sweep: 10 moments that explain the White Sox’s remarkable turnaround
5. Can the Red Sox turn playoff appearances into playoff progress?
Boston’s 9-0 loss in Game 1 immediately made the series an elimination assignment. Cam Schlittler struck out 10 over 6⅓ scoreless innings. Ben Rice homered twice and drove in six runs. The Red Sox finished with three hits.
One game does not explain an entire season. It does show how quickly the postseason exposes a team that cannot generate enough offense to stay competitive. Boston’s winter evaluation should consider the full year while taking that finish seriously. The comeback established that this roster could win. The sweep left the next objective unfulfilled.
The organization already has committed to continuity, retaining Tracy and exercising its 2029 and 2030 options on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
Now that leadership must decide what the team needs to move forward.
For fans, the summer offered something valuable: meaningful games, an historic streak and a reason to believe again.
Next season, Boston needs to give them a reason to keep believing deeper into October.
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