2 Teams That Shouldn't Be Counted Out Despite Slow Starts

Don't sleep on these teams.

Apr 11, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) celebrates with first base coach José David Flores (58) after hitting a one run single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The 2026 season is about to enter its fourth week, and there are some teams that are performing well, while there are also some who are struggling. As is the case every year, some teams are better than expected, while others have been disappointments.

Of course, it is too early in the season to judge any team. There is a lot of time left to make corrections and get back into the postseason mix for teams that are struggling.

The Major League Baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are several teams that shouldn't be counted out just yet. Here are two of them.

Boston Red Sox

Apr 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox pinch hitter Roman Anthony (19) crosses home plate after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Red Sox's offense has been a problem thus far. They are hitting .233/.317/.349 as a group with a .666 OPS. However, they finally showed some life in St. Louis over the weekend, scoring 16 runs in the final two games of their series against the Cardinals.

The loss of Alex Bregman leaves them without a key power source, but with their series win in St. Louis, they showed that perhaps they don't need a lot of power to score runs.

Sometimes, it takes a few games for teams to find their identity. Boston scored their runs with line drives and base hits and didn't rely solely on the home run ball. Instead, they manufactured runs and found holes in the St. Louis pitching staff that they could exploit. That could be their identity this season.

The American League East is also much weaker this year, so even with some key losses, Boston should be just fine as they try to make it back to the postseason in 2026.

Seattle Mariners

Apr 12, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan (33) runs towards home plate to score a run against the Houston Astros during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Mariners got off to a slow start, but they appear to be figuring things out. After losing Jorge Polanco to the New York Mets, they pivoted to Brendan Donovan. They also were just one win away from advancing to their first World Series in franchise history last October, so they may still be right on the cusp on greatness.

They also have an elite pitching staff featuring Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo, so it may only be a matter of time before they find themselves back at the top of the AL West.

There is still a lot to like about this team, so they shouldn't be written off just yet.