Red Sox Have Secret Weapon to Unleash on Yankees Series

The Boston Red Sox need to give Romy Gonzalez a chance in the playoffs.

Jul 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Romy Gonzalez (23) rounds third base to score against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox have just one more regular season game left to be played in 2026 on Sunday before a wild-card series against the New York Yankees will kick off on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Beforehand, the Red Sox should find a way to get Romy Gonzalez on the playoff roster. The easiest way to do so would be to replace Andruw Monasterio with Gonzalez. Now, this isn't to say that Monasterio hasn't been a solid depth piece for Boston this season. He has been. But Gonzalez has been red-hot at the plate down in Triple-A, has helped to carry the load at first base last season and has specifically had success against Max Fried, who is expected to be the Yankees' Game 1 starter, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Red Sox fans know what Gonzalez can do. This is a guy who absolutely crushes lefties. It's why he had such a large role in 2025. He began the 2026 season on the Injured List and then struggled in 19 games after being promoted. But at the time he was activated, the Red Sox's offense was thin and arguably too much was asked of Gonzalez right away. He hasn't played in a big league game since July 29 after being demoted. He's been down in Triple-A and has been crushing. Since Aug. 25, Gonzalez has slashed .388/.456/.633 with a 1.089 OPS, two home runs, 13 RBIs, seven walks, six doubles and eight runs scored. That should be enough to get a look in the playoffs.

The Red Sox Should Give Romy Gonzalez A Shot

Jul 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Romy Gonzalez (23) throws the ball to first base for an out against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But he's also had success against Fried. Gonzalez has faced the lefty a handful of times and is 2-for-7 with a triple and two walks.

In 2025, Gonzalez slashed .331/.378/.600 with a .978 OPS against lefties, to go along with seven homers and 25 RBIs.

Again, Fried is likely to take the hill for the Yankees in Game 1. Then, the righty Cam Schlittler would likely be on the mound in Game 2. If the Red Sox were to make it to a Game 3, the likely hurlers would be the lefty Carlos Rodón or the righty Gerrit Cole. The fact that the Yankees could roll with two elite lefties should be enough for the Red Sox to give Gonzalez a shot.

Especially, with Willson Contreras up in the air, the Red Sox should be stocking up on righty batters. Monasterio has been good this season, but he doesn't have the offensive upside that Gonzalez does. He has had success vs. lefties and is red-hot. He should be on Boston's playoff roster, despite not finishing the regular season in the majors.