Red Sox Truths and Lies 3.0: What's Real and Fake After 9-13 Start

Boston Red Sox doom and gloom is a popular pastime when the season isn't going as planned, and frankly, a 9-13 start doesn't fully encapsulate how ugly this month has been at times.

The Boston offense has been brutally disappointing, while the starting pitching hasn't lived up to the billing at all. Supposed pillars of the franchise like Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony have had embarrassing moments. It's been a month to forget, by and large.

But it's also April, which means the Red Sox just need to hang around .500 for a couple more months to keep their playoff hopes alive. It's helpful to follow trends, so here are the ones we believe will hold up for the time being, and which ones won't.

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Real: Jarren Duran is on the outs

If someone gets injured, Duran could thrive once again. But assuming things stay as they are right now, it's pretty clear that the Red Sox's preferred outfield alignment is Roman Anthony in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and Wilyer Abreu in right. Meanwhile, Masataka Yoshida has outhit Duran in the de facto designated hitter competition.

Just keep an eye on that trade deadline ledger, because Duran has been rumored to go for so long that it's easy to imagine those reports that the Red Sox are exploring the possibility picking up again soon.

Fake: Garrett Crochet's 7.88 ERA

Crochet's fourth start of the season against the Minnesota Twins was truly appalling. It won't soon be forgotten that a team could tag the supposed ace for 11 runs over the course of five outs. But as disappointing as his Sunday follow-up start was on paper, he showed signs of regressing to the mean.

Will Crochet finish runner-up in Cy Young Award voting again? Perhaps not, but expecting him to shake off whatever issues are plaguing him and eventually return to being a rotation anchor is more than fair.

Real: Infield is a serious issue

Apr 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Marcelo Mayer (11) fields a ground ball during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Red Sox's regular third baseman, shortstop, and second baseman are all batting under .200. Caleb Durbin looks like he's starting to heat up, but Trevor Story's at-bats are an awful watch these days, and Marcelo Mayer still can't lay off pitches below the zone.

It's not as though Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio off the bench are particularly exciting alternatives, either. If the Red Sox make a trade for a major league position player, it feels safe to assume that player will fill an infield spot.

Fake: Boston tied for last in home runs in MLB

Thirteen home runs in 22 games is abysmal, and the Red Sox were already on the receiving end of critiques about their power before the season even started. But we're here to tell you that things will turn around -- to some degree.

Anthony, Duran, Mayer, and Ceddanne Rafaela all have one home run each. Durbin, Yoshida, and the team's catchers have yet to hit one. There will be a burst of long balls at some point in the near future, even if it doesn't manifest into a top-half finish in the stat overall.

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