Red Sox Truths and Lies: What's Real and Fake About 22-30 Record

It's been uglier than anyone could have expected

May 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Nick Sogard (20) slides into third base for a triple during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

A few harsh words could aptly apply to the start of this season for the Boston Red Sox: ugly, dismal, and concerning.

With a 22-30 record entering a Tuesday series opener against the Atlanta Braves, who have the most wins in the sport so far, the Red Sox are fighting to avoid a sell-off at the August trade deadline. They've been one of the most inept offenses in the game, which wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility entering the year, and have been a tale of peaks and valleys on the mound.

It would be easy to sit here and bash the Red Sox for everything about this season, but the question that matters most going forward is whether this ineptitude is what we can expect for the long haul. To that end, we'll assess some of their biggest shortcomings to this point as to whether or not they're "real" or "fake."

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Real: Red Sox have a power dilemma

Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) hits a home run during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

It's not just that the Red Sox have only 38 home runs, the second-fewest in the sport. It's that they have one guy in Willson Contreras who's pacing for his career-high, since he has 11 so far, meaning no one else on the team is even on track to hit 20.

Caleb Durbin only having one homer is alarming. Roman Anthony only had one of his own before he hit the injured list three weeks ago. Marcelo Mayer's two and even Ceddanne Rafaela's four are disappointing as well. This is a collaborative effort of not hitting for power.

Fake: Red Sox as a mid-tier pitching staff

After entering the season with sky-high run prevention expectations, the Red Sox rank near the middle of the league in almost every team pitching stat. But the Red Sox's 4.06 FIP (17th in the sport) vs. 3.83 xFIP (10th) show that there's room to climb if things start averaging out.

Brayan Bello has done a lot of work to drag the staff down on his own (6.43 ERA, -1.4 bWAR), and Garrett Crochet looked almost nothing like his usual self before hitting the injured list. If Crochet comes back healthy and supplants Bello in the rotation, the problem might be solved on the spot.

Jury's still out: Red Sox can't win at Fenway Park?

May 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Twins left fielder Trevor Larnach (9) center fielder James Outman (30) and right fielder Austin Martin (16) celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

An 8-17 record at Fenway Park, the worst home record of any team in the majors, has to be the most disappointing part of this season for the fans, especially those who have made it to the games in person.

If this was a one-year trend, we might be able to shrug it off completely. But the Red Sox have been better on the road most years this decade, and we have to start asking if the roster construction (not enough righty bats, maybe too many fly ball pitchers?) is part of the problem.