Mar 24, 2026
3 min read
The Red Sox are close to opening day, but the final spring games are important.From Marcelo Mayer's shot at second base to the final spot in the bullpen and the wideout draft, here are five Boston stories worth checking out before March 26.
The Red Sox are close enough to Opening Day that most general questions have already been answered.Boston knows Garrett Crochet is running the staff, knows there are real lineup changes, and knows March 26 in Cincinnati is coming up fast.
But the last few spring games are still important because the details of the final roster are not just a procedure.Some of them can determine how the first week of the season looks and even the first month looks like.
1. Is Marcelo Meyer officially ready to get a second baseman?
Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer prepares for a spring training game in Fort Myers, Florida.Mandatory credit: WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This still looks like the biggest positional story of the last stretch player.Alex Cora has repeatedly praised Mayer, saying he "checks all the boxes," but as of this week, Boston still hadn't officially added him to the Opening Day roster.That's important because it's one thing to steer a prospect in the right direction, and another to give him a real day's work before counting games.
It's easy to see Mayer's case.His current spring stats have him hitting .188 with one homer and a .631 OPS, while Cora highlights how comfortable he is at second and how much he's improved working with Trevor Story.With Caleb Durbin at third base, assuming the Boston bat is ready, Meyer's path is pretty clear.
Also, since Romy Gonzalez isn't expected to be with the team at the start of the season, Boston has less guaranteed infield flexibility than it had a few weeks ago, so it feels even more important now.That makes Meyer more than an interesting option.He could be a true early season starter.
2. Who gets the last place in the cattle?
If Meyer is the most exciting hour for the position players, the bullpen may be the greatest hour for the clean sheet.The Red Sox appear to have several relief spots that they can talk about effectively, with Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Greg Weisert, Zach Kelly and Yovani Moran in strong form, while the availability of Danny Coulomb is a variable that remains to be seen.This leaves the final part of the camp as the true test.for at least one other hand.
The names on the bubbles are where things get interesting.Ryan Watson, a Rule 5 pick, has a 5.56 ERA and 1.32 WHIP this spring, but roster rules make him a special case because Boston has to reinstate him if he can't make the club.Kyle Keller posted a 5.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP.Taylor Samaniego, meanwhile, posted a 0.00 ERA, 0.56 WHIP and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, while Tayron Guerrero has been one of the more consistent names on the roster, sitting at a 0.96 ERA with four saves in nine 1/3.
That is why these last appearances are so important.Boston may be choosing between upside mechanics, the roster, and who simply seems the most reliable right now.For fans, that makes the final innings of these final spring games more meaningful than they usually are.
3. How does Cora organize the outfield and squeeze DH?
This might be the most interesting question on the list, but it still has to go live before Opening Day.With the addition of DH, Cora has five excellent pitching options for four lineups: Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Sedanna Rafaela, Villers Abreu and Masataka Yoshida.With most of these players spending most of March at the World Baseball Classic, they haven't had much time to see the full lineup together in real-game rhythm in Boston.
The floor plan is already in place.Anthony is expected to play almost every day.Duran is expected to rotate between left field, center field and DH.If Rafaela and Abreu are both in the lineup, Cora indicated they will be in center and right field, the positions they won Gold Gloves at last season.That leaves Yoshida as the darkest player, even after a strong WBC in which he hit .375/.444/.813 with two home runs and six RBI for the Japan Slash.
And Yoshida wasn't the only one making the difficult decision.Duran has had a great spring, hitting .400 with three homers, five RBIs and a 1.340 OPS.It's a style that makes lineup juggling feel like a headache and a luxury.However, the last few games should tell fans a lot about who gets the first crack at regular at-bats.
4. Is No. 5 Rookie's Run Really Over?
Boston's front four is mostly settled, but the back end is still maneuverable.Johan Oviedo has been a favorite for a while, and for good reason.He has a 1.59 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 11 1/3 spring innings, and Cora praised his ability to stay in the zone and promote weak contact earlier this month.
But the race is not over.Connelly Early was outstanding, posting a 1.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 17 spring innings.Payton Tolle pokazał kilka najlepszych rzeczy na obozie, osiągając 2,53 ERA, 13 strikeoutów w 10 2/3 rundach, a nawet szybką piłkę z prędkością 100,4 mil na godzinę w jednym występie.they have all three sets, with Trâth probably being the most consistent of them.
It's especially interesting because all three have options, and Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval could enter the picture in April when they're drafted.So the final decision could be as much about timing and roster flexibility as it is about pure talent.So these final spring trips are a real test, not just a formality.
5. Does Connor Wong keep his backup job?
This isn't the best story, but it's certainly one of the most important.Carlos Narváez looks set to open as a Boston player after the 2025 season, leaving reserve as one of the few remaining jobs that still feels wet.
Wong still seems to be the leader, largely because he knows his employees and the organization trusts him.But the bat hasn't helped matters this spring.He only has a .194 OBP, while Matt Tice, Mickey Gasper, and Jason Daley have all made good impressions.Cora still spoke positively about Wong, but this is actually a roster call that could quietly change in the coming games.
That's what this last week of camp is worth watching.The Red Sox are no longer fixing major structural problems.They refine.But good teams are often defined by how cleanly they handle margins, and Boston still needs to handle some of those margins.If Mayer continues to look ready, the bullpen picture sharpens, the outfield mix clicks, and a clearer power arm in the rotation becomes apparent, the Red Sox will enter Opening Day looking much more complete than they already do.
