{"id":121220,"date":"2026-05-04T01:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T05:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=121220"},"modified":"2026-05-04T01:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T05:34:10","slug":"three-biggest-red-sox-issues-one-month-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/05\/04\/three-biggest-red-sox-issues-one-month-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Biggest Issues for the Red Sox One Month In"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little over a month into the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox are off to a less-than-ideal start. Their 12-19 record in April is a franchise-worst start for the first month. There were <\/span>some slight concerns early on<\/span> after the first couple of series. The panic button<\/a> is in full force now that the Red Sox have almost played 20% of their games. So that begs the question: what are the issues with this team, and how can they be fixed?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Three Biggest Red Sox Issues a Month into the 2026 Season<\/h2>\n

Issue #1: Lack of Consistent Starting Pitching<\/b><\/h2>\n

Earlier this season, about the third time through, Boston’s five-man rotation had a great turn. <\/span>During that span<\/span><\/a>, they had an ERA of 1.52 and four quality starts (six innings or more) out of the five outings. They let up five runs across those games, and also had extra help from the offense, going 4-1 in that turn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But since then, it\u2019s gone downhill. Granted, there were some<\/span> key injuries that required roster moves<\/a>.<\/span> And if fans wanted to use that, it\u2019s a fair excuse. But that can only last so long. <\/span>Connelly Early<\/a><\/span> is the best starter currently. <\/span>Ranger Su\u00e1rez<\/a><\/span> is turning it around. But the rest of the rotation is iffy, particularly <\/span>Brayan Bello<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

While Bello has been a consistent piece in the rotation in past years, even being listed as a trade asset, 2026 has not been his year. He currently sits at a record of 1-4 with an ERA of 9.12, allowing more earned runs than strikeouts. Other than a good start versus the St. Louis Cardinals, where he went six innings, he\u2019s failed to pitch past four in every other start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Solution<\/b>:<\/span> Payton Tolle<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The best-case scenario for Bello is probably to take a stint in Triple-A Worcester when the rotation is back to normal in mid-May. With Bello needing a bit of a bounce back, Tolle might be the best option. In his season debut against the New York Yankees, he threw seven innings of one-run ball. His next outing against the Toronto Blue Jays was less exciting, but Toronto\u2019s a team that was one game away from being World Series champions. He\u2019s got 16 strikeouts in just under 11 innings this season. In terms of guys available outside the Opening Day rotation, Tolle seems like the best option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Issue #2: Bullpen<\/b><\/h2>\n

The bullpen also has its fair share of issues as well, particularly the middle to long relief guys. <\/span>Ryan Watson<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>Danny Coulombe<\/a><\/span>, and <\/span>Greg Weissert<\/a><\/span> all have ERAs over five. Weissert and Coulombe both contributed to letting up the runs that contributed to the 4-2 loss to the Yankees a week and a half ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Solution: <\/b>Any Combination of the Young Guys\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the <\/span>Red Sox rookies<\/a> to debut in the majors this season have been pitchers who made appearances out of the bullpen. <\/span>Tyler Samaniego<\/a><\/span> and <\/span>Eduardo Rivera<\/a><\/span> are two of the three pitchers on the team who haven\u2019t allowed a run. Granted, they\u2019ve pitched a combined 11 \u2154 innings, so a small sample size. But it\u2019s promising. <\/span>Jack Anderson<\/a><\/span> is another name who, while he has let up runs, holds it steady when the game\u2019s already lost.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tyler Samaniego has been a nice find for the Red Sox. He was a secondary piece in the Johan Oviedo deal.<\/p>\n

8 Appearances
\n10.1 IP
\n0.00 ERA\/3.05 FIP
\n7 Hits
\n8 K
\n4 BB
\n55.6 GB%<\/p>\n

Hasn\u2019t allowed any inherited runs to score either. pic.twitter.com\/0XVlr6NToo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) May 3, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n