Red Sox 2026 Lineup Predicted To Feature Surprising Superstar
What will the Boston Red Sox lineup look like on Opening Day 2026? It may seem like an odd question to be mulling with the Red Sox approaching the most important stretch of the current season, but then again, it’s never too early to look ahead. It’s an even more pertinent exercise to do with the Red Sox, as one of their best players, Alex Bregman, is expected to be a free agent within a few months.
There are certain guarantees in the Red Sox 2026 lineup, starting with Roman Anthony. On Monday, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter forecasted what the entire lineup could look like, and Reuter’s prediction featured at least one big surprise. Here’s what his lineup looked like:
“Projected Lineup
CF Jarren Duran
LF Roman Anthony
SS Trevor Story
DH Kyle Schwarber
RF Wilyer Abreu
1B Triston Casas
3B Marcelo Mayer
2B Ceddanne Rafaela
C Carlos Narváez.”
Reuter also explained his Schwarber inclusion.
“The Red Sox still owe Masataka Yoshida $37.2 million over the final two years of his contract, but his DH-only profile and lack of production during an injury-plagued 2025 campaign could lead to a buy-low trade or his outright release,” Reuter wrote.
“Re-allocating Alex Bregman’s money when he inevitably opts out to sign Kyle Schwarber would bolster the offense while keeping a path open for the young infielders.”
Wow. What do you think of Reuter’s assessment?
For one, it seems wild to assume that the Philadelphia Phillies will let Schwarber out of their grasp. Secondly, the Red Sox not bringing back Bregman would be highly unexpected.
Perhaps the winter free agency period will be a lot more surprising than fans expect. Whatever the Red Sox decide to do, they have a good core of young talent in place that they should be looking to complement with established veterans. Trevor Story is another name to watch, as he has opt-out capacity after the season.
It should be an interesting few months for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the rest of Boston’s front office.