The Pink Sox are in all probability simply tremendous with the place they’re right this moment. They’re within the thick of a playoff race with a professional shot to win the AL East, they’ve a 21-year-old franchise outfielder and a 26-year-old Cy Younger Award contender locked as much as long-term offers, they usually’re properly positioned to contend for a few years to come back.
However getting so far has been a protracted and painful course of, one that would have gone a bit extra easily had the Pink Sox taken a unique path 4 years in the past.
What may these previous few years have seemed like had the Pink Sox re-signed Kyle Schwarber? Acquired on the 2021 commerce deadline, Schwarber helped energy the Pink Sox into the postseason, the place they reached the American League Championship Collection and got here inside two wins of advancing to the World Collection. However as an alternative of bringing Schwarber again the next offseason, the Pink Sox allowed the slugger to stroll in free company, and he wound up signing a four-year, $79 million take care of the Philadelphia Phillies.
His affect on that franchise has been immense.
Since arriving in Philadelphia, Schwarber has constantly ranked amongst baseball’s high residence run hitters. He hit 46 homers in 2022, 47 in 2023, 38 in 2024 and as of this writing has 49 this season. Final week he turned certainly one of 19 gamers in MLB historical past to hit 4 residence runs in a sport, and he’s among the many high candidates to win Nationwide League MVP.
Schwarber has additionally performed a key position in serving to Philadelphia attain the playoffs in every of the previous three years after the Phillies missed the postseason the prior 10 seasons, and he was entrance and middle within the membership’s shock run to the 2022 World Collection, which they misplaced in six video games to the Houston Astros.
The Pink Sox, in the meantime, missed the playoffs every of the previous three years and have solely had two gamers high 30 homers throughout that stretch.
It’s unattainable to foretell how preserving Schwarber may need modified issues, however his presence would have addressed a whole lot of the membership’s current shortcomings.
When Schwarber left following the 2021 season, the Pink Sox changed his bat by signing Trevor Story to a six-year deal. However whereas the membership nonetheless had J.D. Martinez holding down the designated hitter spot, the Pink Sox additionally entered the season with a depleted outfield, opening the 2022 season with Jackie Bradley Jr. as a starter regardless of the longtime defensive standout coming off a career-worst season in Milwaukee.
Schwarber may have held down the beginning left subject spot, offering the membership with an enormous offensive increase and the kind of energy menace the lineup lacked outdoors of Rafael Devers. Maybe with him nonetheless within the fold, the membership may have returned to the playoffs for a second straight season, slightly than crash out to a final place end.
He would have possible additionally prevented the Pink Sox from making what has turned out to be an ill-advised pivot.
Recognizing the necessity to improve their outfield, the Pink Sox successfully crammed what would have been Schwarber’s spot by signing Masataka Yoshida out of Japan to a five-year, $90 million deal. The logic was that Yoshida may present related mastery of the strike zone together with some sneaky energy, however in actuality Yoshida has confirmed himself a strong contact hitter who offers little different worth and has struggled to remain wholesome.
Worse, the 2 are making practically the identical sum of money yearly, solely Schwarber would have neatly match the Pink Sox’s timeline whereas Yoshida stays underneath contract for an additional two years.
Might you think about this yr’s lineup with Schwarber in it? Who is aware of how he would have affected the Devers drama that consumed the membership this spring, however plug him into the beginning DH spot right this moment and also you’re taking a look at probably the perfect lineup in baseball. He’s additionally a confirmed playoff winner and the sort of man gamers like Roman Anthony would profit from being round.
What’s achieved is completed and the Pink Sox nonetheless have brighter days forward, however hindsight being 20/20, letting Schwarber stroll stands out as a call the group would in all probability take again if it may.
Circle the calendar
This previous week Main League Baseball introduced its 2026 common season schedule, and the Pink Sox slate consists of quite a few notable dates followers will need to circle on the calendar.
The membership will open the season in Cincinnati on March 26, which is able to kick off a six-game opening week street journey that additionally features a collection at Houston. The Pink Sox then host San Diego for his or her residence opener on April 3, which may even mark the most recent return to Fenway Park for former shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
The Pink Sox additionally host Lexington’s Sal Frelick and the Milwaukee Brewers as a part of their first homestand, persevering with what appears to be like on paper like a brutal opening stretch for Boston.
The Pink Sox received’t have to attend as lengthy to play the Yankees this yr as they did this previous season. The rivals’ first assembly will come at Fenway Park on April 21-23, instantly after the membership hosts the Detroit Tigers for his or her annual Marathon Monday sport (April 20). The opposite three Yankees collection will happen June 5-7 in New York, June 25-28 in Boston and Aug. 28-30 in New York.
Some of the attention-grabbing dates on the schedule is Saturday, June 20, when the Pink Sox will play a scheduled doubleheader in Seattle. The doubleheader is to accommodate the World Cup sport being performed in Seattle the prior day, which is able to characteristic Crew USA in its second sport of group play.
Boston will wrap up the primary half with a two-week stretch away from residence. Between July 2-16 the Pink Sox won’t play any video games at Fenway, first happening the street for 9 video games earlier than taking a breather for the All-Star break. The Pink Sox will then have a nine-game homestand to open the second half.
The Pink Sox will play three video games at Dodgers Stadium from July 31 to Aug. 2, and shortly afterwards the membership will welcome Devers again to Fenway Park for the primary time as a member of the Giants on Aug. 21-23. The membership will wrap up its common season with a six-game homestand towards the Guardians (Sept. 22-24) and Cubs (Sept. 25-27).
Schlittler, Seymour shining
This has already been a banner yr for Bay State pitchers within the large leagues with Danvers’ Shane Smith incomes an All-Star nod as a rookie Rule 5 choose with the Chicago White Sox, and now two different locals are making an early assertion with their very own respective groups.
Cam Schlittler, a former Walpole Excessive and Northeastern College standout, just lately made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees and has shortly emerged as an affect arm within the Bronx. Via his first eight large league begins coming into Saturday, Schlittler posted a 2.76 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 42.1 innings.
Seymour, in the meantime, has bounced forwards and backwards between the majors and Triple-A however has made an affect for the Tampa Bay Rays every time his quantity has been known as. The previous St. John’s of Shrewsbury star had a 3.18 ERA via his first 13 large league appearances, and final Monday he made his first profession MLB begin, tossing 5 scoreless innings with one hit and eight strikeouts in a 9-0 win over Cleveland.
Seymour additionally made his MLB debut at Fenway Park again on June 9, approaching within the tenth and pitching the final two innings of Tampa Bay’s 10-8 win over Boston.
