The Boston Red Sox were in a battle with the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in the American League as the 2026 season approached the halfway point. The Red Sox had just lost two of three games to the Colorado Rockies and they were on their way to getting buried as they prepared to face the New York Yankees in a four-game series at Fenway Park.
The first game of the series saw Cam Schlittler on the mound for the Yankees. However, instead of succumbing to his power pitches, the Red Sox showed some fight. Nobody did more to light a fire under his team than battered 3rd baseman Caleb Durbin. Playing with a dislocated little finger on his right hand, Durbin timed a Schlittler pitch perfectly and launched a home run over the Green Monster.
That home run, with Willson Contreras on base, gave the Red Sox a 4-2 lead and served as the impetus for a dramatic turnaround. They would sweep a four-game series against the Yankees and that would give the Red Sox a dose of confidence that had been missing until that point.
Shortly after that, the Red Sox went on a remarkable 32-5 streak that turned their season around completely. There were multiple heroes for manager Chad Tracy's team, but the unheralded Durbin struck the biggest blow of the season and there's no reason he can't fulfill the same role when the two teams meet in the Wild Card round of the American League playoffs.
Red Sox don't have superstars in their lineup
The Red Sox did not sign free agent slugger Pete Alonso in the offseason or bring back star third baseman Alex Bregman. They were hoping that the signing of Contreras and that the contribution of outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela would give the team a chance to compete.
Contreras became a key team leader, providing an emotional spark when the team needed it and leading the team in home runs with 27. Abreu is a gold glove winner and a streaky power hitter, while Rafaela may be the best defensive centerfielder in the American League.
These three players filled key roles for the Red Sox, and that was vital considering that shortstop Trevor Story and young phenom Roman Anthony both missed more than half the season with injuries.
If the Red Sox are going to find a way to beat the Yankees in a best of three series played at Yankee Stadium, they are going to need contributions from multiple players. However, it was Durbin who lit the fuse for their turnaround in late June, and it makes sense that he will once again play a key role for the underdog Red Sox.
Red Sox have been able to turn it around with pitching and defense
Once the Red Sox were able to get a few clutch hits and start to win games that they lost earlier in the year, their pitching and defense helped cement their winning ways.
They had lost ace left-hander Garret Crochet early in the season and that could have been disastrous. However, Sonny Gray became the de facto ace after coming over from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Article Continues BelowHe had an 18-5 record that included 20 quality starts and a 2.72 earned run average. Gray is not a power pitcher as he had 149 strikeouts in 169.0 innings, but he was a master at inducing soft contact.
Payton Tolle is a power pitcher and he had a remarkable first full season for the Red Sox. He was 13-9 with a 3.03 ERA and that included 171 strikeouts in 148.2 innings.
Tolle will start the first game of the series against Schlittler, while Gray will start the second game against Max Fried.
The Red Sox infield defense has backed up the pitching throughout the season and represents a significant improvement over the 2025 season. The outfield defense, led by Rafaela and Abreu, ranks with the best in either league.
The Duran factor
Jarren Duran has struggled badly throughout the year. He has battled to keep his batting average above .200 for most of the year. He ended the year by slashing .207/.266/.361 and striking out 165 times.
However, Duran lashed 20 home runs this season and stole 21 bases. He is capable of delivering a big hit and using his eye-catching running speed to take an extra base or make a running catch in the outfield.
Duran has been an All-Star in the past and he could make up for his disappointing year by delivering a big hit or two in the playoffs against the Yankees.
Nobody is counting on Duran, so this could be the time he comes through in a clutch situation. If both Durbin and Duran can contribute in this series, the Red Sox will have a good chance to survive and advance. Their next opponent would be the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional playoffs.