Boston Red Sox spring training is officially underway as pitchers and catchers reported to JetBlue Park in Fort Myers on Tuesday.
It will be a fascinating spring with several new faces and multiple position battles. We’ll also have our sights set on the top prospects in Boston’s system, including left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, as they compete for spots on the Opening Day roster.
Full-squad workouts are scheduled to begin on Sunday. Here are the six biggest storylines to monitor once Red Sox spring training is in full swing:
A glimpse at the new guys
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The Red Sox made several noteworthy additions to their roster this offseason. We’ll get our first look at Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, Willson Contreras, Jake Bennett, Ranger Suarez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Caleb Durbin in a Boston uniform.
Gray and Suarez will join a Red Sox rotation that is projected to be one of the best in MLB. Oviedo will also likely join the mix, though he’ll have to compete for a spot (more on that below).
Contreras will take over as the club’s primary first baseman, and he’ll be counted on to help replace Alex Bregman’s offensive production. Durbin should be the club’s everyday second or third baseman, while Kiner-Falefa provides infield depth on the bench. Bennett, a left-handed pitching prospect, is expected to spend 2026 in Worcester.
Triston Casas and others working back from injury
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The Red Sox will likely ease Triston Casas back into action as he works his way back from a ruptured patellar tendon.
Casas is recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered last May. He still has minor-league options, so he’ll likely begin the season at Triple-A Worcester and slowly work his way back into Boston’s lineup. With Contreras locked in as the everyday first baseman and multiple DHs already on the roster, it’s unclear how the club will proceed with Casas when he’s ready to return.
Right-hander Kutter Crawford and southpaw Patrick Sandoval will also be worth watching this spring as they return from their respective injuries. Crawford missed all of 2025 with knee and wrist injuries, while Sandoval spent the year recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Will Connelly Early and/or Payton Tolle make the Opening Day roster?
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Top prospect Connelly Early is a strong candidate for the No. 5 starter role after impressing during his brief MLB stint last year.
The Red Sox boast two exciting pitching prospects in Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Both debuted with the MLB club at the end of 2025, but they’ll have to compete in spring training for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Early appeared to be the more MLB-ready of the two left-handers during his brief big-league stint. The 23-year-old posted a 2.33 ERA and 1.086 WHIP across his four starts. Tolle had a 6.06 ERA and 1.592 WHIP in seven appearances (three starts).
Tolle, the club’s No. 1 prospect, deserves the benefit of the doubt. The 23-year-old started the 2025 season in Single-A and dominated at every level before experiencing growing pains in the majors. Even if they’re left off the Opening Day roster, he and Early will be key contributors for Boston at some point this season.
How will outfield logjam shake out?
Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesMaddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Will the Red Sox’ outfield surplus force Jarren Duran into a DH role?
Just like last offseason, the Red Sox’ outfield surplus made Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu their top trade candidates. And again, despite being the subject of trade rumors all winter, both players remain on the roster with spring training underway.
Boston has four starting outfielders on its roster in Duran, Abreu, Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela. Barring a trade, the most logical solution is to make Duran the designated hitter with Anthony in left field, Rafaela in center, and Abreu in right. Anthony could DH with Duran in left, but manager Alex Cora has firmly stated that he prefers the former No. 1 prospect to play the outfield.
Then there’s the Masataka Yoshida dilemma. The crowded outfield means Yoshida, primarily a DH since joining the club in 2023, still won’t have a path to consistent playing time in 2026. Craig Breslow & Co. should be doing everything they can to trade Yoshida, but it’ll be difficult to find a club willing to take on the rest of his bloated contract.
No. 5 starter competition
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Former Pirates righty Johan Oviedo enters spring training as the front-runner for the No. 5 spot in Boston’s rotation.
Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, and Brayan Bello are all but locked in as the first four starters in the Red Sox rotation. The No. 5 spot will be up for grabs in Fort Myers.
Johan Oviedo, Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early are expected to compete for the role, with Oviedo as the current frontrunner. The Red Sox acquired Oviedo in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this offseason.
Crawford and Sandoval are working their way back from injuries, so they’ll likely begin the season either in the bullpen or on the injured list. Tolle and Early are strong candidates for the No. 5 spot, though it would make sense to start them off in Triple-A or the big-league bullpen.
Where will Kristian Campbell end up?
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Kristian Campbell won’t have a clear path back to the majors after struggling as a rookie.
Campbell, a former top prospect, made the 2025 Opening Day roster after surging through the minor-league ranks. The 23-year-old got off to a hot start with the MLB club and earned an eight-year, $60 million contract extension. Two months later, he was sent back down to Triple-A after struggling mightily at the plate and at second base.
While his rookie season didn’t go as planned, Campbell still has high upside and shouldn’t be overlooked heading into 2026. However, he won’t have a clear path to playing time in Boston.
Cora said Campbell will do most of his work in the outfield, where the Red Sox have a surplus. As for second base, the club already has plenty of middle infielders after adding Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the mix.
All signs point toward Campbell beginning the 2026 campaign in Worcester, but he’ll still be worth watching this spring.