While the baseball world was watching Shohei Ohtani at the WBC and Roman Anthony hitting go-ahead homers in Miami, something quietly extraordinary was happening in Fort Myers, Florida.
The Boston Red Sox were putting together one of the most impressive Spring Training performances of any team in baseball — and almost nobody noticed.
The Man Nobody Saw Coming
Braiden Ward has registered 10 hits and a whopping 12 stolen bases in 12 spring training games — leading all of baseball. Olympics
Twelve stolen bases. In twelve games. Leading the entire sport.
The 27-year-old has been caught just once all spring Olympics — meaning his success rate is elite, not just his volume. This isn’t a prospect padding stats against minor league arms. This is a player announcing himself on every baseball radar that matters.
Ward is largely unproven at the MLB level, and realistically faces more minor league time ahead of him. But players who do what he’s doing in March don’t stay quiet for long.
The Rotation That Should Terrify the AL
While Ward grabbed headlines with his legs, the bigger story for Boston might be what’s happening every five days on the mound.
Garrett Crochet returns as the unquestionable ace after placing second in the AL Cy Young race last season. He leads a rotation that now features left-hander Ranger Suárez — signed to a five-year, $130 million deal — and righty Sonny Gray, acquired from the Cardinals, giving Boston a scary 1-2-3 at the top. Amazin’ Avenue
In fact, Boston could have the best rotation in baseball for 2026. Amazin’ Avenue That’s not a hot take from a homer columnist. That’s the emerging consensus from analysts who have watched this staff work all spring.
Roman Anthony Is Already a Star
Before he was hitting go-ahead homers for Team USA at the WBC Semifinal, Roman Anthony was doing exactly what the Red Sox needed to see in Spring Training.
Boston has four strong outfielders — Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu — for three starting spots. Yahoo Sports That’s a problem most teams would love to have. And Anthony’s WBC performance has only cemented his place as one of the most exciting young players in the AL.
The Storylines Nobody Is Talking About
Here’s what makes this Red Sox team genuinely interesting heading into Opening Day:
Mickey Gasper is competing for catching depth with six hits, five RBIs, a home run, and just two strikeouts in 17 at-bats this spring. Olympics Quiet, efficient, exactly what a backup catcher needs to be.
Max Ferguson hit a grand slam earlier in spring and leads all Red Sox in RBIs with seven — a number that has genuinely surprised people inside the organization. Olympics
And somewhere in the bullpen competition, a reliever named Guerrero has pitched six innings with six strikeouts and just one earned run Olympics — fighting for a roster spot nobody thought he’d seriously contend for.
The Bottom Line
The Dodgers get the attention. The Mets get the drama. The Yankees get the column inches.
Boston is just quietly assembling a roster with a potentially elite rotation, an outfield full of talent, a WBC hero returning home, and a speedster nobody had on their radar stealing bases at a historic pace.
Opening Day is March 26 in San Diego. The Red Sox open against the Giants.
The rest of the AL East should probably start paying attention now — before it’s too late.
