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Maybe the turnaround starts today.
Things are not going well for some of the preseason playoff favorites. The Red Sox are 7-11. The Blue Jays are 7-11. The Astros woke up this morning at 8-12, after falling to the Cardinals in extras yesterday. The Phillies just got swept by the division-leading Braves to drop to 8-13. And then there are the Mets, who came into the season with hopes of winning the NL East but just lost their 11th straight. They’re at 7-15, tied for the worst record in baseball, and only the Rockies have more losses going back to August 1st of last year.
Fenway today: The Red Sox are hosting the Tigers at Fenway right now for the annual Patriots Day game. This is Boston’s favorite day, with the Marathon, the emergence from a New England winter, and the energy building in the bleachers as the city skips out on work to watch an 11 am Sox game. But these Sox, after getting stopped by Schlitter in the playoffs last year, have looked very shaky in 2026. They have a young locker room that hasn't quite settled, losses to teams they should be beating, and even Garrett Crochet has looked mortal, getting hit very hard in his last two starts and now sporting a 7.88 ERA. The front office is urging patience.
The hangover: The Blue Jays had a magical 2025, holding off the Yankees to claim an AL East title and then easily handling them in the playoffs, before beating the Mariners in seven games and then falling to the Dodgers in seven games. It was a long, hard-fought postseason with near-misses and almosts. And maybe they’re still processing that in 2026. Or it could be the hole that Bo Bichette left. He posted .311/.840 in 2025, incredible production for a shortstop. And then he signed with the Mets. That production hole at shortstop doesn't close on its own. Toronto was running on a win streak that always looked magic-dependent. It's over.
Houston has a problem: The Astros had the rotation to compete in the AL West. And then they all got hurt, with an astounding five starters on the injured list, including ace Hunter Brown. Replacement starters are themselves injured, leading to third options starting games for the Astros. All of which means more innings for their bullpen, and the bullpen has not been performing. Houston is 8-12 and their team ERA is 6.15, dead last in the league. This has been the best-run franchise over the past decade (their eight-year playoff run ended on the next-to-last day of the 2025 season), but the team has never looked so lost.
Leasts in the East:The Phillies had this weekend circled. Braves-Phillies on Sunday Night Baseball was supposed to be a measuring stick. Chris Sale made it one by throwing a 3-1 gem to complete the sweep. The Phillies looked like the most complete team at points last season, but they were dispatched by the Dodgers in four games in October. They’ve largely brought back the same roster, and looking at this team’s chemistry it’s possible they’re all wondering if they have the guys they need to make a deep October run. And we’ve covered the Mets and their almost-captain recently, but they’re also looking like a team questioning their identity after their 2025 fell apart.
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