David Ortiz Explains Why Red Sox Are Better Than People Think

Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz believes the team will be better than people expect in 2026.

The Red Sox made the playoffs last season but lost in the Wild Card Series to the New York Yankees. In the offseason, Boston put an emphasis on pitching as the Red Sox added Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, and Johan Oviedo to bolster their rotation.

Ortiz believes the Red Sox’s pitching staff will be a strength and a key reason for their success.

“I love the pitching that we have,” Ortiz said to the Boston Herald. “Good pitching is always going to stop good offense, so with the pitching that we have I don’t think we’re going to need to score 10 runs to win a game.”

Although Ortiz thinks Boston could use another bat, he does think that could come later on in the season.

But Ortiz thinks this Red Sox roster is better than people think and could surprise many.

“We’re better than what people think we are,” Ortiz said. “Do we need probably another thunder in the lineup? Yes, we’ll see down the road how that plays out. But I like it when they look at us as an underdog, I kind of like that, you know what I’m saying?”

Boston has odds of -195 to make the playoffs, which implies a 66.1% chance, so the oddsmakers agree with Ortiz that this will be a good baseball team.

The Red Sox will open their 2026 MLB season on March 26 against the Cincinnati Reds.

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