red sox opening day is set for Thursday at 4: 10 p. m. ET with the Cincinnati Reds opening the 2026 season against the Boston Red Sox. Reds manager Terry Francona has announced Andrew Abbott as Cincinnati’s Opening Day starter, setting the stage for a marquee pitching matchup. The immediate focus now shifts to how Cincinnati stacks its lineup against Boston ace Garrett Crochet, described as one of the toughest pitchers in the game.
Game setup: Abbott announced, Crochet awaits
Francona’s decision is in place: Andrew Abbott will take the ball for Cincinnati to begin the 2026 season. On the other side, the Reds are preparing to face Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox left-hander coming off a standout season.
In 2025, Crochet finished second in AL Cy Young voting behind Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal. Crochet’s line last season: 18-5 with a 2. 59 ERA, a league-leading 255 strikeouts, 32 starts, and over 200 innings. The performance capped his second consecutive All-Star season, reinforcing the challenge for Cincinnati from the first pitch.
Red Sox Opening Day lineup watch: right-handed lean, but Friedl still expected atop the order
With a southpaw on the mound for Boston, the expectation is that Cincinnati’s Opening Day lineup will tilt right-handed-heavy. That said, one piece at the top appears steady: TJ Friedl is still expected to lead off on Opening Day even with Crochet starting for Boston.
Friedl is described as one of the team’s leaders, and while he is characterized as much better against right-handed pitching, he still reached base 33% of the time against left-handers in 2025. That on-base mark keeps him firmly in the conversation to set the tone early against Crochet.
The bigger question is where Friedl plays defensively. Francona has been giving the 30-year-old more time in left field this spring, opening the door to a possible shift in the outfield alignment as Cincinnati looks for the best matchup combination against a left-handed starter.
The potential twist: Dane Myers in, and a debate for the final outfield spot
One name to watch closely is Dane Myers. With career splits against lefties listed at. 297/. 360/. 456, Myers is positioned as a strong candidate to be in the lineup when the Reds see Crochet. If Friedl and Myers take two of the three outfield spots, the third becomes the pivot point for what has been framed as a possible surprise.
The Reds coaching staff has continually praised Noelvi Marte for what was described as tireless work in the outfield. But for Opening Day, Spencer Steer is presented as the safer bet to start in right field. Steer is noted as being much more familiar in left, yet he has seen a handful of games in right field this spring—experience that could matter if Cincinnati opts for stability in a high-leverage opener.
Quick context and what’s next
Thursday’s matchup opens the 2026 season for Cincinnati, and it comes immediately against a Boston club led by an ace coming off an elite year. The combination of Abbott being named the Reds starter and Crochet’s resume puts early attention on both the pitching duel and Cincinnati’s right-left matchup choices.
Next up is the final confirmation of Cincinnati’s Opening Day lineup and outfield alignment as first pitch approaches at 4: 10 p. m. ET. For red sox opening day, the clearest storyline is whether Cincinnati leans into right-handed options and how it deploys Friedl, Myers, Marte, and Steer to try to solve Crochet from the start.
