Reds Opening Day lineup vs. Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet could have one surprise twist

The Cincinnati Reds will open the 2026 season against the Boston Red Sox. Manager Terry Francona has already announced that Andrew Abbott will be the Reds' Opening Day starter, but Cincinnati's lineup is set to face one of the toughest pitchers in the game, Boston's ace, Garrett Crochet.

Last season, Crochet finished second in the AL Cy Young voting behind Detroit Tigers' star Tarik Skubal. He went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA and a league-leading 255 strikeouts. The Red Sox's lefty started 32 games and logged over 200 innings of work en route to his second consecutive All-Star season.

This will not be an easy task for Cincinnati's lineup, and with a southpaw on the bump for Boston, Reds fans should assume that Francona will go right-handed-heavy in his Opening Day lineup.

Predicting Reds Opening Day lineup vs. Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet

Even though Crochet is a lefty, Reds fans should expect TJ Friedl to lead off on Opening Day. Friedl is one of the team's leaders, and though he's much better against right-handed pitching, the Reds outfielder still reached base 33% of the time against left-handers in 2025.

It's possible, however, that Friedl won't be starting in center field on Opening Day. Francona has been giving the 30-year-old more time in left field this spring, and with Dane Myers' career splits against lefties (.297/.360/.456), Reds fans should expect to see him in the lineup.

But if Friedl and Myers are occupying two of the three outfield spots, who gets the third? This is where the surprise might come. While the Reds coaching staff has continually praised Noelvi Marte for his tireless work in outfield, Spencer Steer is the safer bet to draw the start in right on Opening Day. Though he's much more familiar in left, Steer has seen a handful of games in right field this spring.

Marte has struggled throughout his career when facing left-handed pitching. Since he arrived in big leagues in 2023, he owns a .595 OPS against lefties, and his numbers were even worse (.562 OPS) last season. Steer has a career-OPS approaching .800 against left-handers, though he recorded a .727 OPS when facing southpaws in 2025.

Steer is likely to see time all over the field in 2026. He's always prided himself on his defensive versatility, and he's going to get a chance to show it this coming season.