ARLINGTON -- The Opening Day roster always gets the most focus, at least until the playoffs.
And for good reason. As Red Sox manager Alex Cora recently said, Opening Day is similar to a national holiday.
Fact of the matter is, the roster Boston will take the field with on Thursday in Texas is just one of several 26-man groupings during the season.
But all 30 teams have to start somewhere.
The big news with the opening roster came earlier this week when MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 7 prospect Kristian Campbell made the team less than two years after being selected in the 2023 Draft out of Georgia Tech.
Here is a breakdown of the roster for a team that hopes to end a three-year postseason drought.
Catcher (2): Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez
The starting position is solidified for Wong, and it could be his for a while following the December trade that sent highly-touted prospect Kyle Teel to the White Sox. Narvaez, who played his first six Major League games for the Yankees last year, won the backup spot in large part because of his highly-regarded defense.
First base (1): Triston Casas
Casas looks forward to a healthy season after missing four months last season due to torn cartilage in his left rib cage. The left-handed-hitting slugger has the power to hit 30-40 homers.
Second base (1): Kristian Campbell
From the start of Spring Training, the Red Sox appeared to be invested in this highly-touted, 22-year-old making the club. Cora got in the trenches with Campbell early in camp, demonstrating the art of starting and finishing double plays. Campbell can hit to all fields. It will be interesting to see how quickly he adjusts to Major League pitching.
Shortstop (1): Trevor Story
Story is healthy again and looks locked in at the plate. Having Story for a full season would mean big things for Boston defensively, offensively and in the clubhouse. Marcelo Mayer, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 12 prospect, is knocking on the door and that should keep Story even more focused than usual.
Third base (1): Alex Bregman
While it can take a while for a player to fit in with a new team, this was not the case with Bregman, who immersed himself into all things Red Sox upon arrival. His swing is tailor-made for Fenway Park and he is a smooth defender at the hot corner.
Outfielders (4): Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder
Duran, Rafaela and Abreu could all win Gold Gloves this season. In fact, Abreu won one as a rookie last year. Duran is coming off a monster year and is in his prime. Refsnyder is a solid fourth outfielder who mashes lefties. Masataka Yoshida is opening the season on the injured list as he continues to build out his throwing program following right labrum surgery.
DH (1): Rafael Devers
Devers remains the most dangerous hitter on the Red Sox and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to becoming a DH. If he needs advice, David Ortiz is just a phone call away.
Bench/Utility (2): David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez
Hamilton had a strong Spring Training as he battled to be the team¡¯s starting second baseman. Even though he didn¡¯t win that job, he is going to play a lot, rotating between second and short and perhaps getting some time in center at times. Gonzalez had an underrated season off the bench in 2024 and is a threat against lefties. He also plays all four infield positions.
Starting Pitchers (5): Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Walker Buehler, Richard Fitts, Sean Newcomb
Crochet gives the Red Sox the true ace they¡¯ve lacked the last couple of years. Houck was an All-Star last season before getting fatigued down the stretch. Buehler is a two-time World Series champ who competes and carries himself with an edge. Brayan Bello (right shoulder inflammation) and Lucas Giolito (low grade left hamstring strain) should be back by mid-April.
Relief Pitchers (8): Aroldis Chapman, Justin Slaten, Cooper Criswell, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Wilson, Zack Kelly, Greg Weissert, Brennan Bernardino
Free-agent acquisition Chapman will open the season as the closer with the goal of having better command than the last couple of years. Slaten and Whitlock, two Rule 5 success stories, will be asked by Cora to get plenty of big outs. Wilson gives the Red Sox a second power lefty behind Chapman.