When it came to pitchers, it seemed as if the Red Sox had a type. The team seemingly coveted giants with mid-90s, upper-90s, and triple-digit power stuff that’s typically associated with October dominance.
So naturally, the Sox remade their rotation this offseason by trading for 5-foot-10-inch righthander Sonny Gray, whose 92.0-mile-per-hour average fastball velocity ranked in the 16th percentile among MLB pitchers last year, and signing 6-1 lefty Ranger Suárez, whose 90.5 sat in the 7th percentile.
Gray and Suárez feature deep pitch mixes to unbalance hitters. Perhaps more notably for the coming year, they also feature a trait that may become increasingly valuable in baseball in 2026: elite command.
“If you have really good command of your pitches and are able to mix them well, you don’t really need 100 [m.p.h.]. That’s kind of what I do,” Suárez said via translator. “That’s what’s given me the most success.”
Great command might prove increasingly important in 2026 with the introduction of the automatic ball-strike challenge system, which will reshape how the strike zone is called.
Instead of the strike zone being defined as a three-dimensional prism hovering over the plate, it will be defined as a two-dimensional box set 8.5 inches from both the front and back of the plate. Players will be measured by MLB during spring training to determine their exact heights to set the top rail of the zone at 53.5 percent of a player’s height, while the bottom of the zone will be at 27 percent.
That design will shrink the zone — especially at its upper and lower edges. According to MLB, the umpire-called zone has generally been more favorable to pitchers, with strikes called as high as 55.6 percent of a player’s height at the upper edge and 24.2 percent of a player’s height at the bottom.
For pitchers who were introduced to the ABS challenge system for the first time in Triple A — whether when promoted from Double A, or when established big league pitchers end up there — the difference could be jarring. Some pitchers experienced spiking walk rates while trying to adapt to the smaller zone, and hitters have become more selective while hunting for pitches funneled closer to nitro zones.
“The top part of the zone does not exist [with the challenge system]. Players were telling me that if I throw a fastball at the top of the zone, which I’ve done my whole career, they said, ‘Rich, if it’s belt or above, I’m taking it,’” said lefthander Rich Hill, who made nine starts in Triple A for the Royals last year before getting called up for two big league appearances. “[The fastball just above the belt] was a strike over the last 100 years, but the top part of the zone gets shrunk down [with ABS].”
Some free agent pitchers who rely on getting batters to chase have found their markets affected by the forthcoming change. One agent said multiple teams have expressed skepticism about his client, who has a long track record of big league success, based on the incoming system. Their message?
“I keep hearing BS about the ABS system. ‘We think ABS will really hurt [the client] because he works off the edges of the zone so much,’ ” said the agent.
That said, while the overall effect of the ABS challenge system in the minors has been to shrink the zone, there are areas where it has expanded. Typically, umpires have called the big league strike zone with rounded edges that often deny pitchers calls on the corners. (Remember former Red Sox righty Nate Eovaldi’s 1-2 curveball to the Astros’ Jason Castro in the 2021 ALCS that was called a ball?) Under the ABS challenge system, the ability to dot corners will be rewarded more reliably.
For dart-throwers such as Gray and Suárez, there’s an opportunity to take advantage of a more sharply defined strike zone. Hall of Famer Greg Maddux — the greatest master of command in modern baseball history — believes the ABS challenge system will reward precision.
“It just seems like pitchers nowadays are creating so much spin rate and velocity and all that stuff that command has kind of gotten pushed aside a little bit,” said Maddux. “I think there’s a place for both [stuff and command], to be honest with you. It’ll be nice [with the challenge system] to see some of the command guys getting a little bit more of a look than just the stuff guys.”
For the Sox, the implementation of the challenge system did indeed add to the appeal this offseason of pitchers capable of locating deep mixes with precision to the edges of the plate.
“Nobody has yet figured out how to teach command. Command got people out long before velocity did. It tends to be pretty sticky. While it’s really difficult to influence, it is lasting,” said Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “We always think about [ABS] from the standpoint of catching and how do we value receiving. We appreciate far less the impact on pitchers who are consistently able to not just get the call that is two inches off [the plate], but actually execute the pitch that is a half an inch off.”
To Hill, the Sox’ rotation overhaul with Gray and Suárez represents an intelligent response to a game that will change significantly at the big league level in 2026.
“There will be more emphasis on being able to pitch and not just throw, but changing speeds. This is what the ABS is going to be able to do,” said Hill. “Guys are going to have to be an ultimate artist of deception and creativity, get more ground balls, as Suárez and Sonny will. Great move by Boston to be able to kind of see the future and make a decision on that.”
NEXT HILL TO CLIMB
Milton’s-own lefthander, 45, has no plans to pitch
It’s been a different winter for Rich Hill. Ordinarily, the 45-year-old would be throwing bullpens in anticipation of the start of the season. This year, the lefthander is looking forward to a family trip to Italy next month to take in some of the Winter Olympics action in Milan Cortina.
Though he hasn’t closed the door on pitching again, after 24 professional seasons including big league appearances in each of the last 21 campaigns, the Milton native is at peace with immersing himself in family life.
“I don’t have any plans [to pitch in 2026]. I haven’t really been [working out],” he said.
Hill still loved the chance to compete in 2025 in Triple A and then in two big league outings for the Royals. He’s well aware that fellow former Red Sox lefty Jamie Moyer pitched in the big leagues at age 49, and grins at the thought of pitching in future years. But as much as Hill loves taking the mound in games, he’s no longer certain he can commit to the all-consuming efforts to prepare physically to do so.
“The work that goes into it is immense,” said Hill. “Reality is reality, too. Nobody’s calling.”
That perspective is offered without sadness. Hill is elated to enjoy watching his eighth-grade son, Brice, develop as a player (“It’s his career now,” said Hill), and to think about adventures that had been impossible while playing baseball.
Still, Hill doesn’t want to unplug from the game. He’s exploring different dimensions of what a post-playing career in baseball might look like, whether in coaching, the front office, or media work. His passion for the game remains undiminished — but he’s ready to give it a different shape.
“There’s a lot of value in information that’s been compiled over the decades, and now being able to say, ‘Where is that going to be best put to use?’ ” said Hill. “Sitting on my [rear] and not doing anything is not ideal. I want to be a contributing factor into what’s going to help in maybe another guy’s career. Right now, that happens to be our son. That’s one way that I look at it.”
WAITING GAME
No movement on infield trade market
The Red Sox’ search for an infielder remains ongoing, but according to major league sources, there’s been little movement, particularly on the trade market, since the team signed starter Ranger Suárez. There has been a sense in the industry that the Sox are now prioritizing defense (with solid on-base ability) ahead of power.
Along those lines, the Cubs represent a potentially interesting trade match. With the signing of Alex Bregman, the Cubs have two-time Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner and second baseman/third baseman Matt Shaw, a strong solid defender who hit .226/.295/.394 with 13 homers and 17 steals as a rookie.
According to sources, the Cubs have been open to conversations on both, and the Sox are among the many teams that have checked in about the two players. Chicago doesn’t feel a need to move either player given the possibility of having Shaw — a 23-year-old Worcester Academy alum whom the Cubs drafted in the first round in 2023 — bounce between the infield and outfield in a super-utility role. Still, as the Cubs look to build short- and long-term rotation depth, the Sox do have the well-regarded young pitching to create a potential match.
Other Red Sox notes:
▪ While the Sox have tradeable starting depth, the market for deals is complicated by the fact that several solid starters remain available via free agency. Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Nick Martinez, and others remain unsigned. One agent expressed a belief the starting pitcher market could pick up quickly once Valdez signs.
▪ Members of the industry were stunned Friday with news that the Twins “mutually parted ways” with team president Derek Falvey, who had been in charge of the baseball operations department for the past nine seasons and assembled rosters that reached the playoffs four times. The timing of the decision — near the conclusion of the offseason, on the cusp of spring training — was particularly unusual. However, the announcement came roughly six weeks after the Twins raised capital by adding three new limited partners to their ownership group and then shifted the role of the club’s official control person to Tom Pohlad. With Falvey out, baseball operations will be led by general manager Jeremy Zoll. In the press release announcing his departure, Falvey said he had no plans for what he’ll pursue next. However, he’s well regarded throughout the industry, and won’t lack for offers — particularly ones that might allow him to hold a less-demanding position with an organization while spending time with his family. Given his ties to New England and the Red Sox — Falvey is from Lynn, attended Trinity College (through which he has a longstanding relationship with CEO/president and fellow alum Sam Kennedy), and convinced chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to sign a minor league deal in 2017 based on his organizational vision — it’s not hard to imagine the Sox trying to find a front-office fit for him, should he decide to work with a team this year.
▪ Right fielder Wilyer Abreu will play for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, while Brayan Bello is slated to pitch for the Dominican Republic. Daveson Pérez, a manager of baseball communications and media relations for the Sox, will serve as a media relations liaison for the Dominican Republic. One interesting omission: outfielder/DH Masataka Yoshida, a key contributor in Japan’s 2023 WBC title, wasn’t selected to play for the squad.
▪ While the Sox haven’t ruled out the possibility of trading an outfielder, one major league source suggested there’s “no real traction” in trade talks involving Jarren Duran given the high bar the team would need to clear to deal the 29-year-old.
▪ Though it is technically still the offseason, roughly 100 Red Sox players are now in Fort Myers to build up prior to spring training. Among those who have been there since early January: Kristian Campbell, who is continuing the efforts to solidify the swing adjustments he started making toward the end of last year in Fort Myers and Puerto Rico. Campbell is doing defensive work at second base and in the outfield.
Extra bases
Kaiden McCarthy, a highly regarded 17-year-old righthander out of Vermont Academy, recently reclassified to join the graduating class of 2026, thus making him draft eligible this year and ensuring a heavy scouting presence this spring in the Green Mountain State. Though just 6 feet tall, McCarthy is strong and repeats his delivery well to show impressive strike-throwing ability. He tops out at 96-97 m.p.h., has a four- and two-seamer, impressive curveball, and changeup. McCarthy, who has a commitment to the University of Tennessee, is a strong candidate to be taken on Day 1 of the draft. If that happens and he’s selected in the first three rounds, McCarthy would become the highest pick ever out of Vermont. One evaluator likened him to 2013 Red Sox champion Jake Peavy … On March 16, 1926, Worcester native Robert Goddard had the first successful launch of a liquid-propellant rocket in Auburn. In celebration of that centennial, and in advance of the 40th anniversary of baseball’s first 20-strikeout game, the Triple A Worcester Red Sox will open their season on March 27 with a different Rocket launch. Roger Clemens will deliver the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day to WooSox hitting advisor Rich Gedman, who caught the former Red Sox ace’s first 20-strikeout game on April 29, 1986 … The Sports Museum is continuing its anti-bullying educational campaign with an updated version of its “Boston vs. Bullies” program, featuring several New England sports stars, including Sox lefthander Garrett Crochet. Details and the program video are available at bostonvsbullies.org … Happy 58th birthday Kent Mercker. The lefthander, acquired by the Red Sox in August 1999, had a high-stakes, two-month cameo. Mercker started three postseason games that year, including the final game of that season, a 6-1 loss to the Yankees. Those were his only playoff starts in a big league career that spanned 18 seasons. Mercker has become a standout pickleball player in recent years, competing on multiple occasions at the US Open Pickleball Championships … And happy 59th birthday, Tim Naehring. The infielder spent all eight seasons of his big league career with the Sox before an elbow injury forced his retirement in 1997. He’s gone on to a long career as a scout and executive. Now a vice president of baseball operations, he’s entering his 19th season with the Yankees.
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.