The 2026 version of the Boston Red Sox looked dead in the water for nearly half the season. But a historic 15-game winning streak in July catapulted them out of last place in the American League East. After Tuesday’s 14-2 win over the Chicago White Sox, Boston has won 29 of its last 34 games, and now sits just 5.5 games out of first place and in the second AL wild-card spot.
The winning streak tied the franchise’s longest, originally set in 1946, and turned the Red Sox into buyers at the MLB trade deadline, which passed on Monday. Their prized acquisition was three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from Baltimore.
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The switch-hitting Rutschman was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and one of the centerpieces of a Baltimore rebuild that led to the franchise’s AL East title in 2023 and a wild-card spot in 2024. He’s currently on the injured list for the third time this season, this time due to left wrist inflammation, so it’s unclear when he’ll make his debut for the Red Sox.
But he said he’s looking forward to taking the field soon for one of the hottest teams in baseball.
“Just from playing here, the city loves baseball. It always has a great atmosphere and I’m excited to play in it,” Rutschman told reporters Tuesday at Fenway Park. “They’re playing the game the right way and doing things right. It was cool to watch from a distance. Now being here, like I said — just trying to fit in and help out any way I can.”
Rutschman has one more season of arbitration before he becomes a free agent in 2028, but the Red Sox may look to sign him to an extension before then. That means he may have a big payday coming, and perhaps some more personal accolades. But he told CBN Sports before last month’s All-Star Game that his identity comes from Jesus, not his success or accomplishments in baseball.
“I have the verse Colossians 3:23 in my Instagram bio, and it’s, ‘Whatever you do, do it with all your heart as for the Lord, not for man,'” he said. “To me, that applies directly to baseball. The reason I’m doing this is because I want to be a light. I want to shine for Him. When I go on the field, I want my play and my attitude to reflect Him. That’s the biggest goal at the end of the day.”
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He was raised in a Christian household and went to church regularly growing up, he said in a video posted on TikTok. His church attendance dwindled when he got to high school due to his travel baseball schedule, but he was able to recalibrate that during his sophomore year at Oregon State, where he starred on the baseball team and also played football briefly.
That was when he started to make his faith his own.
“It’s a huge part of my life,” he said in the video. “It’s the biggest thing in my life, so it’s cool hearing everyone’s story. But you usually have that transition when you’re younger to now, and you make it your own.”
He also spoke with CBN Sports ahead of the 2024 All-Star Game and reiterated how important faith is to him.
“I think it’s the reason you show up and play as hard as you can every single day,” he said. “All the talent and abilities that I have are not for myself. I’m just a byproduct of that, and my role on this earth is to glorify Him every single day. So, it’s everything to me.”
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Rutschman made his major-league debut in 2022 and hit .254 with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs over 113 games, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez. He made the All-Star team in 2023 and 2024, and served as the AL’s starting catcher in 2024. Injuries limited him to just 90 games in 2025, but he was named an All-Star this season despite the lingering injuries.
He’s hitting .251 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs in 67 games this season, and when healthy figures to be a major part of the Red Sox lineup — offensively and defensively — as they make a playoff push.
“He is a proven star in this league,” Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said. “… In Adley, you get impact on both sides of the ball. He’s a premium defender, switch-hitter. So he’s a great fit for our park.”
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