The Boston Red Sox have not had a good start this season. They have a losing record so far and have just lost the series to the Padres. Most people think that the Boston roster didn’t have enough time to prepare during spring training. While some managers point to the World Baseball Classic as an excuse for slow starts, Red Sox skipper Alex Cora is offering a much blunter assessment of his team’s struggles.

The Red Sox had lost five of their first six games by April 1, and Alex Cora was asked if several players participating in the WBC 2026 was the reason for their slow start in MLB. He straightway dismissed the assumption, saying, “We just played bad baseball.”

Boston had a total of 15 players representing their respective national teams during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Only a handful of MLB teams had more players skipping spring training this year. Although it’s the same sport, a different tournament has its impacts. Players have fewer reps as they are busy with the national teams, and they suffer a lack of lineup cohesion with the respective league teams as well. 

But Cora isn’t someone to look for excuses to justify bad performances. He clearly stated that “bad baseball” has nothing to do with players participating in the WBC. However, this contrasts with Dave Roberts’ take on Shohei Ohtani. 

Ohtani didn’t have the usual elite-level production in the first few games. He had zero hits in 3 games in the first 6 outings. And he managed just 1 hit each in the other three. So his total 3 hits came from 18 at-bats, and his first HR came in the Dodgers’ 7th game on April 3 against the Nationals. 

People started questioning his slow start, and the Dodgers’ manager put it on the WBC. “I think so. He didn’t get as many at-bats that he could have potentially could have. I think that’s a factor,” said Dave Roberts.

Shohei Ohtani only played 6 spring training games after he returned from the national camp.

The impact of participating in the WBC on spring training isn’t something one can deny. But the two managers have a very different perspective in this case, as Cora is taking the high road. 

WBC disruptions are real, but Alex Cora refuses to use them as an excuse

Spring training is designed to prepare the players for the upcoming MLB season. It isn’t just about practicing baseball or routine warmups. It’s readjusting to the MLB system after a significant gap. Missing the structured training games means that an individual misses familiarizing himself with his teammates. 

Being a part of the national team means you get to play with the best players from different major league teams. Coming back from a huge tournament like the WBC makes it tough for players to get back in sync with their MLB teammates.

Even though other managers admit it causes problems, Alex Cora refused to use it as an excuse. He is accepting the reality head-on, focusing on what’s important. And he is staying calm with a long-season mindset. 

Notably, the Red Sox had a 1-4 win-loss record at the beginning of 2025. But they managed 89 wins in the season, earning a Wild Card. So losing a few early games isn’t a reason for panic, but a setback to work through for the Red Sox manager. 

As of April 6, Boston has lost 7 out of 9 games, which has cost them all 3 series so far. While Alex Cora has the right mindset, it is necessary for the team to bounce back soon. Otherwise, the chances for October might become thin pretty quickly.