For the Red Sox, the vision of contention in 2026 seemed straightforward.
The team’s championship window had been pried open by the presence of a pair of cornerstones, with Garrett Crochet anchoring the rotation and Roman Anthony representing a lineup anchor not only for this year but several seasons to come.
But while the Sox are amidst a magic number countdown to a playoff berth, they’ve done so without Anthony and Crochet for most of the year. Their season has been saved in no small part by players who have emerged from obscurity to play critical roles — with essential contributions coming from Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, Mickey Gasper, Tsung-Che Cheng, Jahmai Jones, Tyron Guerrero, and more.
Read more from Alex Speier at BostonGlobe.com/Sports. | 
