The Red Sox kick off their 2026 season Thursday with an emerging superstar and strong pitching they hope will lead to title contention.

Why it matters: The Sox have finished third in the AL East two years in a row, and the division again looks to be one of the best in baseball.

• Outdueling the Yankees and American League champion Blue Jays will require big contributions from Boston's offseason acquisitions.

⚾️ The Sox start their season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds. You can watch Thursday's game at 4:10pm on NESN.

• For those who've been in baseball hibernation since last season's early playoff exit, here's a rundown of what to expect:

🌟 All eyes on Anthony

Roman Anthony, the Sox' young phenom in right field, is almost certainly the team's most important player at just 21 years old.

• Anthony was excellent last season before an injury shut him down in September. But he looked healthy at the World Baseball Classic, smashing a go-ahead home run for the U.S. in the semifinals.
• He's got MVP potential. Anything less than an All-Star season would be a disappointment.

💨 Throwing heat

Garrett Crochet, Boston's ace pitcher, was runner-up for the Cy Young award last season. A repeat would be asking a lot, but fans can hope.

• The pitching rotation got an influx of talent this offseason in veteran starters Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Johan Oviedo.

😬 Friction points

Anthony could hit 40 home runs this year. The problem: He might need to.

• Boston prioritized adding starting pitching over big bats this offseason, resulting in a lineup that lacks power.
• Also shaky: The bullpen behind closer Aroldis Chapman.

🛍️ Get that swag

Check out this calendar to find out when you can land a free scarf, bobblehead or jersey, as well as dates when kids can run the bases.

🔮 Prediction time

Longtime baseball writer Keith Law, in his season preview for The Athletic, forecast an 87-75 record for the Sox ... and another third-place finish.

• Yes, but: "There's still a lot of upside across this roster," Law writes, adding that the team could top 90 wins "in many scenarios."

Spread the word

Massachusetts officials and organizers are pouring nearly $86 million into World Cup preparations.

Why it matters: Public safety officials and event organizers are bolstering safety and health resources to manage the crowds coming in for the seven matches set for Gillette Stadium.

State of play: Massachusetts has obtained nearly $76 million in federal funding to prepare for the seven matches set at Gillette Stadium, Gov. Maura Healey said Wednesday.

• That includes $46 million through FIFA's security grant program, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• Massachusetts also received $21.2 million through the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program and $8.6 million from the Federal Transit Administration.

The funding will support security, public health and logistics for the games, watch parties and other events.

Yes, and: Lawmakers earmarked $10 million in a state supplemental budget bill for World Cup preparations, most of which has gone to cities and towns to support watch parties.

• Among the recipients was the U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce, which received $25,000 for watch parties in Boston, Brockton, Everett and Randolph.

By the numbers: More than 70 agencies have worked on statewide planning and coordination of the tournament, per Healey's office.

• The state has held five major exercises to prepare for emergency scenarios and held over 16 training classes and seminars for first responders, emergency managers and other officials.

What we're watching: Thursday's friendly match between Brazil and France will offer a glimpse into how ready Massachusetts is to respond to the crowds, traffic and any security issues that come up.

Tell a friend

The Boston School Committee approved a $1.7 billion budget for next school year that will cut up to 400 positions even though it marks a 4.5% spending increase. (Globe)

🏨 Boston is one of several World Cup cities where FIFA has "released" rooms in its hotel block ahead of the games. (BBJ)

• Meet Boston, which declined to say how many rooms were affected, said the move is partly due to an "inflated" estimate of booking needs from a few years ago.

🏟️ New England Revolution, the U.S. men's soccer team owned by the Kraft Group, expressed support for the White Stadium project in a brief filed as part of a lawsuit between opponents and the Wu administration. (Dorchester Reporter)

• The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments on the case on April 8.

Kelsey Fitzsimmons, the North Andover police officer who was shot by a colleague, said yesterday on the stand that she never pointed her department-issued weapon at anyone but herself. (CBS Boston)

• Fitzsimmons faces one charge of assault with a dangerous weapon over the June 30, 2025, incident.
• What's next: The defense rested its case, and attorneys will deliver their closing arguments today.

Workers, especially those with a college degree, think the job market is awful, a new Gallup analysis out Tuesday finds.

Why it matters: Although the unemployment rate is relatively low at the moment, hiring has slowed a lot, particularly for professionals.

• Deteriorating worker sentiment can signal that things are about to get much worse.
• "Workers with higher levels of formal education were markedly less optimistic about the job market in 2025 than those with less schooling," writes Sarah Fioroni, a senior research consultant at Gallup.

Go deeper

Spotted in the South End: A full doggy bag sitting on the windshield of a car.

Zoom in: We don't know if it belonged to the owner of the car, who planned to return and throw it out later, or a stranger using the car as a dumping ground.

• Nor does Sheila Gavin, who took the photo the other day.
• Either way, it's not the first time Bostonians have come across dog crap in our streets.

That got us wondering, what is the proper dog poop etiquette?

• Click here to vote in our poll.