With just a few weeks before the last regular season game of the season for the Boston Red Sox (September 27th), the team stands poised for one last push towards the top of the Wild Card Standings. As of September 6th, the Red Sox are currently 3rd place in the AL East, 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card Spot which would grant them home field advantage in that preliminary 3 game series. Whether or not they manage to bridge that gap in the final weeks of the season, one thing is for certain: the Red Sox turned around a dismal start and have set themselves up to be a formidable contender this postseason.
In terms of starting a season, the Red Sox did about as poorly as possible. A combination of key injuries to star players Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet, paired with subpar offense and poor clutch performances led to one of the worst starts in the club’s history. After finishing April with an all-time worst 12-18 record, the Red Sox parted ways with manager Alex Cora, who won a World Series with the club in 2018. With all the turmoil early on the season felt all but lost, especially as the club continued to struggle into the summer, dropping to an eventual 32-46 and having one of the worst records in the American League. For Red Sox fans, it seemed as though their playoff aspirations were a lost cause.
Then on June 25th, everything changed. For the next month and a half, the Red Sox rattled off a historic winning total, going 32-5 and tying the franchise record for most consecutive wins in a season with fifteen. The offense, which had been so dismal to start the season, became one of the best in the league seemingly overnight. Their clutch hitting improved, their at bats improved, their pitching was lights out, and for the first time all season, their fanbase was buzzing with excitement.
Fast forward to today, the Red Sox have firmly positioned themselves in the playoff picture with the second Wild Card spot. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story have returned off the injured list, and the team is more than ready for October baseball. “I couldn’t be more excited for the Red Sox and their playoff odds.” said Senior Baseball Captain and Red Sox fan Casey Joseph. “I’ve been watching them [The Red Sox] since I was really young and their team this year has something special about how they play that I think will take them far in October.”
While most Boston fans can’t help but express general optimism for the turnaround of the Red Sox, Yankees fans like Chloe Mankes feel differently. “After the 16-1 defeat and losing a series to Us [The Yankees] just recently, I find it funny how excited everyone is about the Red Sox. Yes they have a good story about how they turned their season around, but I think they are Wild Card exits.”
As the month of playoff baseball looms ahead, two things seem almost inevitable: intense, wild outcomes, and the Dodgers massive payroll helping lead them to a likely third World Series appearance. Regardless of how the National League turns out though, the Red Sox are healthy and that only means one thing: Red October in Boston.
