David Ortiz didn’t hesitate when the question came after the 2026 MLB All-Star Game: who’s winning the World Series?
He went with the Boston Red Sox.
That call landed after the American League beat the National League 4-0 in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, the first Midsummer Classic shutout in 13 years. On the FOX desk, with Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter nearby, Ortiz was handed a Red Sox helmet and backed his old club to make a second-half push all the way to the Fall Classic.
“My Red Sox are coming back,” Ortiz said. “We won nine games in a row! We're going to go to the trade deadline, we're going to pick some players, and we're going to go to the World Series.”
Boston’s surge is giving that prediction some real weight. The Red Sox finished the first half on a nine-game winning streak and enter the break just 0.5 games out of a playoff spot. In a crowded American League race, that has them right in the mix.
The current picture has Boston sitting fifth in the standings, with the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners holding the playoff position for now. The Red Sox are 46-48 with a .489 winning percentage, trailing by only half a game. The Houston Astros are 1.5 games back of the spot, while the Baltimore Orioles sit 2.0 games out and the Toronto Blue Jays are 2.5 back.
Ortiz, of course, knows what Boston looks like when it’s rolling. The Hall of Famer and three-time World Series champion put up 483 home runs and 1,530 RBIs in a Red Sox uniform, including a franchise-record eight seasons with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.
The second half opens with a busy stretch for Boston, starting July 17 with a doubleheader against the Rays. The Red Sox then continue with more games against Tampa Bay, followed by a run of matchups with the Orioles and Blue Jays before heading to Athletics and Dodgers to close out the month.
After a slow start, Boston has given itself a real shot to matter in October. And if Ortiz is right, the Red Sox won’t just be part of the race - they’ll be in the World Series.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Tied To A Blockbuster Rumor That Feels Off
A rumor with a massive footprint started making the rounds around the Red Sox when a Spanish-language pregame host posted that Boston had opened trade conversations for a young Nationals outfielder, with the expected asking price sounding steep from the start. It is the kind of idea that can set off instant speculation, but it also lands in a place where the fit is not especially clean, especially with Boston already carrying real outfield depth.
The bigger obstacle is on the Washington side, where there is little obvious reason to move a player the Nationals view as part of their future. Even if Boston were willing to put together a serious offer, the sort of package that would have to be considered would likely be painful enough to test how far the Red Sox would actually want to go, and there has been no official confirmation that talks have even begun. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Sale Opened Up About His Red Sox Exit And It Stings
Chris Sales reflections during the 2024 All-Star Game broadcast landed with the kind of weight that only comes from a player looking back on a complicated chapter. The 10-time All-Star spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, and even with the injuries that slowed the end of his run in Boston, he made clear how much that stretch still means to him. He also acknowledged the fans who stood by him through it all, even as his time with the club ended in a way that never quite matched the expectations that came with it.
Sale said he had committed to giving everything he had in what would have been his final season with Boston, a promise shaped by how much he felt he owed the organization after the injuries. He also admitted the frustration of not being healthy enough in those last years, which made the exit sting even more. Now with the Braves, Sales comments served as a reminder that for all the change, the bond between him and Red Sox Nation still carries plenty of unfinished emotion. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Rotation Arm Drawing Trade Interest
The rotation picture in Boston has shifted enough that clubs around the league are watching closely, and the Red Sox could find themselves with a movable arm if the right offer comes along. Patrick Sandoval has re-entered the mix after a long injury absence, and his return gives Boston another healthy starter in a group that has been thinned and then replenished as the season has worn on.
For a team like St. Louis, sitting near the Wild Card line and trying to avoid paying premium prices for a short-term fix, that kind of profile is worth monitoring. Sandovals recent first start back was encouraging, and with his contract and injury history shaping how rival front offices view him, he fits the sort of affordable pitching addition that can linger on the deadline market even as bigger names dominate the conversation. [Read more 🡒]