The Red Sox still don’t have their postseason spot fully locked in, but ESPN’s Jeff Passan isn’t waiting around to make a big call.
Boston is likely to land as the No. 5 seed in the American League bracket, though that isn’t set in stone yet. Even with the seed still in flux, the bigger picture is clear: the Red Sox will need to play the kind of baseball everyone knows they’re capable of if they want to chase a World Series. And first, they’ll have to get through the American League.
That path won’t be simple. The Yankees and Rays are both waiting in the mix, and Boston would probably have to navigate through at least one of them. But Passan still sees the Red Sox as the team to beat in the AL.
“The Red Sox might be the No. 5 seed, but they're going to win the American League pennant. Since the All-Star break, one evaluator pointed out, the Red Sox have the best offense in the AL.
“They're also an MLB-best in fielding independent pitching, a predictive metric that suggests they will continue to throw well. It's a deep bullpen.
It's a solid-enough rotation. It's a productive lineup.
And, perhaps most helpful of all, it's the AL, where the path to the World Series is a sandy beach compared to the jungle of the National League,” Jeff Passan wrote.
That’s a bold prediction, but it’s not hard to see why Boston has people believing. Since the break, the offense has been humming, the bullpen looks deep, and the rotation has been good enough to keep the team in the fight. The Yankees are still a major obstacle, and Boston’s own injury situation makes the picture a little hazy, but the Red Sox have put together a roster that gives them a real shot.
They may not be the cleanest favorite in the bracket, but they’re absolutely in the conversation. And heading into October, that’s where Boston wants to be.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Huge Willson Contreras Playoff Concern
Willson Contreras right hand has become a late-week storyline for a Red Sox club that suddenly has to weigh its postseason plans around one of its most productive bats. The pain has lingered since he was hit by a pitch, and it has kept him from swinging in recent days, a development that immediately changes the tone around Bostons Wild Card Series preparations.
Contreras said he is unsure whether he will be able to play and made clear he intends to be straight with the team about where he stands. That matters because he leads the Red Sox in several offensive categories this season, and his presence would give Boston a much different look in a short series than his absence would. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Bats Just Raised An Awkward October Question
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The bigger concern for the Red Sox was not just the loss, but how little they got going at the plate. Boston finished with only two hits, an ugly showing at a time when every game carries extra weight, and now has to move quickly into a split doubleheader against the Cubs the next day. After an outing like this, the question is less about one bad night than whether the offense can snap back fast enough to avoid making the standings even tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Crochet Just Gave The Red Sox Real Wild Card Hope
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Crochet took an encouraging step by feeling good during his first intense live batting practice, a session the club moved to its spring training complex because of weather concerns. For a Red Sox team trying to line up its best arms for the postseason push, the next update on Crochet could loom large, because his status may end up shaping how confident Boston can feel about its chances when the games get bigger. [Read more 🡒]