The Boston Red Sox have a tough closing stretch in front of them, and that may be exactly what they need.
With 12 games left in the 2026 Major League Baseball season and the regular-season finale set for Sep. 27, Boston is lined up to play four teams that could all be in the playoff picture: the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs. There’s nothing soft about that finish.
If the season ended today, the Rays, Guardians and Cubs would be in the postseason, while the Rangers would be on the outside looking in. Texas still has work to do, though, sitting two games out of a Wild Card spot and one game behind in the American League West. That leaves the door open for the Rangers to join the field if they catch fire over the next few weeks.
For Boston, that kind of test may be a blessing. The Red Sox are still battling for playoff position themselves and have an outside shot at the top Wild Card spot, currently held by the New York Yankees. Instead of cruising through a soft schedule, they’re getting a steady dose of teams with something real to play for.
That includes the Rays, who if the season ended today would be the likely No. 1 overall seed in the American League. It also means Boston will keep seeing teams pushing hard for either a spot or better seeding, which should give the Red Sox a postseason-like feel before October even arrives.
If the standings held as they are now, Boston would open the playoffs at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees in a three-game first-round series. That makes this late-season grind even more useful. The Red Sox are going to need every bit of sharpness they can find in a matchup like that.
Facing clubs that are still fighting makes a difference. Boston won’t be easing into the postseason against teams like the Los Angeles Angels (56-93) or the Colorado Rockies (55-94), whose seasons are already over. Instead, the Red Sox will be getting the best version of every opponent down the stretch.
So the message is simple: no breathing room, no coasting, no chance to coast into October cold. For Boston, that could be the perfect setup for what comes next.
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