The Boston Red Sox don’t look like a team that’s miles away from a title run. If everything stays on track, 2027 could be the season where they’re ready to make that jump, though that obviously comes with the caveat that baseball has to be played and the labor situation doesn’t derail that outlook.
Right now, the best lessons for Boston are coming from the two clubs in the World Series: the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Milwaukee holds a two-game series lead, with a day off on Sunday, and both teams are showing the same formula.
They pitch well. They defend at a high level.
And they do real damage on the bases.
That last part stands out. The Rays tied for second in the league during the regular season with 164 stolen bases, while the Brewers finished fifth with 162.
The speed hasn’t disappeared in October, either. Through the playoffs, Milwaukee leads the league with 16 steals and Tampa Bay is right behind with 15.
Boston, by comparison, finished 14th in the regular season with 107 stolen bases. Then the Red Sox didn’t steal a single base in their two-game sweep loss to the New York Yankees.
That’s where the gap shows up. If a team isn’t going to live off big home runs, it has to create offense another way.
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay have leaned into that reality. They get runners on, take extra bases, move traffic with sacrifice plays, and keep pressure on opposing defenses.
It’s a classic formula, but it’s working.
The Red Sox are not staring at some impossible rebuild-to-contend mountain. They were elite in pitching and defense in 2026, and they may even have more star power in the lineup than either of the teams on the World Series stage. But if Boston wants to be one of the league’s best in 2027, it needs to get more aggressive on the bases - especially if the home run production doesn’t rise with it.
The message from Milwaukee and Tampa Bay is clear. You don’t have to lead the league in homers to reach the World Series.
You just have to find another way to score. On Saturday, that showed up in the form of seven combined stolen bases in Game 2.
That’s the kind of game Boston needs to be playing.
In Other News...
Red Sox Rotation Plan May Worry Fans After Sonny Gray Misses Out
With Sonny Gray likely off the board, the Red Sox appear ready to spend their energy where they think the biggest upgrade can be made, and that points to the lineup more than the rotation. Sean McAdam of MassLive reported that Boston is expected to lean toward offense while looking for lower-cost starting pitching options to patch the staff, a strategy that reflects both the realities of the market and the clubs larger roster priorities.
The names tied to that search hint at the balancing act ahead. Clay Holmes, Brandon Woodruff and Zac Gallen have each been mentioned as possible fits, but none comes without some concern, whether it is injury history or uneven recent performance. For a team trying to stay competitive, the appeal is obvious, yet the kind of rotation gamble Boston is considering could leave fans wondering how much stability the front office is really willing to buy. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face A Jarren Duran Decision That Could Reshape 2027
Sean McAdams reporting points to another important winter decision for the Red Sox, one that could have ripple effects well beyond this offseason. Jarren Duran is still two years away from free agency, and while his 2026 season did not match the standard he set in previous years, Boston still has reasons to view him as a useful piece because of the power, speed and defense he brings to the outfield.
The bigger question is whether the Red Sox see enough in that profile to keep him through the winter, or whether the trade market presents a better fit for their roster plan. The team has not signaled any intention to non-tender Duran, so the conversation appears to be about value and fit rather than simple subtraction, with the offers they receive likely to determine how seriously Boston entertains moving on. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face A Risky Triston Casas Decision They Cant Rush
The Red Sox are heading toward a familiar November squeeze, with the non-tender deadline on Nov. 20 forcing them to sort out a handful of roster calls before the offseason really gets moving. Triston Casas is one of the trickiest names on the board, not because of what he did last year, but because of what he might still become if Boston gives him time to get right.
Casas spent the season on the sideline after multiple injuries, and the organization now has to weigh patience against roster flexibility. If hes healthy, he still offers the kind of left-handed power that could play at designated hitter or as depth around the infield, and the club has the budget to keep him around for another year. With three minor league options still in hand, the Red Sox do not have to decide on his long-term future all at once, but they do have to decide soon whether they want to bet on a bounce-back. [Read more 🡒]