The Boston Red Sox spent the first chunk of the season looking nothing like a dangerous offense. That part has changed in a hurry, and the timing could not be better.
With Roman Anthony and Trevor Story back in the mix and Adley Rutschman starting to settle in, Boston’s lineup suddenly looks capable of carrying real weight down the stretch. The Red Sox have been inconsistent overall lately, going 3-6 over their last nine games, but that skid has been driven mostly by what’s happened on the mound.
During that stretch, they allowed 60 runs. Even so, the bats have continued to give them life.
Anthony has been electric since returning, hitting .455 with two home runs, two RBIs and five runs in five games. Story has been right there with him, batting .438 with four RBIs and one run in four games. Rutschman, meanwhile, looks like he may be finding his rhythm in Boston after a three-game stretch in which he hit .417 with two home runs, two RBIs, five runs and just one strikeout.
That offensive surge matters because Boston is sitting at 76-65 and holding the second American League Wild Card spot. The Red Sox are 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees for the top Wild Card position and 5.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the third spot. The division race appears to be out of reach, with Boston 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, but the bigger picture still points toward a postseason berth.
And this isn’t just a short burst of production. Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox have been one of the best hitting teams in the sport.
According to MLB.com, they rank second in batting average at .264, second in runs with 248, second in hits with 420, third in home runs with 62, first in doubles with 94, third in on-base percentage at .341, second in slugging percentage at .449 and second in OPS at .790. Their 30-17 record in that span is the best in baseball.
Boston’s pitching staff has been strong for most of the year, though it has clearly hit a rough patch now. If the rotation and bullpen can clean that up while the lineup keeps rolling like this, the Red Sox have the kind of balance that can make things ugly for the rest of the league in October.
In Other News...
Red Sox Trade Just Took A Painful Turn For One Young Pitcher
Hunter Dobbins move out of Boston was already one of those trades that invited a long view, with the right-hander sitting on the edge of what looked like a possible 2027 rotation job for St. Louis. Instead, the latest turn has pushed the timeline back sharply. Dobbins underwent elbow surgery to address a ligament issue in the same arm that once required Tommy John surgery in 2021, a reminder of just how fragile the path can be for young pitchers trying to establish themselves.
The Cardinals were banking on Dobbins as a pitcher whose development could line up with their plans a couple of years down the road, but that projection now comes with a major caveat. He is expected to miss about a year, which likely leaves much of the 2027 season in question and adds another painful layer to a trade that was supposed to be about upside and future stability. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Durbins Bat Is Suddenly A Real Red Sox Concern
Caleb Durbins surge from mid-June into early August lined up neatly with the Red Soxs own climb in the standings, and for a while it felt like his bat had become a quiet but important part of the teams momentum. Even when the offense around him started to wobble, Durbin still found ways to help, staying valuable with his glove and by working walks while Boston kept leaning on him as a steady presence.
Lately, though, the bat has gone cold, and the timing has not been ideal for a club trying to steady itself again. The Red Soxs recent struggles have mirrored Durbins offensive downturn, which is a reminder of how much his production matters to this group, even when he is still contributing in other ways. [Read more 🡒]
Mickey Gasper Is Giving Red Sox Fans A Breakout Nobody Saw Coming
Since being recalled on Aug. 17, Mickey Gasper has gone from useful depth piece to one of the most surprising bats in the Red Sox lineup. The utility player has ripped through a short stretch of games with a .378/.525/1.000 slash line and eight home runs in 16 games, production that has forced a quick recalibration of what Boston thought it had on hand when the season moved into its late stages.
Interim manager Chad Tracy went so far as to call Gasper the best pure hitter he has managed in the Red Sox system, high praise for a player who arrived with a much quieter reputation. The numbers have gotten loud enough that Gasper now carries a higher WAR than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., even though Guerrero has played in far more games this season, which only adds to the strange, fast-rising profile of a player Red Sox fans are suddenly trying to figure out in real time. [Read more 🡒]