The Boston Red Sox have mounted a serious charge up the American League East standings. After sweeping a four-game series on the road against the Baltimore Orioles directly after taking three of four games from the New York Yankees in the Bronx, the Red Sox are poised to make a run at the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League East title.
The Red Sox will earn a wild-card spot if they don't catch the Blue Jays. They currently own the top spot in the American League wild card race, and if the season ends with the teams in their current position, Alex Cora's Red Sox would host the Yankees in a best-of-3 series to open the playoffs.
The Red Sox have been playing outstanding baseball for the last two months. They sent notice throughout the American League that they needed to be taken seriously in early July when they reeled off a 10-game winning streak that put them in contention for a Wild Card spot. Since then, they have continued to display clutch hitting and outstanding starting pitching.
Red Sox promote Roman Anthony, and he has delivered
The team has made a couple of major in-season moves. They traded superstar Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants when it appeared that the former Boston third baseman did not want to pick up a first baseman's mitt and play that position. Shortly after that deal was made, they promoted 21-year-old top prospect Roman Anthony from Triple-A Worcester.
Anthony was considered the top prospect in the minor leagues and while he struggled in his first few games at the major league level, he has become a dynamic hitter since his promotion. He is slashing .286/.396/.462 with 7 home runs, 29 runs batted in, along with 38 bases on balls.
The numbers are great, but his presence on the field, in general, and at the plate, in particular, truly stands out. He has an excellent eye, knows how to set up pitchers and shows the ability to come through in the clutch.
While Anthony has been a revelation, veteran 3rd baseman Alex Bregman has been a perfect fit for the Red Sox. He has upgraded the defensive play, demonstrated outstanding leadership and is one of the toughest clutch hitters in the American League.
In addition to those two stars, Trevor Story, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela have made key contributions throughout the seasons. The Red Sox have been especially effective at Fenway Park, putting together a 41-25 record at home.
Starting pitching has been huge for Red Sox
The Red Sox pitching staff has exceeded expectations as well. Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito have given Cora a trio of starters who have come through with surprising consistency and have helped the Red Sox rise in the standings.
Crochet was the team's primary offseason acquisition, and the Red Sox were strong believers that he could become the ace of the staff. The left-hander is now a prime contender for the American League Cy Young Award.
Crochet has a 14-5 record along with a 2.38 earned run average. He has 207 strikeouts in 166.1 innings. Bello is 10-6 with a 2.99 ERA in 141.2 innings of work, while Giolito is 9-2 with a 3.47 ERA.
In addition to the brilliant starting pitching, closer Aroldis Chapman has been sensational. He has 26 saves and a 1.04 ERA while striking out 74 batters in 52.0 innings.
Chapman has always been one of the most intimidating closers in the major leagues, and he has shown better control with his pitches this season than he has at any point in recent seasons.
The Red Sox are playing their best baseball of the season, and they appear to be on track for a spot in the playoffs.
