MLB insider thinks that Boston Red Sox have some serious work to do before labelling themselves real contenders
So far in 2023, the Boston Red Sox have defined mediocrity. After losing some of their top names last season, many considered the team a shoe-in for last place, but things are a little bit more complicated than that.
With a record of 72-68, the Sox sit firmly in the fourth place in the AL East. Although they are 16.5 games behind the division lead, and almost certainly will not make the postseason, 2023 has been a classic case of too-little, too-late.
Over the past 30 days, the Boston Red Sox have scored 145 runs, which places them sixth out of 30 teams in the category. Moreover, the team's cumulative .270 over that span average puts them 8th. However, apart from a month of July that saw the Red Sox go 15-8, there has not been too much to cheer about in Boston.
"Barring a miracle, that’ll do it for the 2023 Boston Red Sox. They entered September last year 8 games out of a playoff spot. They will enter September this year in a similar position. Lacking a real rotation was the downfall of this team. Very unsurprising. Big offseason ahead." - Steve Perrault
However, what gains have been made in hitting have been cancelled out by the team's poor pitching this season. Starters for the team have posted a harsh 4.53 ERA this season, far from enough to propell them into a playoff position. The Red Sox just cannot measure up against other pitching powerhouses in their division like the Tampa Bay Rays.
In a recent appearance on AJ Pierzynski's Foul Territory Podcast, MLB analyst and diehard Boston Red Sox fan Jared Carrabis weighed in. Carrabis summed up the issues that his team has faced this season, in one word - mediocrity.
"The Red Sox are somewhere in the middle. They're not a playoff team, but they don't suck." - Jared Carrabis
Since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2018 World Series, there has not been a lot of excitement in Boston. The team has not made the playoffs since they won the World Series. Moreover, losses like Xander Bogaerts, a .career .300-hitting shortstop who signed a long-term deal with the San Diego Padres this year, does not help either.
Boston Red Sox still have a lot of work to do
While the Sox have shown some glimmers of brilliance this year, glimmers have been all the team has shown. In order to compete in a division like the AL East with teams like the Rays and Baltimore Orioles, you simply have to be better than the Sox have been. Unfortunately, Carrabis is dead-on, and the sooner Boston Red Sox fans realize it, the better off they'll be.