For all the ups and downs the Red Sox have endured this season, we still haven’t seen what they’re capable of at full strength.
Now, the gang is nearly back together, and not a moment too soon.
Trevor Story is back. Chris Sale is back. Garrett Whitlock is back. Tanner Houck’s return is right around the corner. For the first time all season the Red Sox will get to play with their full deck of cards, a crucial development as the club looks to fight its way back into the playoff picture.
It also means many of the biggest knocks against this club may no longer be applicable.
The days of relying on two openers a week are over, and now if the Red Sox go that route it will be a strategic decision rather than a necessity. The parade of depth arms who have kept the club afloat has reached its end too, and once Houck is activated the Red Sox pitching staff will arguably be as deep as it’s been at any point since the 2018 World Series.
The shambolic middle infield that was collectively among the worst in baseball? It’s been completely revamped. Fans no longer need to hold their breath every time a routine ground ball is hit to shortstop, and we’re already seeing what kind of impact a healthy Story can have in every aspect of the game.
Could this group realistically compete for a championship? Time will tell, but now there’s no more room for excuses. This is the team, no more help is coming, and now the Red Sox need to show us who they really are.
Even at full strength the Red Sox won’t have an easy path the rest of the way. According to a helpful chart compiled by Boston Sports Info on Twitter, the Red Sox have the toughest strength of remaining schedule among both AL East clubs and AL Wild Card contenders.
The Red Sox’ remaining opponents have a combined win percentage of .536, which ranks ahead of the Rays (.520), Yankees (.507), Blue Jays (.494), Orioles and Astros (.480) and Mariners (.472). Boston has an especially crucial stretch coming up; following this week’s Washington series they will play the Yankees and Astros on the road and then the Los Angeles Dodgers and Astros again at home.
While the Red Sox navigate that gauntlet, the Blue Jays are approaching the soft underbelly of their remaining schedule. Starting Aug. 25 they will play 15 straight games against sub-.500 teams, including consecutive series against last-place Washington, Colorado, Oakland and Kansas City.
Between that and Seattle’s light remaining slate, the Red Sox can’t afford to lose any more ground.
One tantalizing facet of the upcoming schedule is the opportunity to put the Yankees away for good. New York is in the midst of its worst season in three decades, and if the Red Sox win or sweep this weekend’s series in the Bronx they could all but ensure the Yankees miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Bad as things have looked for Boston at times this year, things are much worse in New York. The Yankees rotation is in shambles, with four regular starters outside Cy Young contender Gerrit Cole currently unavailable. That’s forced New York to rely on guys like Luis Severino, who currently boasts a horrific 8.06 ERA.
The situation on offense isn’t much better. Aaron Judge is playing through a torn ligament in his toe, and the rest of the lineup is mainly populated by aging and underproducing veterans.
Entering the week the Yankees sat two games behind the Red Sox for last in the AL East and were 5-9 since July 30. New York suffered a devastating walk-off loss to Miami on Sunday and plays three games this week against World Series favorite Atlanta before welcoming Boston to town on Friday.
Put simply, the Yankees are on the ropes, and the Red Sox now have an opportunity to deliver the knockout blow.
Speed has always been a big part of Story’s game, and he’s wasted no time asserting himself on the base paths since his return last week. Story already has three stolen bases in his first five games, and on Sunday he basically created a run out of thin air after he stole second and then third in the same plate appearance, setting the table for Adam Duvall’s subsequent RBI single.
Following the game Story said he missed getting to run like that, adding that watching Jarren Duran this season has inspired him to push the envelope on the bases even more.
“Honestly watching Duran this year, I’ve always been inspired to do it, but man,” Story said. “Watching him change the game and wreak havoc on the defense, it was a big goal of mine when I came back to hit the ground running and try to catch up with him.”
Last week Baseball America released its latest Top 100 prospect rankings, which included all of the top players selected in last month’s MLB Draft. The Red Sox had four players included, one of whom has seen his stock explode over the course of the season.
Roman Anthony, a 19-year-old outfielder currently playing at High-A Greenville, is now all the way up to No. 20 on Baseball America’s rankings. Anthony was selected No. 79 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft with a compensatory pick acquired after Eduardo Rodriguez was lost in free agency, and he’s absolutely dominated the competition in the lower minors, having hit 11 home runs with a 1.026 OPS in 39 games with Greenville.
In addition, Marcelo Mayer was down in Baseball America’s rankings to No. 16 due to the infusion of new draftees and also his recent stint on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation. Outfielder Miguel Bleis came in at No. 82 and recent Red Sox draftee Kyle Teel debuted at No. 95.
The Red Sox announced after Sunday’s game that Nick Pivetta will start Tuesday’s opener in Washington. Originally the plan was to use an opener and then Pivetta in a bulk role, but the club changed gears and will now start Pivetta (8-6, 4.16 ERA) for the second straight turn through the rotation and for the third time in his last four appearances.