The Boston Red Sox are right in the thick of the American League playoff picture as the Major League Baseball All-Star break approaches.
They trail the New York Yankees by a wide margin in the AL East, but they're battling with several teams atop the wild-card standings and theoretically could add pieces in the coming weeks, both via internal reinforcements and external acquisitions before the MLB trade deadline.
It all raises the question: Does the organization think it can contend for a World Series title in 2022?
Red Sox principal owner John Henry believes so.
"No doubt," Henry recently told The Boston Globe's Alex Speier. " ... We've had a terrible spate of injuries this year to our starting pitching, but I think as we get those guys back we feel very good about where we are. That said, there are some super-teams this year. It will be tough, but we know that in short series, the playoffs are quite different than the regular season. I think we're set to be in the mix, and as we get people back, we'll be tough."
Chris Sale made his much-anticipated season debut Tuesday and could provide a huge boost to the rotation down the stretch. Nathan Eovaldi also figures to return this week, and the Red Sox hope Rich Hill and Michael Wacha aren't far behind. Plus, don't forget about James Paxton, who's still recovering from Tommy John surgery but could be an impact arm when healthy.
Sprinkle in Garrett Whitlock's return to the bullpen, and possibly some wheeling and dealing before the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline, and it's not difficult to envision a path to the postseason. Then, if the Red Sox reach the playoffs, anything can happen -- as they proved in 2021.
Boston is by no means a championship favorite as we head toward the second half. The Yankees, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams looking stacked in mid July.
But don't sleep on the Sox. They have the makings of a club that'll be tough to play against in October.
