Five Red Sox Storylines To Watch After 2023 MLB All-Star Break

The Boston Red Sox collected some last-minute momentum before entering the All-Star break at 48-43 to cut the deficit placing them at the bottom of the American League East at the halfway mark.

With a five-game winning streak still alive and well when Boston returns to action on Friday night to begin a series in Chicago with the Cubs, there will be plenty to look out for as the second half kicks off. Still alive in the postseason race, Boston's first-half placement in the standings doesn't speak to the several watch-worthy storylines taking place in the 2023 squad.

Here are the top five:

5.) Trevor Story, Chris Sale return watch
Two of the biggest factors that have played into Boston's struggles early on have been defense and pitching -- both of which a healthy Trevor Story and Chris Sale would help alleviate.

Boston has committed 61 total errors, second to just the San Francisco Giants (64). A large part has come from the middle infield with Kiké Hernández leading all of baseball with 15 of his own. Story, who is on the 60-day injured list after undergoing right elbow surgery in the offseason, was positioned to take over at shortstop as the go-to guy.

Meanwhile, the rotation has taken a toll as well with Sale being one of three starters on the injured list, joining Corey Kluber, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck. That's caused Cora to lean toward bullpen openers in various instances with the Red Sox ranked 10th in the AL with a 4.33 ERA.

Story has participated in baseball activities, throwing and undergoing live batting practice, so with him and Sale still in rehab mode, it'll remain up to Boston in order to keep a late-season push sustainable amid their respective recoveries.

4.) Can Jarren Duran keep hot streak alive in second half?
Durran began the season on a setback note, failing to earn an Opening Day roster spot after rummaging for playing time both during Spring Training and in the World Baseball Classic while playing for Team Mexico.

Now, the 26-year-old is quickly building up a load of newfound confidence while patrolling centerfield for the Red Sox on a night-to-night basis. Coming up from the minor leagues, Duran was always credited for his top-of-the-line speed on the basepaths, which he's used to his advantage like nobody else on the team. He's tied for third in the doubles lead (27) among all players across the big leagues, stretching singles into extra bases as a nightmare for both pitchers and outfielders.

It's also worth noting that Durran has played the least amount of games (70) of any of the top-seven players in contention for the doubles lead, having batted .320 with five home runs, 17 stolen bases and 33 RBIs thus far -- all career highs.

If this level of success proves to be sustainable, it'll be hard for Alex Cora to give Durran any sort of break anytime in the near future.

3.) Does Brayan Bello remain Boston's ace?
The brightest light of hope to come from the starting pitching staff is unarguably Brayan Bello.

The 24-year-old had a rocky first taste of the big leagues -- going 2-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 2022 -- but has since resettled, becoming the pitcher that the Red Sox envisioned Bello becoming after his initial call-up. Starting off the year on the 15-day injured list (right elbow inflammation), Bello has bounced back in a huge way.

The unofficial ace of the Red Sox in 2023, Bello has most notably caught fire since the month of June, posting a 2.21 ERA while holding opponents to a .195 batting average through 40 2/3 innings tossed.

Arguably snubbed from the All-Star Game, Bello is among the most important pieces to the Red Sox, delivering an immense amount of reliability. He's allowed three or fewer runs to cross while pitching at least six innings in eight of his total 14 starts, doing so on six consecutive occasions.

Not an All-Star, but certainly ace-worthy.

2.) Masataka Yoshida's race to Rookie of the Year mountaintop
Inking a five-year, $90 million deal coming from Japan, Masataka Yoshida had instant expectations in place, which he's already lived up to amid his first year in Major League Baseball.

Yoshida was exactly as advertised during the first half, presenting a patient approach at the plate while also hitting for both average and sneaky power. The 29-year-old hit .316 with 10 home runs, 19 doubles and 44 RBIs, recording multiple hits in seven consecutive games to notch the longest streak in MLB and going 15-for-29 within that stretch.

Another debatable All-Star snub, Yoshida is on pace to contend for this season's AL Rookie of the Year award, given $290 odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, below Josh Jung of the Rangers (+135) and tied with Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles (+290).

1.) Will Boston make a push for the playoffs?
The ultimate question.

Last season Boston missed the playoffs, finishing 21 games back of first place. Yet, despite having sat in that same spot for the majority of 2023, there's still a chance -- a legitimate chance in fact.

The Red Sox are just two games back in the Wild Card race, one game behind the Yankees. And while the division has posed a major challenge, being the strongest in the AL, the Red Sox could still snag an October spot if capable of putting together a long-term level of consistency, both at the plate and on the mound.

Boston has gone undefeated in seven matchups with the Blue Jays and 5-1 versus the Yankees, making for an improvement that massively drowned the Red Sox in the standings last season.

Yet, with the trade deadline approaching and promising signs from several contributors, the Red Sox aren't out just yet.