Former Red Sox Champion Analyzes Club’s Playoff Chances

Fresh off of sweeping the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox continue their gauntlet of a remaining schedule with the start of a four-game series with the Houston Astros. Boston plays seven of its next 10 games against the reigning World Series champions.

While only 3 1/2 games separate the two teams, Houston is in contention for the American League West division title as they trail the Texas Rangers by 2 1/2 games. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are looking to stay within striking distance of a wild card spot as they are three games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final position.

During Monday's episode of Intentional Talk on MLB Network, analyst and 2004 World Series champion Kevin Millar assessed which scenario was more likely: the Red Sox making the playoffs or the Astros winning the division.

"It's a tough one," Millar said on the show from Minute Maid Park in Houston. "There's a lot of good baseball coming up for the Red Sox. There's good mojo in the clubhouse, but it's a tough road for Sox nation. But I love everything about this club. This is a club that's starting to play really good baseball. They're going to have to play really good baseball because they've got a really tough schedule."

What is more likely: the Red Sox reaching the Postseason or the Astros winning the AL West?@SieraSantos | @Dempster46 | @KMillar15 pic.twitter.com/QcsGBel7bQ

— Intentional Talk (@IntentionalTalk) August 21, 2023

Boston does have a highly-competitive schedule down the stretch, playing six of their final 12 series against teams within the American League East. Additionally, nine of the remaining 12 series are against teams with winning records that are also competing for October.

"The Red Sox are really liking what they just did," fellow Red Sox champion Ryan Dempster added. "They're feeling good about that and they should. They just swept the New York Yankees. That being said, it's a really tough schedule and I look at the teams that have to come over."

Both analysts did believe that the likelihood of Houston overtaking Texas for the division was more likely than the Red Sox finishing the uphill climb to a playoff berth with that being said, the two former Red Sox players shared plenty of reasons as to why Boston is capable of fighting into the postseason.