Four Things Red Sox Should Take From MLB’s LCS Teams

The Red Sox are coming off two last-place finishes that make it easy to forget they were in the American League Championship Series just two years ago.

The 2021 Red Sox made an October charge, riding the long-ball wave to the ALCS where they met the Houston Astros. The Boston bats went quiet, and the Astros reminded the Sox there was still work to be done, but the season largely was considered a success.

Winning the World Series is very difficult, of course. So it's easy to see why a lot of teams see a berth in baseball's final four as a step forward, especially those clubs on the ascent. This year, there are some fresh faces and familiar contenders in the league championship series. The rest of baseball is officially chasing this quartet.

That includes the Red Sox, who are about to undergo an offseason of major change. Perhaps they could look to the last men standing for some inspiration. Here are a few things the Sox should try to copy from the teams still playing this fall.

National League

Arizona Diamondbacks: Defense matters
Simply put, the Red Sox were not a good defensive team in 2023. Boston finished 24th in Major League Baseball in defensive runs saved at minus-20 and have had some of the worst team defense over the last two seasons. The Diamondbacks aren't exactly a star-studded outfit, but they do have guys who can pick it. The Snakes, conversely, finished fourth in DRS this season. In fact, eight of the top 11 teams ranked by DRS made the playoffs. A lot of that defensive value was tied up in the catching position where Gabriel Moreno led the majors in Baseball-Reference's defensive WAR metric with 3.1 wins above replacement. Arizona went 57-37 in the games he started -- and 27-41 when he didn't. Even a team like the Phillies, who actually had even fewer defensive runs saved than the Red Sox, had at least one elite glove. Johan Rojas finished the season sixth among all outfielders with 15 DRS in the Philadelphia outfield despite just playing in 392 innings -- and made a pretty important catch in the Atlanta series, too.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Attitude matters
Speaking of the Phillies, their last two playoff performances are reminders of the importance of intangibles and things that can't be quantified. That should be no surprise with Dave Dombrowski calling the shots in the City of Brotherly Love now. That's not to say Dombrowski and the Phils are statistically averse, but it's clear they value their chemistry and have a roster of players who aren't afraid to compete in a city like Philadelphia. No one embodies that more than Bryce Harper, who is climbing the Philly power rankings with each passing at-bat. He's not alone. Kyle Scwharber was put on this planet to hit home runs in October, and apparently, so was Nick Castellanos. Aaron Nola is a horse. Craig Kimbrel has no fear. It's just a roster of dudes. Granted, they are very talented, high-priced dudes. But it's a group that seemingly meshes well, and it's a group that isn't afraid of any moment.

American League

Texas Rangers: Investing in front-line starting pitching helps
The Rangers have spent $55 million on Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Jon Gray this season and have fewer than 100 innings to show for it since the start of August. Obviously, deGrom's done for the year, while Scherzer and Gray are trying to get back for the ALCS. Granted, the injury issue illustrates the very big, very real risk when it comes to investing in pitching. However, Rangers general manager Chris Young -- a former big league pitcher himself -- knows the importance of investing in the position. Not only did the Rangers reel in big free agent fish like deGrom and Gray or go big-game hunting for Scherzer at the deadline, but they have built legitimate depth with established big league pitchers. It appears Nathan Eovaldi, who has allowed two runs in 13 2/3 postseason innings after a solid regular-season campaign, has been worth the $17 million he's making this season. Andrew Heaney, a former reported Red Sox target, gave Texas just under 150 innings this season. Re-signing Dane Dunning looks prudent, as he flourished under the watchful eyes of Young, Bruce Bochy and Mike Maddux this season, logging a team-high 172 2/3 innings. Martín Pérez continues to be a dependable back-end guy. Oh, and then at the deadline, Texas goes and plucks Jordan Montgomery, who allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his 13 starts. The Rangers haven't been able to develop starting pitching, but it's quite clear they can identify outside talent and make it work. It's a legitimate, professional staff of big league pitchers. That's still worth something in today's game.

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Houston Astros: Build through the middle
When you start looking at the 2024 Red Sox, it's hard to say what they'll look like in the middle third of the field. It's pretty safe to say Trevor Story will be there, presumably at shortstop. Connor Wong probably should be the Opening Day catcher, at least we think. After that, there are question marks. Now, look at the Astros, starting behind the plate where Martín Maldonado is dependable as they come, although Houston probably would be OK with Yainer Diaz's bat in the lineup after he posted an .846 OPS in his first full season. The middle infield might be the best in baseball. Jose Altuve has a sparkling resume, of course, and Jeremy Peña rewarded the Astros' decision to let Carlos Correa walk by winning World Series MVP as a rookie a year ago. The Red Sox don't even have a clear-cut second baseman. And then Chas McCormick might be the most underrated player left. He's a stellar defender who hit 22 home runs and stole 19 bases while posting an .842 OPS this season. The hope for the Red Sox is that Jarren Duran becomes a similar player, but there's still work to be done in that regard.