Last night’s historically bizarre loss aside, the Boston Red Sox have been playing great baseball lately. After struggling with consistency early in the year and going 30-35 to start the season, they’ve gone 24-13 over their last 37 games, climbing above .500 and putting themselves in playoff position if the season ended today.
There’s still a lot of baseball left to be played, but Alex Bregman likes what he’s seen from his teammates over the last two months.
“We’re a very dangerous team now, especially when we’re prepared and executing,” Bregman told ESPN. “We’ve played good for a while now. People will say this is a hot streak, but I believe this is who we are.”
Teams have natural ups and downs over the course of a 162-game season, but this doesn’t feel like a fluky hot streak to Bregman. He’s noticed improvement and maturity from the Red Sox’s rookies as the season has progressed (largely thanks to his help), not to mention better chemistry as they’ve grown more comfortable with each other.
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“These guys have been here for a few months now,” Bregman said. “We’re starting to learn who we are as a group. The adjustments are being made quicker at this time of the year. It didn’t start out that way, but guys are wanting to learn and get better. You can see that in our growth this year.”
Indeed, Boston’s young players immediately stepping up and contributing has played a big role in the team’s surge, especially while Bregman and Masataka Yoshida were on the injured list. Ceddanne Rafaela and Carlos Narváez have emerged as All-Star-caliber players, while Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony have provided major boosts since being called up.
With so many rookies and new players this season, it took the Red Sox a while to find their identity. However, they seem to be gelling as a group and hitting their stride, even after last month’s shocking Rafael Devers trade (they briefly struggled without him, but quickly recovered).
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With Bregman and Yoshida back in the lineup, Boston’s finally healthy again. The pitching’s come around after a shaky start, the young players are coming into their own, and everything seems to be clicking under Alex Cora’s steady leadership.
The Red Sox also appear poised to add at the MLB Trade Deadline, which could make them even more formidable down the stretch and potentially in the postseason.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images
