The Boston Red Sox have cracked the top 10 in ESPN’s latest MLB power rankings, placing ninth on the list released on Thursday morning.
Not only that, but the Red Sox (64-52) are up from 13th in last week’s ranking and are currently third among American League teams on the list, trailing only the Detroit Tigers (fifth) and Toronto Blue Jays (sixth).
“Don’t look now, Yankees fans, but that red flash that just zipped by you in the AL East standings was Boston. The Red Sox have been smoldering on both sides of the ball for weeks now, and suddenly, the range of possibilities for a hoped-for playoff seed includes a shot at No. 1,” ESPN MLB expert Bradford Doolittle wrote. “For all the consternation among pundits about Boston’s tepid deadline, the disappointment does not seem to have filtered down to the clubhouse. It’s a stunning turnaround for a team that was 43-45 on the morning of July 4.”
Boston’s seven-game winning streak was snapped on Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals, but manager Alex Cora’s group is still red-hot since early July. The Red Sox are 22-8 since the start of July, with 17 of those wins coming from their season-best 10-game winning streak from July 4 to July 13 and the recent seven-game stretch.
Behind a powerful offense that ranks fourth in MLB in runs scored (577) and a starting rotation headed by AL Cy Young contender Garrett Crochet, Boston enters Thursday’s off day in second place in the AL East, just four games behind the Blue Jays. More importantly, the Red Sox are currently holding onto the first AL wild-card spot.
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Boston travels west to face the San Diego Padres for a three-game set beginning on Friday, before taking on the Houston Astros on the road from Monday to Wednesday.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
