It’s the final week of the MLB regular season, and the Boston Red Sox only have six games left to secure a playoff spot. That won’t be easy, however, as their final two series are against a pair of first-place teams in the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, the Blue Jays have already clinched a playoff spot and the Tigers are in free fall. Detroit has lost nine of its last 10 games and is just 5-13 in September, falling behind Boston in The Athletic’s final regular-season power rankings.
The Tigers have plunged from sixth to tied for 10th with the Cleveland Guardians, who trail them by just one game in the AL Central standings. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have climbed from 10th to ninth after taking two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.
The Athletic also named their team MVPs in the power rankings. Not surprisingly, they picked Garrett Crochet for Boston.
“Crochet has answered just about every question you may have had about him entering the season,” Tim Britton wrote. “More than anyone else, he’s the reason the Red Sox have returned to relevance this season, and he’s the reason they’re a scary team to face in October.”
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Crochet leads Boston in WAR (5.6) and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, making him an easy choice. With a 17-5 record, a 2.69 ERA and 249 strikeouts in an MLB-high 197 1/3 innings, he’s helped elevate the Red Sox from a .500 team to a playoff contender.
The two-time All-Star will likely make his final start of the regular season on Wednesday in Toronto against three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Every game is essentially a must-win for Boston at this point, and it could be Crochet’s final chance to make a statement before the postseason.
Featured image via Rafael Suanes/Imagn Images
