After slumping for much of September, the Boston Red Sox ended the regular season on a high note, going 6-3 to close out the year and clinch their first playoff berth since 2021.
Their improved offense was a big reason why, as they averaged 4.56 runs per game during that stretch after averaging 3.85 runs per game over their previous 13, during which they went 5-8.
Several Red Sox hitters caught fire towards the end of the month, helping push the team into the postseason. If they keep it up, they could be difference-makers in October.
One is Masataka Yoshida, who finally hit his stride after scuffling for most of the season. Yoshida struggled to get going after spending most of the first half on the injured list, but he stepped up down the stretch, batting .383/.392/.574 with five extra-base hits, 10 RBI and seven multi-hit games over his last 12 games.
After hitting safely in 10 of his last 12 games and rediscovering his power stroke, Yoshida is in a groove and looks like his old self again as he prepares for his first MLB postseason.
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Ceddanne Rafaela also got back on track after an ice-cold start to September. After batting just .122/.189/.184 with one extra-base hit and 16 strikeouts in his first 15 games of the month, Rafaela ended the month on fire with six extra-base hits and a .424/.472/.636 batting line over his last nine games.
The 25-year-old centerfielder has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games and looks like the All-Star-caliber player he was in the first half. He also delivered the walk-off hit that clinched Boston’s playoff berth, proving he can handle big moments as he gears up for his first taste of October baseball.
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Nathaniel Lowe has been up and down since the Red Sox signed him in August following his release from the Washington Nationals, but he ended the season on a tear. Lowe hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, slashing .351/.458/.432 with seven RBI.
Two years after helping the Texas Rangers win it all, the veteran first baseman will try to do the same with Boston. He’s one of the team’s few players with World Series experience, so the bright lights shouldn’t bother him.
If these three bats stay hot, they have the potential to give the Red Sox lineup a serious boost in October.
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Featured image via Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images
