Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Reveals Secret To Historic Playoff Success

Alex Cora has been one of the best managers in baseball since joining the Boston Red Sox’s dugout in 2018, especially in the postseason.

During his first year as Red Sox manager in 2018, he led the team on one of the most impressive playoff runs ever, going 11-3 against the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers en route to a World Series title.

Cora’s second trip to the postseason was nearly as impressive. In 2021, he guided Boston to a 6-5 record in October, falling just two wins shy of the World Series one year after the team finished last in the AL East without him.

Now, on the eve of his third playoff run with the Red Sox, Cora is looking to replicate that success over the next few weeks.

When asked about his impressive postseason resume (17-8 record, .680 winning percentage) during Monday’s press conference before the AL Wild Card Series, Cora revealed the secret to his success.

AC & Crochet join media ahead of Wild Card in NY: https://t.co/XsLVDmv35L

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 29, 2025

“Good players,” Cora chuckled. “It’s good players. They play well in October…At the end, they decide the games.”

Cora has been blessed with some stacked rosters in Boston, especially in 2018, which may have been the most talented team in Red Sox history. From Chris Sale and David Price to J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts, Cora got to manage some of the best players in baseball in 2018 and 2021.

That said, he has a great feel for the game and knows which buttons to press. He’s also not afraid to be aggressive and push the envelope to win, especially in terms of pitcher usage and bullpen management.

“We’ll make decisions based on what we see as a group. We will be aggressive pitching-wise, and hopefully it works out again,” Cora added.

At the end of the day, there’s only so much a manager can do. The results of a game are ultimately out of his control, as it’s up to the players to execute. All he can do is put them in the best position to win and hope for the best.

While all of Cora’s players from 2018 and most of the ones from 2021 are gone, he has some new stars to deploy this October, including Garrett Crochet, Alex Bregman and Aroldis Chapman. Cora will do his best to give them a boost, but time will tell if they have what it takes to win it all.