Wake Up, Red Sox Nation… This Isn’t John Farrell’s Red Sox Team!

The Boston Red Sox are fifty games above .500 on August 12th.  They’re currently on pace to win 115 games.  Only one team in the history of baseball has won more than that in the regular season…the 2001 Seattle Mariners.  The Red Sox also have the #1 and #2 MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez.  They also have the best pitcher in baseball in Chris Sale.  The Red Sox aren’t only winning at record pace, but they’re doing it with star power.  So, why aren’t Red Sox fans fully buying in on this team?

Well, there’s three reasons:

1.  Despite winning the AL East for the past two years, the Red Sox have just one playoff win in the past two playoff series.  The core of the team is pretty much the same with the exception of Martinez, so why would fans believe in a team that hasn’t won any games that matter?  

If you watched last weekend’s four games series against the Yankees, you would have recognized that this team is much different than the 2016 and 2017 teams.  Their offense is better.  Their pitching is better.  They have better leadership.  That’s right.  Leadership.  John Farrell didn’t have it and the Red Sox are now finding out that they were two or three years too late in terminating the incompetent Farrell.

2.  The Red Sox didn’t address their bullpen needs at the trade deadline.  

While Dave Dombrowski has had a fantastic season in terms of roster moves with the additions of Steve Pearce, Ian Kinsler, and Nathan Eovaldi, the Red Sox didn’t improve what was said to be the biggest area of need.  With that said, the Red Sox actually have the fourth best bullpen ERA in the American League at 3.35.  It’s not an area of weakness, but it’s also not an area where the Red Sox are elite.

3.  With the Patriots and now the Celtics gaining in popularity, the Red Sox are now third in the Boston sports scene.

If the 2004 team was 85-35 after 120 games, they may have been most popular team in the history of Boston sports.  The Patriots took over and haven’t let go.  Now the Celtics are on the verge of a dynasty type run with their young core.  Which leads us to…

Don’t sleep on the Red Sox this year.  This may be not only the best Red Sox team of all time, but if they go all the way, they will go down as the team with more wins in a season (regular season and postseason) in the history of baseball.  Want to miss that? The reality is that it’s this Boston team that has the best opportunity to win it all.  Not the Patriots.  Not the Celtics.  Those teams are very good.  However, don’t expect them to have a historic season like this one.

Time to get on board and realize what’s going on here.  The best Red Sox team of all time in playing right now and there will likely be a parade in early November.  Don’t miss the ride.

And, remember, John Farrell is gone.  This is not the team that was 1-6 in the playoffs.

 

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