This Red Sox team is Now Worth Investing In

Buy Buy Buy.

It is crazy that this is the sentiment around this team and the drastic turnaround in terms of the conversation around this team. A team that was left for dead on the side of the mountain in Colorado, to like a Phoenix rising from the Ashes due to a historic linsanity run. It was always a matter of time before this team went on a run, but what this team has done is magical.

Willson Contreras celebrating with Caleb Durbin after a big win.

Charles Krupa - AP

On June 24, the Red Sox were 14 games under .500 and had the worst record in the American League. Since then, they have gone 20-3 and have won 15 games in a row. Not only did this tie the longest win streak in franchise history, but it’s given them the fifth best record in the American League. They didn’t set the record, but this miracle run was something none of us expected. Not only have they magically turned things around, but this team is fully worth investing in. It’s time to buy Mr. Craig Breslow.

When you watched this team for the first three months of the year, you knew they weren’t as bad as their record said they were. But you also knew this team wasn’t worth investing big into. They showed no signs of life, constantly lost in the same fashion, and was a tough product to consume every single night. It took three months, but this team finally leaned into its identity, is fundamentally playing better baseball, and most notably has written the wrongs of its shortcomings to begin the season. This team is scrappy and now when the team gets punched in the mouth with a run allowed, they punch right back. If the team is down two runs, you don’t feel like the game is over. Instead, you are excited to see how this team turns the tides and sees the runs come on the board.

What makes this group special right now is they have different players contributing each and every night. Willson Contreras remains the consistent one, but Caleb Durbin has done nothing but churn heads and impress. Durbin has the second worst OPS among qualified hitters (.598) from Opening Day to May 31 and since June 1 his OPS ranks 28th among qualified hitters. Ceddanne Rafaela has been great. Tsung-Che Chang has gotten you a big knock at times, while also being good in the field. Andruw Monasterio having an OPS above 1.000 since June 25 speaks volumes. It’s the unsung heroes of this group that continue to get the job done. It makes you appreciate this more if I am being completely honest. However, as great as this team is performing and as much as we are drinking the winning kool-aid at the cookout inside Fenway Park, this team needs a middle of the order power bat.

It’s the one thing Breslow can do to make right after not adding it in the winter. The Red Sox have done a great job of getting the big swing and crushing the ball out of the park, but let’s not forget this team was bottom of the barrel in terms of home runs. Run support in October is huge, especially when facing other teams’ best pitching. The biggest reason to invest in this team is the pitching this team has.

What they have done without Garrett Crochet is remarkable. Any team that loses their ace is in for a long season. Not the Red Sox. It doesn’t matter who is on the mound, the Red Sox have a fighting chance to win a game. This is an October pitching staff and a team that could give anyone in the American League nightmares from a matchup standpoint. The offense has been league average and pair that with one of the best staffs in the sport, it’s a recipe for winning.

Sonny Gray is having the best year of his career at 36 years old, as he has a 2.48 ERA to pair with a 1.12 WHIP. Ranger Suarez has been worth every penny of his contract and when you dive into everything under the hood it is his best season since 2021. Oh, and he’s one of the best playoff performers when it comes to being on the mound. It’s not about the veterans, it’s about the rookies.

Payton Tolle has been everything you could ask for as a rookie, as he has pitched like a number two. The hard throwing strikeout machine could be a massive weapon, not just as a starter but out of the pen. Then there is Jake Bennett, the feather in the cap of Breslow himself after the rare prospect for prospect trade.

Brian Fluharty/Getty Images

Bennett has been more than what anyone expected. A guy who came up and had a rough second start, but since coming up and the demotion to Brayan Bello, he’s only gotten better as time went on. His first two starts he pitched right at five innings. His next six starts saw him go 6+ innings, including two seven inning starts and a career high 7.2 innings. He’s given up six earned runs across 38.2 innings of work. His ERA overall is 2.58 and his ERA for the month of July is 1.71. He’s been dominant and has the best pitching run value among the Red Sox starters.

The Red Sox currently have the eighth best rotation by ERA and their bullpen is the best in the sport. Push the right buttons and who’s to say this team can’t go on a real run?

The American League is wide open and the Red Sox are here to play. They are seven games back of the Rays and 4.5 games back of the Yankees. They are two games up on the Mariners for the third wild card spot. Now we get to see what this team is made of now that the streak is over. But they’ve put themselves in a position to be invested into and it’s exciting. A three game date with the Blue Jays, and then off to Sacramento and Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers.

Buckle up.