MLB 2023: Can the Boston Red Sox Make the Playoffs?
The Boston Red Sox have 31 games remaining in their regular season. They certainly are not dead in the water when it comes to competing. If the Boston Red Sox make the playoffs, it would represent a big turnaround for the team. There was a point where it looked like they were going to fade. However, Boston is an intriguing bet in MLB futures for those looking for a value pick, one that could make the last month of baseball interesting.
Here’s a look at Boston’s recent form chart. It shows that the team has played .600 baseball over the last three weeks. If they can keep something like that up, then they can certainly hope that it will be good enough to get them into the 2023 Major League Baseball playoffs as an AL Wild Card team.
- Formerly: 57 – 54 on August 7th, 2023
- Currently: 69 – 62 (overall)
- Recent form: 12 – 8 since August 7th, 2023
- Recent winning rate: .600
Boston is facing a deficit in the standings. Hopes of winning the AL East are futile at this point. It’s the No. 3 AL Wild Card that the Red Sox have to be hoping for. For that, they enter August 28th, 2023, with a 4.5-game deficit. Complicating the matter is the fact that Toronto is between Boston and the No. 3 spot. Winning games is a big part of the trick for the Red Sox. But they also have to hope that two teams above them in the Wild Card hunt lose enough.
Can the Boston Red Sox Make the Playoffs? Houston, Texas, Toronto targets
On that matter, there are three teams that Boston could target. There are situations with Toronto, the Houston Astros, and the Texas Rangers, that Red Sox backers should be aware of. Each of these teams has been below par lately, especially the Rangers. Texas has lost 9 of 10 games, a run of bad form that has cost them the lead in the AL West. It was unthinkable that Texas might miss the playoffs just two weeks ago. However, it is a growing possibility now.
The situation with the Jays is not promising either. The chart below shows that they have hit a mini-slump. Furthermore, their best hitter, Bo Bichette, suffered an injury over the weekend with updates pending. Toronto might slide down beneath Boston, leaving the Red Sox just needing to catch one other team.
- Formerly: 64 – 50 on August 8th, 2023
- Currently: 71 – 60 (overall)
- Recent form: 7 – 10 since August 8th, 2023
- Recent winning rate: .412
4.5 games to make up can seem like a lot. Sometimes, it can take a daily grind for weeks to make that kind of deficit up. Conversely, it can happen very quickly. The Red Sox certainly can’t afford to slide backward at this point. But the odds are good on Boston making the postseason. They are currently +675 with bet365 in this market. Next up for the Red Sox, is a home series against one of their foes: the Astros.
If Boston can win two of three, then that will certainly help their playoff chances. If they sweep, then they would be right on the cusp of where they need to be. However, scoreboard-watching is a big part of the equation. Boston fans will be routing against Toronto and Texas these days, more so than others.
