The Boston Red Sox face an uphill battle to make the MLB Playoffs
The Boston Red Sox are in a tough-luck position to start the second half of the season. Despite being five games above .500, they are stuck at the bottom of the ultra-competitive AL East, nine games back of the Tampa Bay Rays.
If the Red Sox were in the AL Central they would have a 3.5-game lead over the first-place Cleveland Guardians. If the MLB just did away with divisions and took the six best records from each league to determine the postseason, Boston would be just two games behind the Houston Astros for the sixth-best record in the league.
As it is, Boston faces a tough uphill climb to catch the rest of their division. That's probably why FanDuel Sportsbook has the Red Sox at +255 to make the playoffs. Those odds aren't bad, and certainly worth consideration for a bettor looking to get a playoff-caliber team at plus odds. But compare the Red Sox's odds to the rest of the division and things begin to look bleak. Baltimore is -340 to make the playoffs, the Yankees are -140, Toronto is -184 and the Rays are -7000.
Boston is still +8000 to win the division, which seems a little strange given the Yankees are +950 and just one game ahead of the Red Sox as we exit the All-Star Break. The Rays are still the favorites at -280.
The Red Sox actually have better odds (+5000) at winning the American League pennant and are +10000 to win the World Series. These are all mathematical longshots, but if Boston keeps winning, those odds will tighten up.
Speaking of longshots, Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is showing a lot of power at the plate with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs this season. He's at +20000 odds to win the AL MVP award, far behind the favorite Shohei Ohtani, who sits at -750.
There are no Boston pitchers on the board for the AL Cy Young award, but keep an eye on 24-year-old Brayan Bello, who is 6-5 with a 3.04 ERA. He has given up two runs or less in his last five starts and is in line for a big second half. If he can remain hot on the mound and the Red Sox continue to win, he might jump on the board.
