The Red Sox are looking forward to the 2023 playoffs with optimism, being only seven victories away from the Wild Card spot. As of August 29, they have secured 69 victories and faced 63 defeats.
Currently, they are positioned fourth in the American League (AL) East division, trailing the division leaders, the Baltimore Orioles, by 13 wins. Their best chance of entering the Major League Baseball playoffs is through the Wild Card standings.
The Red Sox, an MLB team, have been part of the American League East division since 1901, making it one of the initial eight charter franchises of the American League.
With a remarkable history, they are one of the top three MLB teams, boasting nine World Series titles and 14 American League Pennants. This ties them with the Oakland Athletics for the third-highest number of World Series victories.
Fenway Park has been the home ground of the ‘BoSox’ since 1912. Prior to this, they played at the Huntington Avenue grounds for their initial 11 seasons.
The current stadium can accommodate 37,755 spectators, although the record attendance was 47,627 in 1935. The Red Sox have led the AL East division ten times and made the playoffs 18 times, which includes eight Wild Card berths.
Can The Red Sox Make The Playoffs?
The Red Sox have a 16.8% chance of securing a Wild Card spot by August 29, with a current record of 69 wins and 63 losses.
With 30 games left in the 2023 MLB Regular Season, they must win as many games as possible against the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rays, and Yankees to better their standings.
The Baltimore Orioles lead the AL East division with a .626 win percentage and a 82-49 win-loss record. The Red Sox started the season with a loss to the Orioles on March 30 but won two consecutive games in April.
As of August 29, the Orioles lead the Sox by 13 games. They have seven more games in September before the season ends on October 1.
The Sox’s chances of winning are low, given their .500 win rate in the last six games against the Orioles.
They also have five upcoming games against the Tampa Bay Rays. Three games will be at Tropicana Field and two at Boston’s home grounds.
The Red Sox have lost eight of nine games against the Rays this season.
In the 2023 season, the Sox’s highest win streak was eight games from April 28 to May 6. They won two games against the Guardians, four against the Blue Jays, and two against the Phillies.
While the Sox have little chance of reaching the postseason through the east division ranking, their chances are better through the Wild Card.
To enter the playoffs via the AL Wild Card, Boston must win more games than the Blue Jays, Rangers, and Astros. With 30 games left, they need at least 20 wins and fewer losses.
The Sox have two more games against the Houston Astros by August 30, after losing the first game 5-13. This significant loss makes it hard to predict the outcomes of the next two games.
After a poor start in the three-series home game at Fenway Park, the Red Sox must improve. Another opportunity to defeat a Wild Card team is a three-series away game against the Blue Jays from September 15-17.
This will be followed by a three-game series against the Texas Rangers from September 18-20. Wins against these teams are crucial for the Sox to make it to the postseason.
Considering their increasing wins against other teams, the few games against the Blue Jays and Rangers could help the Sox overtake the AL Wild Card rankings.
Last Time The Red Sox Missed The Playoffs
The Boston Red Sox were unable to qualify for the playoffs in the 2022 MLB season, finishing fifth in the AL East division with a 78-84 win-loss record.
Unfortunately, they also couldn’t secure a Wild Card spot, as they were surpassed by seven teams, with the Guardians clinching the final spot with a 14-win lead over the Red Sox.
Since their inception in 1901, the Red Sox have failed to participate in 98 postseason games over 123 seasons. If they don’t make it in 2023, it will mark their 99th missed postseason.
Over the last ten years, they didn’t make it to the postseason in five separate seasons – 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, and 2022. The 2020 season was notably short, consisting of only 60 games, during which they ended up fifth in their division.
Although they performed better in 2019, finishing third in the AL East with 84 wins and 78 losses, it wasn’t enough to secure a playoff spot as they trailed the Yankees by 10 wins.
Last Time The Red Sox Made The Playoffs
The last time the Red Sox entered the playoffs was during the 2021 MLB season, finishing second in the AL East Division. They secured a 92-70 win-loss record, translating to a .568 win rate.
In the Wild Card race, they were the front-runners, even as the New York Yankees matched their score that same year.
Prior to this, their journey to the postseason was in 2018, where they boasted a .667 win rate, having 108 wins and 54 losses.
That year, they topped the AL East division and Wild Card race, cruising into the postseason.
Interestingly, in their 123-year history, the Red Sox have made it to the MLB playoffs merely 25 times, averaging a playoff appearance once every five seasons.
What Is The Red Sox Magic Number 2023?
The Boston Red Sox’s critical number for winning the AL East Division in 2023 stands at 45 until August 28. This implies that they need 45 victories to top the division rankings this year.
The concept of a ‘Magic Number’ is utilized to gauge a team’s distance from either making the playoffs or securing the division title.
This figure is computed each year in September as teams near the conclusion of the division race.
The number signifies the sum of victories needed by a team, along with the defeats of their nearest rival, to secure a specific goal.
The magic number diminishes by one with each victory by the team or each defeat of their closest competitor.
The precise calculation is as follows: The number of games yet to be played + 1 -(losses between the team in second place – losses between the team in first place).
- In a typical MLB season, there are 162 games in total.
- Inside the red sox team, have completed 132 games, securing 69 victories and suffering 63 defeats.
- The leading team in the AL East, the Orioles, have participated in 131 games, winning 82 and losing 49 of them.
- To clinch the Division, the Red Sox must end the season with a minimum of one victory more than the Orioles.
- Hence, the critical number for the Red Sox to secure the Division is calculated as 162-69-49+1, which equals 45.
The formula is derived by taking the total games played and then deducting your team’s victories and the losses of the opponent. Finally, add one to this result.