Who should you be rooting for if your team isn’t in October?

Boston Red Sox

There was a time when it was cool to root for the Red Sox as the underdog to the Yankees empire. But now, the Red Sox feel like the empire and the Yankees are the scrappy underdog. The truth is, both teams are powerhouses. But the Red Sox are the bigger powerhouse. They were the best team in baseball this season. They were, in terms of wins, the best Red Sox team in history.

If you want to play the odds and give yourself the best chance at being happy a month from now, you root for the Red Sox. They are the favorites for a reason. There are very few, if any, weaknesses on this team. They have three pitchers capable of winning any given start and one of the best closers in the league.

The Red Sox are so good that they’re already making excuses for losing. You’ve probably heard about Chris Sale’s shoulder. Don’t worry about it. He’s fine. Red Sox fans are simply so used to playing an underdog role that they need something to hang their hat on this year. As a doctor — not really — I can tell you that nothing is wrong with Sale and he’ll dominate this postseason.

Unless something is wrong with him. Either way, bring it up in conversations if people tell you that you’re jumping on the easiest bandwagon. Never stop taking the underdog role. Even when you’re the best.

Other reasons to root for the Boston Red Sox

You generally find the Boston accent adorable.

You hate the Yankees.