Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Boston Red Sox have gone from last place to playoff contender in under two months.
- The Red Sox current winning streak matches a historic mark set decades ago by an all-time franchise great.
- If this momentum holds through October, the debate over the greatest Red Sox run ever will intensify.
Who are these Boston Red Sox, and what did they do with the club that was 37-48 less than a month ago?
Times have quickly changed for the surging Red Sox, who enter Sunday’s game against the AL East rival Rays riding a 12-game winning streak. Not only are the Red Sox back above .500, but they’re in sole possession of the AL’s third and final Wild Card spot. This has rapidly become one of the more improbable turnarounds we’ve seen in some time, especially for a team that fired its manager in late April and was poised to hold a fire sale at the trade deadline.
Given that the Red Sox have existed since 1901, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’ve had double-digit-game winning streaks before. However, they’re approaching uncharted history for one of the sport’s premier franchises.
Longest winning streaks in Boston Red Sox history
Boston’s current 12-game winning streak is only the third time in franchise history the Red Sox have accomplished such a feat. Ted Williams and the 1946 American League champions had 15 consecutive victories from late April through early May. That season marked Williams’ return from serving in World War II, as the war had ended the previous summer.
Season | Winning streak |
|---|---|
1946 | 15 |
1988 | 12 |
2026 | 12 |
1986 | 11 |
Fast forward to 1988, when Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, and friends had 12 consecutive victories following the All-Star Break. That winning streak is infamously known as “Morgan Magic,” as it began when ownership fired John McNamara and named third-base coach Joe Morgan — the former Red Sox minor-league manager, not the legendary Cincinnati Reds second baseman — the interim skipper.
Boston won 19 of its first 20 under Morgan, who eventually earned the full-time job. The 1988 Red Sox held off the Tigers for the AL East crown, though their miracle season ended with an ALCS loss to the Athletics.
Where the Red Sox winning streak ranks among the greatest in franchise history
Regardless of when the winning streak ends, the season’s final result will arguably determine whether this was the greatest stretch in franchise history. Context is pivotal, so we’d be comparing this turnaround to “Morgan Magic,” as well as the Red Sox rattling off 15 straight wins so early in Williams’ return.
If this year’s team maintains its momentum and sneaks into the postseason, then it’ll certainly have a legitimate argument over the 1988 squad. That would remain the case even if the Red Sox lose in the Wild Card Round or Division Series.
Whether a World Series appearance would propel the 2026 Red Sox over the 1946 team, though, is a separate conversation. We cannot discuss the 1946 Red Sox without factoring in the post-World War II effect, both for Williams and the sport itself. Williams hadn’t played since 1943 yet announced his return by hitting .342 with 38 home runs, 123 RBIs, a 1.164 OPS, and his first MVP. Incredibly, he finished with a career-best 10.6 bWAR.
The American League playoff race is congested, and the Red Sox are one of only six AL teams with a winning record. There is a clear path for them to reach the playoffs, so long as they don’t allow themselves to get overconfident.
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