The Boston Red Sox lowered their magic number down to three with a 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The Red Sox, who sit in the second AL Wild Card spot, appear destined to clinch a playoff berth, and will likely face the rival New York Yankees in the first-round.
If the postseason standings hold up from now until the end of the regular season, the Red Sox will be facing the Yankees on the road in a three-game Wild Card series. And if they get through the Yankees, they will have to face another rival in the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.
One rival scout who spoke with FanSided believes the Red Sox have what it takes to not only beat the Yankees in a postseason series, but the Rays as well. Here's why they think that.
Why rival scout says Red Sox can beat the Yankees in the postseason
"The Red Sox are a really tough matchup for the Yankees with their left-handed pitching depth, especially if (Garrett) Crochet returns as a bullpen arm," the scout said.
The Yankees have a very heavy left-handed hitting lineup. And while right-hander Sonny Gray will surely get a start in the Wild Card round, the Red Sox have a number of impact lefties on their pitching staff, including: Ranger Suarez, Jake Bennett, Payton Tolle, Patrick Sandoval, Aroldis Chapman, Erik Miller and Jovani Moran.
If Crochet can come back as a reliever, he gives interim manager Chad Tracy another key left-handed option out of the bullpen. Crochet, the Red Sox's ace, has been out since April with a shoulder injury, but is progressing towards a return.
The Yankees hold the tiebreaker over the Red Sox after winning the season series 7-6, but Boston got off to an abysmal start at 32-46 before turning their campaign around. The Red Sox won six of their last 10 matchups against the Yankees to close out the season.
Why the Red Sox can top the Rays in a 5-game series
“Their pitching is loaded and their bullpen is special," the scout said of the Red Sox. "(The) offense has some holes, but (Ceddanne) Rafaela makes a big difference when he comes back (from the IL).”
Rafaela has been on the IL since September 3 with a right quadriceps strain. However, he should be back soon and in time for postseason play.
The Rays have the best record in the AL at 93-59 and have had a fantastic season overall. But they don't have much recent postseason success and have trouble filling the stands with their own fans at their home ballpark.
"The Rays have not won a playoff series since 2020 and concerns remain whether their immense regular season success can translate to an October with fans in the stands," the scout said.
The last time the Rays won a playoff series it was the 2020 ALCS, which later ended with them falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. The Rays made the postseason in the next three consecutive seasons, but lost in the ALDS to the Red Sox in 2021 before getting eliminated in back-to-back Wild Card series in 2022 and 2023.
There's a strong chance that one of the AL East teams will win the American League pennant this year. And one scout believes the Red Sox have a pretty good shot at taking down both of their rivals in the postseason.
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