The Boston Red Sox made it all the way to the American League Championship Series last year.
After a bit of a rocky start this year, they looked like contenders in May and June.
Things, however, started spiraling out of control over the summer.
Key injuries to the pitching staff left them in a bad position, but their poor play also contributed.
The Red Sox bullpen is one of the worst in baseball, and the offense isn’t the force it once was.
The end result of that equation is that Boston is now the worst team in the AL East.
Their playoff hopes have all but vanished by now.
“Red Sox playoffs odds (fangraphs): 0.1%,” Boston Strong tweeted.
Red Sox playoffs odds (fangraphs):
0.1%
— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) September 13, 2022
Hey, as long as there is a mathematical chance…
In reality, the Red Sox need to start thinking about 2023 because they won’t make the playoffs in 2022.
Boston Should Start Planning For 2023
Before Tuesday’s games, they are 69-72, 16 games behind the division leaders, the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox are dead last in their division: the fourth-placed Baltimore Orioles are 73-67 and 4.5 games ahead of Boston.
If the playoffs are starting to become a pipe dream for Baltimore, imagine what Red Sox fans are feeling like at the moment.
The division is starting to become extremely tough for mediocre teams; and sadly, that’s what the Red Sox are at the moment.
In recent years, they knew they had to compete with three additional teams: the Yanks, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Now, the O’s are in that mix, too, and there are no easy games.
The Red Sox will need to take a sizable step forward in player development next year to return to relevancy.
NEXT: The Red Sox Have Failed Their Offense Since The Deadline