If anyone said they expected the Red Sox to perform as well as they did this season, they'd be lying through their teeth. Coming off of an abysmal 2020 season, many baseball pundits doubted this Red Sox squad — and with good reason. Their offseason acquisitions weren't raising any eyebrows and the team was still without Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez in their starting rotation at the beginning of the season. Given what the cupboard looked like at the beginning of April, what this team accomplished this season was nothing short of remarkable.
In the first weekend, the Red Sox showed signs of continuing their horrific slump from the 2020 season; they got swept by the woeful Baltimore Orioles, who finished the season in the basement of the American League. This fanbase seemingly lost faith after three blowout games. However, the Red Sox quickly responded with nine straight victories and finished the first month with a record of 17–10. Through the rest of the first half, the Red Sox seemingly dominated the competition and entered the All Star Break at 55–36.
Although the Red Sox slumped in the second half due to various factors, including a COVID-19 outbreak that decimated this roster for most of September, they clinched the top Wild Card spot in dramatic fashion after a comeback victory in Game 162 against the Washington Nationals. That final weekend series in the nation's capital underscored the theme of this year's team: resilience. Even after falling out of first place in the AL East and squandering away the top spot in the AL Wild Card Race, the Red Sox remained focused and rode multiple come-from-behind victories into the postseason.
After the Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game, I found myself content with how this season finished; much like the rest of this city, I believed that the Red Sox met their match with the Tampa Bay Rays. After that divisional series, I will never doubt this team again. Riding the hot bat of Kikè Hernandez, the Red Sox pulled off a miraculous series upset against the Tampa Bay Rays. The team's energy was on display, especially with Nick Pivetta's dramatic performance in Game 3. It felt like this team was operating on another level from the regular season as they seemed in control of the series following a tough loss in Game 1.
As disappointing as the playoff loss to the Astros was, the groundwork for a successful 2022 season is there, granted with many "ifs." Chaim Bloom must obtain the sorcerer's stone this offseason and successfully keep both Kyle Schwarber and J.D. Martinez, who were both integral parts in the second half of the season for the Sox. Additionally, the late rise of Kikè Hernandez and Nick Pivetta needs to continue. Both can act as utility players next season, specifically with Pivetta's name being thrown around to become next season’s closer. However, as much as I love to doubt this team, they have the talent and attitudes to make another run to the postseason in 2022. With the right amount of luck, and the continuation of a high-powered offense, I can see this team winning the AL East and making a deep October run. Please don't screw this up, Chaim.
