Are Boston Red Sox better off settling for second place in the American League?
By Sean Penney
Securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason has its benefits, but should the Boston Red Sox target the better first-round match-up?
The magic number for the Boston Red Sox sits at one with five games remaining, making the chances of locking up the division title as assured as the sun rising tomorrow. The only drama facing this team in the final week of the regular season will be the battle for the American League’s top record, which would give that team home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The question is, do the Red Sox really want the top spot?
First place is certainly attainable, as the Red Sox enter the day a mere half game behind the Texas Rangers for the league’s best record and a game ahead of the Cleveland Indians. Those teams have already clinched their respective divisions, so with Boston soon to follow, the top seed in the AL will almost certainly come down to these three teams.
It seems almost blasphemous to suggest that settling for second place would be more desirable than finishing on top. Why wouldn’t we want home-field advantage? Last week I outlined the benefits of securing home-field and explored the three-team race for that American League’s top spot. BoSox Injection’s Rick McNair went as far as to explain why the Red Sox should be considered a lock for the league’s best record. What factors would convince us to want the Red Sox to steer away from that goal?