Are the Red Sox currently the best team in the MLB?
Winning percentage would claim the Boston Red Sox are the best team in baseball. However, do the statistics agree with that claim?
Let’s play a game called what would happen if the season ended today. Well, the Boston Red Sox .691 winning percentage (65-29) would match the 1912 team for the highest in franchise history.
Their winning percentage would also top the other 29 major league clubs. Based on that alone it’s clear that the Red Sox are the best team in baseball, right?
However, with teams such as the Houston Astros and New York Yankees hanging around the claim that the Sox are the best team in baseball isn’t so easy to make. However, based on numbers and standings the Red Sox should be identified as baseball’s best.
They are the league leaders in runs (506), hits (891), doubles (206), RBI (482), total bases (1,517), average (.272), slugging (.463), and OPS (.801). They are also second in home runs (130), trailing only the Yankees who have hit 154. With that, it’s hard to argue that the Red Sox aren’t the best offensive team in baseball.
They have two legitimate MVP candidates in the lineup in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. Surrounding them are a handful of more than reliable everyday starters. Andrew Benintendi has come to form this season. He’s hitting .301, has hit 14 home runs and has driven in 57 RBI to this point.
Mitch Moreland has been playing well all season. As a result, he has earned his first ever All-Star game nod. Xander Bogaerts is having a much better 2018 after a sluggish 2017. Steve Pearce has also been a pleasant surprise since joining the Sox. He’s hit .458 with one home run, four doubles, and five RBI since joining the Sox. Collectively, the Red Sox offense has been a major lift in their latest nine-game winning streak.
Their 5.38 run support average per game is the best in the league. Obviously, the pitching staff loves this stat the most. Of course, having the league’s top offense alone doesn’t make the Sox the best team in the league.
Basic numbers will tell you the Sox have a top-tier pitching staff. They’re fourth in the majors with a 3.53 ERA. Red Sox pitchers are also tenth in walks (282), seventh in opponent batting average (.232) and third in strikeouts (912). Besides that, Red Sox pitchers haven’t allowed many hard-hit balls all season.
Lowest Hard-Hit Rate (Pitching Staff)
— SIS (@SportsInfo_SIS) July 10, 2018
Astros 21%
Phillies 21%
Red Sox 22%
Nationals 23%
Dodgers 24%
Yankees 24%
Mets 24%
(% of AB ending with a hard-hit ball)
Each of these teams is .500 or better, except for the Mets
Chris Sale helps makes the case for Red Sox pitching. As of late, he has been borderline unhittable.
He’s the first pitcher in major league history to put together five straight starts with 11-plus strikeouts and one or zero walks. In that stretch, Sale owns a 0.79 ERA and 59 strikeouts while allowing just 19 hits, and five walks.
In his last 7 starts, Chris Sale has a 0.94 ERA, 78 K, and 10 BB.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) July 12, 2018
Sale has recorded 11+ strikeouts and 1 or 0 BB in 5 consecutive starts, extending the longest such streak in MLB history.
He has allowed 0 HR in his last 51.0 IP.
Behind him is Rick Porcello, who is having a bounce back 2018. David Price, who has seemingly pitched well against every team not named Yankees this season. Eduardo Rodriquez is having a career season. Hector Velazquez has been a nice spot starter for the Sox with the injuries to Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright.
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The bullpen has been solid with the combination of Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, and Craig Kimbrel. As pitching isn’t clearly the best in baseball, the Sox unit is one of the best. Along with the best offense, the pitching staff can afford to be ranked anywhere within the top-5. That’s how good the Sox offense has been.
In the field, the Red Sox are ninth in the majors in errors (46). However, 19 of those errors come from Rafael Devers. No other member of the Sox has more than five errors on the year. This shows the vast majority of the team has been relatively clean in the field all season.
With the Astros and Yankees just as dominant as the Red Sox, it’s hard to figure out who the best is. However, don’t look past the Red Sox record. Their explosive offense should do enough to convince you that the Red Sox are the best team in baseball.
However, if that’s not enough either, allow Sale and company to help make up your mind. Although their pitching staff isn’t clearly the best in baseball like their offense, the Sox pitchers are top-5 in baseball.
They have the roster to help make the claim. They certainly have the record and stats to help make the claim. This should help put the argument to rest and prove the Red Sox are currently the best team in the game.