Conclusion
It’s hard to say these Red Sox are as good as the 1998 Bombers or the 2001 Mariners. They probably have the best rotation of the bunch and their defense and bullpen hold up okay. However, they are last among the trio in hitting and depth by a significant margin.
The Red Sox may be on pace to almost catch these two teams as it stands; however, these teams clinched early on and were able to rest players for the latter portion of the season and still won at this insane clip. Once the Red Sox begin resting players for the same reason it remains to be seen if they can still play .700 baseball, but it certainly isn’t likely with the bench they possess.
All things considered, the 2018 Red Sox are probably a step or two behind these two clubs. But don’t let that bring you down because that’s as close as any other teams have ever gotten since and they may very well be the best of the rest.