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Ranking every Boston Red Sox season from this decade

By Sean Penney

SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 28: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning during their Opening Day game at T-Mobile Park on March 28, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 28: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning during their Opening Day game at T-Mobile Park on March 28, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 03: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox walks in from the bullpen before the start of the game against the New York Yankees during game one of a double header at Yankee Stadium on August 03, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 03: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox walks in from the bullpen before the start of the game against the New York Yankees during game one of a double header at Yankee Stadium on August 03, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

2017

For the second consecutive season, the Red Sox won 93 games and the division title. Once again, it was a season that still fell short of expectations.

The Red Sox pulled off a blockbuster deal prior to that season to acquire Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox. The lanky lefty didn’t disappoint in his debut season, winning 17 games with a 2.90 ERA to finish as the runner-up for the Cy Young award. Sale led the majors with 308 strikeouts, falling just shy of Pedro Martinez‘ single-season franchise record of 313.

The retirement of David Ortiz left a gaping hole in the middle of the lineup that the front office failed to fill. Without a legitimate power threat to anchor the offense, Boston fell to the bottom of the league in home runs.

Boston underestimated the impact the loss of Ortiz would have on the rest of the lineup. Without Papi’s bat to protect them, several players suffered a decline at the plate. Betts went from being an MVP contender to hitting a career-low .264 with opposing pitchers finding it easier to pitch around him.

The power outage didn’t derail them in the regular season but it came back to bite them in the playoffs. Boston’s lineup couldn’t compete with a loaded Houston Astros team that dispatched the Red Sox in four games in the ALDS.

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