Boston Red Sox fans have mixed feeling about the team's chances for the 2027. The team ending their playoff drought in 2025 and then making it back-to-back seasons with a playoff appearance was great, but the results of the playoffs have been less so. Getting demolished by the New York Yankees in a two-game Wild Card sweep was demoralizing, and makes it hard to reset for next season.
Red Sox Nation did get one early sign to be optimistic about next year. Two different outlets, ESPN and The Athletic, released their way-to-early 2027 power rankings after the conclusion of the World Series, and the Red Sox ended up in fifth place on both lists.
ESPN's Dave Schoenfield cited the heavy lifting that Craig Breslow already did to build a roster meant for sustainable winning around pitching and defense. He wrote that Boston has "a stable roster built around starting pitching and defense" which carried it to the playoffs in the last two years. Then, he mentioned top prospect Franklin Arias as being an impact player that could help boost the offense in 2027.
Red Sox fans can exhale a little after seeing where experts are ranking them for next season
The Athletic referenced the work that Breslow did at the deadline, but how little the team got from Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony this season (subscription required). Writers Stephen J. Nesbitt, Chad Jennings and Tim Britton noted that the Sox also added two Opening Day starter-caliber at the trade deadline in Adley Rutschman and Curtis Mead, who should be impactful in full, healthy seasons. They also mentioned just how young the Red Sox are as a positive sign to a high ceiling for next year.
Red Sox fans were left scratching their heads after what happened in the playoffs. Some were calling for complete overhauls of the roster, others weren't sure what could be done to make upgrades. Reflection on the season made them realise that one hot stretch got them to the playoffs, but outside of that the team played mediorce.
These early power rankings should help fans to realize that not much needs to be done to the roster, and that it underperformed heavily last season. The team is in a good spot, and while their will need to be moves this offseason to optimize the roster, it doesn't need to be doom and gloom all offseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google