Roman Anthony's meteoric rise to stardom has the Boston Red Sox and their fans loving everything about their future face of the franchise. That's why, with Boston in yet another AL East dog fight, chasing the Toronto Blue Jays and falling behind the nemesis New York Yankees, keeping their eyes on the prize has become all the more important in the September stretch run.
Going at it without Anthony, who will miss 4-6 weeks after going on the IL with an oblique injury, will be tough sledding. But if Boston wants to get to the top of the mountain in October, they need to use the remaining three weeks to put themselves in the best position to make a run.
Anthony's injury return timeline means he won't be available for the Wild Card round, and missing a bat of his caliber for a best-of-three series is a scary proposition.
Passing Yankees and catching Toronto should be Red Sox top September priority
The Red Sox have spent a total of one day in first place in the AL East, by virtue of their Opening Day victory against the Texas Rangers on March 27. A four-game skid would ensue that was followed by a five-game winning streak and then another three straight losses, setting the tone for a season of peaks and valleys.
Left for dead following their June 15 trade of Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, Boston deserves a lot of credit for clawing back and getting into the thick of the race. Anthony's emergence has been a big reason why, and the 21-year-old now seems like a lock to be a franchise cornerstone for a long, long time.
Now that the Red Sox can feel confident in their upcoming postseason inclusion, it's imperative that they have their young star on the field if they are to have any shot at taking home the ultimate glory.
The best way to do that is to win the AL East, which will not be an easy task. With 20 games remaining, Boston currently sits 4.5 games back of the division-leading Blue Jays, with the Yankees standing in between the two clubs. Fortunately, six matchups remain between the Sox and these rivals, giving them the opportunity to turn the tide.
Boston will welcome the Yankees to Fenway next weekend and look to continue their domination of their pinstriped foes, whom they've posted an 8-2 record against to date.
If the Red Sox handle New York and take advantage of matchups against struggling teams like the Athletics and Orioles, they will arrive in Toronto for the second-to-last series of the year and a golden opportunity to take the division crown.
The only problem? Boston is just 3-7 against the Jays on the year. Despite the losing record, the contests have been contentious with Toronto narrowly outscoring the Sox 45-44 in those 10 matchups, so it could easily flip when the next series arrives.
The season finale won't be an easy task either, with Boston taking on the Detroit Tigers in what could be a playoff preview that they'll likely need to win if they are to catch up and hold first place. Whether fans believe it can happen or not, it's all right there for the taking.