It's hard to define who the 2024 Boston Red Sox are. By definition's sake, they are a winning team with an outsider's chance at making the playoffs. Their inconsistencies on both sides of the ball have led to criticism and ultimately could be their downfall. A streaky August isn’t helping the cause either.
The Red Sox began the month with wins in four of their first five games, then lost six of eight before winning four of their next six. Four consecutive losses followed, which brings us to Wednesday, where Boston secured its second straight victory. It's been a whirlwind four weeks that hasn’t entirely diminished Boston's playoff odds.
The Red Sox entered the All-Star break occupying the final Wild Card spot in the American League with a 1 1/2 game lead over the Kansas City Royals. Fast forward six weeks and the Royals have jumped the Red Sox into the second Wild Card position while Boston is on the outside looking in, trailing the Minnesota Twins by three games for the sixth and final seed.
Needless to say, the only way the Red Sox play this October is if they are among the AL's best teams in September. Even then they'd need some help, but it starts internally for the final 30 games of the season.
Boston's remaining schedule doesn’t do it many favors. You have to beat who you play though to have a spot in the dance. The Red Sox need all hands on deck to put pressure on the teams above them. There are a few players who've navigated 2024 quietly ready to put their names in the headlines.
2018 first-round pick making his mark
Injuries have become an unfortunate part of the early stages of Trsiton Casas' MLB career. His great rookie season was cut short last September due to an IL stint and he missed nearly 100 games this year with a strained rib. When he's on the field, Casas is one of Boston's best offensive weapons.
The Red Sox first baseman has proven that since returning to the lineup on Aug. 16. Casas is hitting .333 with an OPS above .900 in 12 games, adding seven RBIs and eight runs scored. He has six multi-hit games in August, one more than he had in the 23 games he played before the injury.
Having Casas back is one thing, but seeing him produce at this level is exactly what the Red Sox needed. He instantly warranted his insertion toward the top of the order and added a cushion for Rafael Devers. With the recent emergence of Masataka Yoshida and the return of Tyler O'Neill, Boston's lineup is much deeper.
Casas has long been on Red Sox fans' radars since Boston selected him in the first round of the 2018 draft. Now the 24-year-old is becoming a key cog in the lineup and is an important player to Boston's playoff chances.
Getting standout production from corner players is a goal for any contending team. With Rafael Devers doing his thing at the hot corner, it's a welcome sight to see Triston Casas hitting the ball well. If this stretch becomes the norm for Casas, the Red Sox should be in contention well into the season's final week.
Red Sox Opening Day starter turning a corner
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Things were going well for Brayan Bello before he set foot on a mound for the 2024 MLB season. The Red Sox signed him to a six-year contract extension in March despite Bello having just over 200 major league innings under his belt. His 25 starts since haven’t all been smooth, but Bello is finally starting to look like the pitcher Boston anticipated he'd be upon inking his new deal.
Bello has improved tremendously since the All-Star break after posting a 5.32 ERA in the first half. He's allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his last eight outings with five quality starts. The Red Sox went 6-2 in those games, earning Bello his team-leading 11th and 12th wins.
The signs of improvement have been there over the past month but Bello's walk rates are hard to ignore. He walked at least three in four consecutive outings before his last start. However, he limited the free passes against the Blue Jays Wednesday in arguably the best start of his three-year MLB career.
Bello tossed eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in his longest outing with the Red Sox, scattering two hits and a walk. The 25-year-old was in control the entire game and impressed his Boston comrades. Considering he walked a season-high four batters and allowed five runs in his previous start, it's a great sign he was able to bounce back with such a dominant display.
If the Red Sox want to make a playoff push, they'll need more of the same from Brayan Bello in September. His confidence could be at an all-time high following his latest gem. He'll see the New York Mets, another team trying to make a late-season playoff run, his next time out.
