Red Sox Still Firmly In Division Race Alongside Blue Jays, Yankees

The Boston Red Sox remain part of a division where three contenders look dangerous, yet flawed.

Boston rebuilt its identity after trading Rafael Devers in June. In response, the Red Sox leaned on their pitching core of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito, putting together a 42-29 record since the Devers deal. Now, they’re without rookie Roman Anthony due to an oblique injury that has stalled his breakout debut.

But their resilience has kept them in the mix, wrote Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The New York Yankees, meanwhile, remain a study in unpredictability. The Yankees surged with a 4-2 stretch against first-place foes Houston and Toronto, briefly quieting doubts. Yet their tendency to unravel remains a constant worry.

Manager Aaron Boone has even tried new defensive wrinkles to make up for Aaron Judge’s injury, a move that underscores both their creativity and their instability, as Rosenthal observed.

The Toronto Blue Jays stand as the third imperfect contender in the East. Built on steady contact at the plate, the Blue Jays look like a club designed for October.

Their bullpen, though, has been their undoing. Jeff Hoffman leads relievers in surrendered home runs, and the entire unit’s high walk rate has torpedoed its reliability.

Even with midseason reinforcements like Seranthony Dominguez and Louis Varland, the group continues to wobble.

All three have the makeup to push deep into October, but none appear complete.

Each team carries the weight of past missteps and present flaws, leaving one of baseball’s best divisions up for grabs.