It’s time to ask the Red Sox a new question: How good can they be?

It’s time to ask the Red Sox a new question: How good can they be? originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox were expected to finish last again. The fans knew it, the media knew it and the estate definitely knew this. The only people who refused to accept were businessman Alex Cora and his “why not us?” club headquarters.

So now the conversation has changed. The Red Sox officially ended the first half on Sunday with the kind of victory that has characterized their season: a solid start from Brayan Bello, a Rafael Devers’ monster home runcontributions from some unexpected corners of the squad, a great defensive play from Ceddanne Rafaela and a save from Kenley Jansen, all leading to yet another series victory.

This one was against the Kansas City Royals, their closest wild card pursuer, and gave the Red Sox a two-game lead heading into the All-Star break with a season-high 11 games above .500. With the trade deadline approaching and the Sox finally signaling they will be added to the roster for the first time since 2021, it’s time to ask a question that shouldn’t be on the table until 2026: How good can they be?

And the answer is very good – like, do well in the American League, if they find the right help.

Certain seasons represent rare opportunities and this is one of them. There are no superteams in the American League. The Guardians own the AL’s best record by half a game over the Orioles, who are just 4.5 games ahead of the Red Sox. None of them terrify you. The Guardians don’t have the resources to make significant additions (along with the rest of the mid-major AL Central), and the Orioles have struggled as their young, talented core develops.

In a year or two, the O’s could be unstoppable, but they have lost seven of 10 because of an inconsistent offense that was shut down on consecutive nights by the Cubs. The Red Sox have played seven games in the last month.

“So far so good, but we have bigger goals than having a good first part of the season,” Cora said after Sunday’s 5-4 win. “We’re 4.5 games out of the lead in the East. That’s what we’re looking for. All the talk about the Wild Card and everything else should be in the past. Let’s think big and see what happens.”

The rest of the AL contenders, with perhaps one exception, are similarly non-threatening. The twins are surviving their injuries and ready to be overtaken. The Yankees in free fall may need to fire manager Aaron Boone. The Mariners don’t hit much. The defending champion Rangers remain below .500 and could be a deadline seller. The scariest team left might be the Astros, who overcame a terrible start to win a game against Seattle.

So, from that pile, why not the Red Sox? They have a better chance of winning the AL than the Diamondbacks won the NL this time last year, and we know how that season ended – with Arizona in the World Series. That should be all there is to say.

The Sox have officially won help no matter what happens in the next few weeks. Enough of the “they need to keep winning games” talk. We don’t need any more proof. They have lost one series since June 1st and are now beating good teams. Do the right thing.

During Sunday’s NESN broadcast, director of baseball Craig Breslow gave its strongest signals to date that they will add. The front office has belatedly realized how good their team really is. Welcome to the party.

We all know what the Red Sox need. Starting rotation lacks depth and could use an upgrade at fourth and fifth, which could have the added benefit of moving Nick Pivetta to the bullpen, where he was a weapon last year. Keep an eye on the Rangers, who are four games under .500 but have an easy schedule. If Nathan Eovaldi were available, he would be a natural choice and could even credibly start Game 1 of the playoffs. It’s a lot to ask of Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford to continue carrying the team while surpassing their respective career highs in innings.

On the other side of the ball, they are an incredible 20-1 in their last 21 games against right-handed starters, but lefties continue to confuse them, as Kansas City All-Star Cole Ragans reminded them on Friday night.

They need another right-handed bat for the infield and DH, whether Injured Angels utility man Luis Rengifo or old friend Justin Turner. The Yankees are the only AL contender currently starting two lefties (Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes), but Houston’s Framber Valdez is still there, and we’ll see if a rival contender acquires a lefty like Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi or Miami’s Jesus Luzardo.

One conversation we no longer have is who they could trade. The answer is no one, including Kenley Jansen, is closer. Long considered his most obvious asset, he is now untouchable.

Just look at Sunday’s Orioles-Yankees game. The closest to O, Craig Kimbrel, had a heart attack and ruined everything. Yankees counterpart and fellow cardiac risk-taker Clay Holmes immediately counters. Meanwhile, Jansen throws two tackles for the first time in his regular-season career and is now 19-for-20 saves. That could be the difference as the AL East race heats up.

It would have been hard to imagine having this conversation when the season started in March, but here we are. The Red Sox are legitimately good. In the second part we will see how far they can get.