The Boston Red Sox were down and out.
For the first two months of the MLB season, they were one of the worst teams in baseball. They appeared closer to the lowly Colorado Rockies than they did to the true contenders in the American League East Division.
With a week left in the regular season, though, the Red Sox have clinched a playoff spot.
It’s a remarkable turnaround that in many ways is historic.
Somehow, these Red Sox never stopped believing. They went on a 15-game winning streak, tying the mark for the longest in franchise history.
Since then, they’ve stayed hot enough to ensure they’ll be an AL Wild Card team.
The matchup for them will almost certainly be with the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Round, which will present its own challenges.
But first thing is first — you’ve got to get into the postseason to make noise. And the Red Sox officially clinched their spot on Sunday
Red Sox Turnaround History
The first stat that sums all this up, without even needing historical context, is that as recent as June 24, the Red Sox had a less-than-10% chance to make the playoffs.
It was even lower before that.
Now, of course, the Red Sox are in.
Red Sox had a 9.6 chance at making the postseason on June 24. It is now 100 percent.
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) September 20, 2026
And then comes a look at history.
The Red Sox were 31-44 through 75 games this season.
A team with that mark had never made the playoffs before.
They have now:
The Red Sox were 31-44 through 75 games
That’s the worst 75-game start by a team to make the playoffs in MLB history
Never give up! https://t.co/p18MWcDkns
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 21, 2026
There have also been only four teams in MLB history to make the playoffs after being 14 games under .500 at any point.
The others: the 1914 Boston Braves, 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates and 2005 Houston Astros. For the record, the Boston Braves didn’t become the Red Sox, but rather the franchise that now plays in Atlanta.
The Red Sox join the 1914 Miracle Braves, 1974 Pirates and 2005 Astros as the only teams to reach the postseason after falling as many as 14 games under .500 https://t.co/p18MWcDkns
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 20, 2026
At this point, the Red Sox are just about as dangerous as any team in baseball.
Red Sox Additions
Boston is also a stronger team than it was early in the year.
They got Adley Rutschman at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles, for example.
They also recently got Roman Anthony back from injury, and he has started to heat up and hit well. Considering he missed most of the year, Anthony feels kind of like an addition, too.
The Red Sox certainly have a deep enough and talented enough roster to be a scary opponent in the postseason.
Red Sox Make All-Time Baseball History With Playoff News