Boston Red Sox Hitters Dominating AL Leaderboards Amid Team's Hot Streak
The Boston Red Sox's recent hot streak has kept them squarely in the hunt for a American League Wild Card spot, and they have their bats to thank for it.
The Red Sox are 13-5 since June 30, good for the best record in the league in that time. During that stretch, most of their lineup regulars are towards the top of the AL leaderboards, according to Red Sox team employee JP Long.
Outfielder Jarren Duran ranks No. 2 with a 1.215 OPS in that time, while first baseman Triston Casas ranks No. 5 with a 1.171 mark. Third baseman Rafael Devers (1.115), designated hitter Justin Turner (1.051) and outfielder Masataka Yoshida (1.047) hold the No. 8, 9 and 10 spots, respectively.
Duran is also leading the AL in batting average at .404 and slugging percentage at .772 during the Sox's 18-game surge. The 26-year-old has three home runs, eight doubles, two triples, four walks, four stolen bases and seven RBI in that span.
Casas is hitting .340 with five home runs, three doubles, a triple, eight walks and nine RBI since June 30. The rookie's lackluster April is still bringing down his full season numbers, but he is now hitting .247 with an .816 OPS in 2023.
Although Devers missed a few games with right calf tightness coming out of the All-Star break, he still has has five home runs, five doubles, six walks and 13 RBI while hitting .361 during Boston's resurgent stretch.
Turner and Yoshida, meanwhile, have both put up historic hitting streaks over the past month. The former is hitting .353 with five homers and 23 RBI, while the latter is hitting .397 with three homers and 12 RBI.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the only team with an OPS higher than Boston's .858 mark dating back to June 30.
The Red Sox had Monday off, but they will return to action Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves. While Boston has the best record in baseball over the past month, Atlanta has the best overall record in the league this season.
With two months left until the playoffs, the Red Sox are 2.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final AL Wild Card spot. They are currently sitting at 53-47, which puts them on pace for an 86-win season.
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