Red Sox Magic Number With 1st Playoff Berth In Years In Sight

The Boston Red Sox are approaching their first playoff berth in a few years...

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox are getting very close to clinching their first playoff spot since the 2021 season.

Boston isn’t going to clinch a spot on Friday or Saturday or anything like that and there’s still work to do, but Boston is getting close. The Red Sox will welcome the New York Yankees to town starting on Friday night and will do so with a magic number to clinch a playoff berth set at 11 right now.

So, what does this mean?

The Boston Red Sox are approaching a playoff berth

May 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat and glove rests on the railing by the dugout prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

"In baseball, the phrase 'magic number' is used to determine how close a team is to making the playoffs or winning the division," per the MLB website. "It becomes prominent every year in September as teams begin closing in on clinching. A team's magic number represents the combination of wins needed by that team and losses by its closest competitor to clinch a given goal. Every time a team wins, its magic number decreases by one. Similarly, every time that team's closest competitor for the division (or Wild Card) loses, the magic number also decreases by one.

"The exact formula is: Games remaining +1 - (Losses by second place team - losses by first place team). If a new second-place team emerges, the magic number adjusts to that new second place team. The second-place team (in terms of total losses) must always be used as the barometer for the first-place team's magic number."

The Red Sox have a real chance to make some noise ove the next two weeks. The American League East is still up for grabs. The Toronto Blue Jays are in first place at 84-62, the Yankees are in second place at 81-65, and the Red Sox are in third place at 81-66. The Yankees have the top AL Wild Card spot with Boston a half-game behind them with the No. 2 spot. The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are tied for the No. 3 spot at 79-68.

This weekend series with the Yankees will undoubtedly play a big role in how the standings ultimately shake out into the postseason.

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