Boston Red Sox: The All-Time Bracket
Game 1
The 2018 team’s 108 victories make it the winningest in franchise history. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the roster presents few if any weaknesses.
Begin with outfielder Mookie Betts. He hit .346, good enough to take the batting title, with 32 homers and 80 RBIs. That resume got him the Most Valuable Player Award.
Add DH J.D. Martinez, who delivered 43 homers, 130 RBIs and a .330 average. Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts would have been stars on any other team.
The pitching staff features Chris Sale, 12-4, and David Price, 16-7. Rick Porcello added 17 wins and a 4.28 ERA. Craig Kimbrel saved 42 games.
The 1967 ’Impossible Dream’ Red Sox came from ninth place one season earlier to win a pulsating four-team pennant race that wasn’t decided until the season’s final game. Carl Yastrzemski enjoyed the best season of his Hall of Fame career, winning the Triple Crown with a .326 batting average, 44 homers, and 121 RBIs. First baseman George Scott hit .303 with 82 RBIs, and Tony Conigliaro was hitting .287 with 20 homers and 67 RBIs when he was beaned in mid-August ending his season prematurely.
An otherwise lackluster mound staff was led by Cy Young Award winner Jim Lonborg, who was 22-9 in 39 starts with a 3.16 ERA.
Game 1: The 2018’s .691 regular-season percentage is unassailable in Boston Red Sox history. For the record, the 1967 team played 92-70 .568 ball.
Game 2: the 1967 team lost a seven-game World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. The 2018 team beat the Yankees in a four-game division series, eliminated Houston in five ALCS games, and beat Los Angeles in a five-game World Series. That’s a persuasive .786 post-season percentage.
Game 3: In 2018 the Red Sox had a 112 OPS+, nine points better than 1967’s 103.
Game 4: Lonborg carried the 1967 club to a 105 ERA+. But the 2018 staff put together a 118 ERA+, wrapping up the first-round series.
Result: 2018 in four games