Red Sox Lose 2nd-Most Games of Any Defending World Series Champs in MLB History

After bringing the city of Boston a World Series championship in 2013, the Boston Red Sox took a turn in the wrong direction, falling to the cellar of the AL East by the conclusion of the 2014 season. Their 91 losses this year represented the second-most ever by a defending champion, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info). 

Only the 1998 Florida Marlins lost more games following a championship season, posting a dreadful record of 54-108 after bringing home a title in 1997.

One cannot begin to explain the turnaround without first turning to the decline of the Boston bats. The team lost productive hitters Jacoby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins, respectively, but their losses alone hardly explains the drop-off in offensive numbers. 

The 2013 team collectively posted a .277 batting average and 178 home runs, scoring 853 runs along the way. In comparison, the 2014 squad produced just a .244 batting average while hitting just 123 four-baggers and scoring 219 fewer runs.

The Red Sox had a plus-197 run differential in their championship season, a number that fell to minus-81 in the following year. 

Pitching may not have been as much to blame in the substantial decline, as the team ERA grew just slightly from 3.79 in 2013 to 4.01 this season. However, the Sox did lose a few key components of their staff when they traded both Jon Lester and John Lackey in deadline deals, essentially accepting that they were out of the race.

If there's any cause for optimism, it's that Boston went from the AL East cellar in 2012 to world champions in 2013. They'll clearly attempt to put forth a similar turnaround heading into another odd-numbered year.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference unless otherwise specified.