Boston Red Sox: 5 Reasons They're the New Team to Beat in the AL

The Boston Red Sox have been a contender all season, and lately they've looked like the team to beat in the American League. 

Since July 31, Boston has won 12 of games, including an eight-game winning streak. Their 69-51 record entering play Wednesday gives them a 4.5-game cushion over the New York Yankees in the AL East and puts them five games back of the slumping Houston Astros for the best record in the Junior Circuit.

Boston still has issues, including the uncertain status of David Price's pricey left elbow. 

Let's accentuate the positive, though, and run through five reasons why Boston could be the AL's new alpha dog.

Rafael Devers Has Been a Revelation

Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

The Red Sox made a mid-level trade to address the glaring hole at third base when they acquired speedy Eduardo Nunez from the San Francisco Giants.

Nunez has contributed, hitting .384 with four home runs while mostly filling in at second base for the injured Dustin Pedroia. 

The real cavalry, however, came from the minor leagues in the form of top prospect Rafael Devers.

The 20-year-old had a mere 38 plate appearances at Triple-A when he got the call. All he's done since arriving in The Show is hit .348 with a 1.082 OPS, six home runs and 13 RBI in 18 games.

Small-sample caveats apply; like all rookies, Devers will cool down eventually. For now, though, the Red Sox are riding his smoldering bat and youthful energy.

"An incredible swing," skipper John Farrell said, per AP (h/t USA Today), after Devers hit a game-tying, ninth-inning homer off Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in the Bronx on Sunday. "He doesn't fear the moment. He's jumped feet first into this rivalry. It couldn’t have come at a better time."

Oh, and he turns triple plays, too.

Andrew Benintendi Is Burning Through August

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Speaking of hot young hitters, Andrew Benintendi has been on an absolute tear in August.

After hitting a scant .222 in July, the 23-year-old outfielder is hitting .419 with a 1.327 OPS this month. 

Benintendi has been overshadowed for much of the season by Yankees masher and fellow rookie Aaron Judge, who is mired in a protracted slump (.182 average with 23 strikeouts in August).

Suddenly, Benintendi is the superior performer.

As recently acquired Yanks infielder and veteran slugger Todd Frazier put it, per Boston.com's Wallace Matthews: "He's in a good groove right now, and everything probably looks like a balloon to him."

Their Bullpen Is Among the Game's Elite

Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Recent history has shown that a shutdown bullpen can be the key to a deep October run.

It worked splendidly for the Kansas City Royals in 2015. It nearly worked for the Cleveland Indians last season, as they made it to Game 7 of the Fall Classic behind the late-inning duo of Cody Allen and Andrew Miller. 

The Red Sox relief corps, which is tied for the second-best ERA in baseball, is capable of repeating the feat.

Closer Craig Kimbrel has been an absolute stud with a 1.41 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 51 innings, while Joe Kelly (1.85 ERA) and Brandon Workman (1.57 ERA) have likewise delivered.

Setup man Addison Reed, acquired at the deadline from the New York Mets, has an 8.44 ERA in seven games with the Red Sox but has put up zeroes in his last two appearances, both Boston wins.

"We like our bullpen," said president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, per Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe."We feel we have some good arms who have all pitched well when called upon this season. Adding Reed has given us another experienced and steady performer."

Chris Sale Is a Legitimate MVP Candidate

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

When the Sox sent a sparkling package of prospects to the Chicago White Sox for Chris Sale this winter, they were hoping the ace left-hander could anchor the rotation.

He's done that, no question, and helped atone for Price's injury issues.

Sale has gone above and beyond, however, and morphed into a legitimate AL MVP candidate.

He easily leads all pitchers with 7.4 WAR by FanGraphs' calculation (the Cleveland Indians' Corey Kluber and Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer are next at 5.0). He paces the pack with 241 strikeouts. His 2.51 ERA ranks fourth in the game, while his .191 opponents' average ranks second.

What about the MVP? No pitcher has done it since the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw in 2014. 

Yet, reigning AL MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels missed significant time with a thumb injury and the Halos are on the fringe of the playoff race. Judge, an early favorite, is slumping as noted, while Astros second baseman Jose Altuve will garner votes but isn't a lock.

There's room in the discussion for Sale.

"Great debate," Farrell said, per Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com. "A lot of people say there's no way a starting pitcher can be [MVP]. I'd refute that."

The Competition Is Flawed

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Astros, as mentioned, have the AL's best record and are on track to win the AL West.

They didn't make any major upgrades at the deadline, however, and have gone 5-10 in August. Since the All--Star break, they rank 27th in baseball with a 5.14 team ERA.

They hold a 12.5-game division lead and boast the Junior Circuit's top run differential at plus-161, but Houston has some problems. 

In the AL Central, the Indians added slugger Jay Bruce from the New York Mets after he cleared waivers, but the AL champs have the worst record (65-52) of any division leader and rank 15th in baseball in runs scored.

The Yankees are an exciting team on the rise, but they have questions in the rotation despite the addition of ace Sonny Gray and need Judge to rediscover his stroke.

After that, it's a muddled mixture of flawed hopefuls and fringe wannabes.

As mentioned, the Sox have issues of their own. They're coalescing at the right time, though, and have cause for team-to-beat optimism as the calendar barrels toward September.

All statistics current as of Wednesday and courtesy of MLB.com and FanGraphs.