Xander Bogaerts feeling team’s frustration
(Photo courtesy: Boston.com)
The 2022-2023 MLB season for the Boston Red Sox wasn’t an easy ride for the team and its fans. After only falling two games shy of a World Series appearance last year, the Red Sox struggled to perform at an elite level. Boston finished last in their A.L. East Division at 78-84.
Before the start of the season, the Red Sox knew they were in arguably the toughest division out of six in the league. Aside from the Orioles, who performed better than Boston, the Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays were expected to have successful seasons. In a challenging division, the Red Sox failed to put up a fight and were 26-50 against the A.L. East.
The Red Sox played surprisingly poorly at the beginning of the season, starting 10-19. Following that rough stretch, the Red Sox picked it up following a few winning streaks, quickly digging them out of the cellar and pushing them into playoff contention for the time.
June was a solid month for the team, as they maintained consistent success. For most of the month, the Red Sox held a wild card spot and were the top American League wild card seed for a moment.
As July rolled around, a combination of injuries for both pitching and hitting put the Red Sox in a bad situation. The regular starters that were active weren’t enough to carry the team, and towards the end of the month, half the roster was called up from the minors due to injuries, resulting in losing streaks and a lost current playoff spot.
August and September showed no improvement, as the team struggled to string together win streaks, even when the rest of the team gradually became healthy. Before they knew it, the Sox were eliminated in late September, erasing
the opportunity to make a run in the 2022 playoffs.
On a positive note, offensively, Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts shined at the plate in what potentially could be their last Red Sox season. Both players have made their mark as a player for the Red Sox.
Michael Wacha was one of the few pitchers to maintain continuous success throughout the season. Wacha finished with eleven wins, the most out of the Sox pitching staff this year.
Although the 2022 season was a “tough pill to swallow”, the Red Sox will be busy in the 2022-2023 offseason, with hopes that prolonged preparation will pay off for the organization in 2023.
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