The Boston Red Sox just rolled into the All-Star break on an absolute tear, going 14-2 in their last 16 games, including an insane nine-game winning streak. They've swept three series and rocketed from six games back in the Wild Card race to just 0.5 games out of the final spot. Talk about making a statement for the second half of the season!
The Kids Are *Supposed* to Be Alright
But here's the wild part: a lot of people were hinting that this hot streak was a subtle shot at their "young MLB stars" Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. Why? Because the guys stepping up from the AAA roster, Anthony Seigler, Jake Bennett, Payton Tolle, and Tsung-Che Cheng, were crushing it while Anthony and Mayer were, well, struggling. All-Star Willson Contreras even praised them, which got everyone talking. It felt like some serious shade, right? It's been a tough sophomore slump for both Anthony and Mayer, no doubt about it. Anthony, after a killer rookie year, was supposed to step up as a leader of that offense. Instead, he was batting a less-than-stellar .229/.354/.321/.675 with five doubles, one home run, and five RBI in 30 games before a finger injury sidelined him completely. You hate to see that kind of drop-off. Mayer hasn't fared any better, slashing .220/.282/.312/.594 with 10 doubles, three home runs, and 22 RBI in 70 games. To make it worse, he's also on the IL again with a bone stress reaction in his forearm and still hasn't played triple digits in a season in his entire career. Talk about bad luck and tough breaks!So, Is It Really Their Fault? Not a Chance.
Here's the kicker, though: blaming Anthony and Mayer for the Red Sox's past struggles or giving the AAA guys *all* the credit for the recent surge is probably just media drama for clicks, plain and simple. The real game-changer might be something totally different, and it's something nobody really expected. The Red Sox made a huge call, parting ways with Kyle Boddy and Driveline, the analytics-driven company handling their hitting and pitching game plans, on June 18. And guess what happened next? Since that exact move, the Red Sox are an unbelievable 17-6! Coincidence? I mean, maybe. But a 17-6 record after ditching a key analytics partner is just too massive a turnaround to ignore, especially when this team is suddenly making a serious run to get into the playoffs. It just feels like that's too big a swing to be about who's in the lineup or blaming a couple of injured young stars. This is a complete shift in philosophy, and the results speak for themselves. So, no, the winning streak isn't some kind of brutal indictment of Anthony and Mayer. They just need to get healthy, gain more experience, and mature. That's it. Boston is set up for a big playoff run, and it makes sense they're probably eyeing some big players at the trade deadline to push them over the top. With these young guys eventually coming back into the fold, the second half of the season for the Red Sox is gonna be absolutely must-watch television. Get ready!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.