Just a few weeks ago, we were talking about the Boston Red Sox as one of the most disappointing teams in the Major League. Basement dwellers in the AL East. Surefire sellers at the Trade Deadline on August 3rd. Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello both posted ERAs north of 6.00, before Crochet went down with a shoulder injury. Things looked bad in Boston.

Now, at the time of writing this on July 20th, all of that has changed. The Red Sox have won 13 in a row, their longest winning streak since 1948. The team relieved manager Alex Cora of his duties on April 25th after a 10-17 start and named Chad Tracey as manager. From 2021 to 2025, Tracey served as the manager of the Triple-A Worchester Red Sox, meaning that he had a rapport with many Red Sox players from their time in the minor leagues. Since the change, Tracey has led the Sox to a 40-31 record. The most impressive part of the 13-game hit streak is that it has lasted through the All-Star Break. For some teams and players, the MLB All-Star Break can come at the wrong time, breaking momentum, cooling off hot streaks. Not for Boston. They took a 9-game streak into the break, and responded on the other side with a sweep of a doubleheader by outscoring the first placed Tampa Bay Rays 15-3.

The Red Sox appear only to be getting stronger. Despite the starting rotation being ravaged by injuries, Boston possesses the best team ERA in the month of July with a 2.37 mark. Sonny Gray has been one of the best pitchers in the AL. Connelly Early and Payton Tolle have made their presence felt at Fenway in their first full seasons. Jake Bennett has been a revelation in his first 9 career starts. The bullpen has been lights out. An ERA of 1.65 and a WHIP of 0.90.

The offense may still be in the bottom half of the league, but they lead the American League in runs, OBP and OPS in the month of July, and they trail only Tampa in homers. A team that averaged 0.86 home runs per game through the first 78 games, has increased that number to 1.37 in the next 19. Wilyer Abreu is playing like a man possessed, and he and Caleb Durbin are both hitting above .320 in their last 7 games (as of July 19).

The Red Sox are doing this without Garrett Crochet, without Roman Anthony, without Marcelo Mayer, without Trevor Story, without Kutter Crawford, without Tanner Houck – many of whom they could get back at some point this season, all while former All-Star Jarren Duran is hitting below the Mendoza line.

This is chemistry. This is leadership. This is heart. It’s not often that a team goes from a contending favorite to one of the biggest disappointments, to one of the best surprises all in the same season, but the Red Sox are doing just that.

So What Do The Red Sox Need To Do At The Deadline?

As I mentioned, the Red Sox have turned the tables on their season, going from definite sellers to potential optimistic buyers in a matter of weeks. At a trade deadline that is loaded more with pitchers than hitters, the Red Sox find themselves in need of bats.

There aren’t a ton of power bats available, but names like Luis Arraez and Hunter Goodman come to mind. A guy like Arraez doesn’t deserve to be moved seemingly every year, but he makes perfect sense that for a team that still finds themselves in the back half of the league in average. Hunter Goodman could be valuable for his power. Boston has been winning with the long ball, and Goodman has multiple 3-homer games this season. Names like Byron Buxton and Isaac Paredes are bound to come up as well, although with both the Twins and Astros still in the AL Wild Card race, they would likely be hesitant to move some of their bigger pieces.

A team that comes to mind is the Cincinnati Reds. The team has recently announced that they are open for business, and while SP Brady Singer may be their biggest trade piece, they have a lot of bats that could be enticing to the Red Sox. Elly De La Cruz is likely considered untouchable, but Tyler Stephenson, Eugenio Suarez or Spencer Steer could add value and power and value to the Red Sox lineup.

Regardless of what happens at the Trade Deadline, it’s teams like the Boston Red Sox who are always the most dangerous as the season inches toward October – fringe teams who get hot at the right time and ride it to the Postseason. The 2023 Diamondbacks, the 2021 Braves, the 2007 Rockies to name a few.

You don’t have to be the best team in May to be the most dangerous one in October. You just have to push all the right buttons when the time comes. And while there’s still a lot of baseball left to play in 2026, it looks like the Red Sox are pushing those buttons. The Deadline will tell us more about the 2026 Red Sox, but the stove should be getting pretty hot in Beantown.