Contenders or pretenders? What to make of the Boston Red Sox - ESPN

Since the infamous «chicken and beer» Boston Red Sox collapsed in September 2011 to miss the playoffs, the franchise has vacillated between success (World Series titles in 2013 and 2018) and disappointment (five last-place finishes since 2012). The 2023 Red Sox are a hybrid of the past decade: surprising at times, frustrating at others, still in the playoff race — three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third American League wild card — but hardly a serious World Series contender.

With the Red Sox hosting the New York Mets on Sunday Night Baseball (7 ET, ESPN), here is what we are learning about a franchise striving to become a consistent World Series threat but still figuring out how to get there.

For the first time since the 2018 championship team, the Red Sox have a reasonably young core emerging. Jarren Duran has had an exciting breakout season, Masataka Yoshida has been a hitting machine in his first year after starring in Japan, Rafael Devers signed to a long-term extension that runs through 2033, Triston Casas has shown signs that he'll be a productive first baseman and Brayan Bello has looked like the best homegrown starting pitcher the Red Sox have developed in over a decade. Yoshida, who just turned 30, is the only member of that group who is older than 26.

Duran has been one of the biggest surprises. In 91 games in 2021 and 2022, he was simply overmatched: .219/.269/.354 with 18 walks and 103 strikeouts in 335 plate appearances. Despite game-breaking speed in center field, he also suffered occasional defensive lapses where he would just lose the ball. I certainly didn't expect anything from him; the Red Sox didn't either — he started the season in the minors.

Now he's hitting .315/.367/.516 with 29