At 93-61, the Boston Red Sox are steamrolling the American League, guaranteed a spot in the postseason and likely headed for the top seed in the league.
When October arrives, expect Boston to take on the winner of the six-team wild-card bonanza currently taking place in the American League. Assuming Boston does hold on to the top spot in eh AL, it will be taking on an opponent that expended energy throughout September just to reach the Division Series.
Will the Red Sox take advantage and move on to the American League Championship Series? If they do, they’ll reach that juncture after beating one of the following clubs: Tampa Bay, Texas, Cleveland, Kansas City, Baltimore or New York.
The following is a breakdown of Red Sox’s potential opponents, starting with the team they would most like to see in October and counting down to the wild-card contender they should hope to avoid.
*All statistics and records valid through the start of play on September 20. The author is predicting Boston holds on to the top spot, with Detroit and Oakland winning the other divisions, which is why they are not included.