Boston swept Kansas City and ended a multi-series road trip with a winning record, finishing the trip with a season record of 22-27. The team has moved closer to .500 and posted a 10-8 record in May without Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet. Improved starting pitching and better defense have helped carry an otherwise insufficient lineup through a frustrating start. The broader pattern is that the American League is in a period of legitimate mediocrity, with five AL teams holding winning records while the National League has nine. Over the last two seasons, no AL team won more than 94 games, and postseason matchups lacked a true standout team.
"Boston swept the Kansas City Royals and finished a road trip (with multiple series) with a winning record for the first time this season. The Red Sox are 22-27 and keep creeping closer to .500, not that that should be some cause for celebration. If nothing else, Boston looks better than the disaster that took place over the first month of the season. The Red Sox are 10-8 in May and reached that mark without Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet."
"That's not to say they're good yet. That's not to say the wild-card race matters in May. What it does mean is that it's pretty insane that they're not out of the realm of contention by any means. Give credit to the quality starting pitching and improved defense that's dragged an insufficient lineup to a solid month of May so far. But at the end of the day, this conversation goes beyond the Red Sox."
"The real story here is that the American League is realistically in Year 3 of legitimate mediocrity. As of Thursday, there are FIVE TEAMS in the American League with a winning record. Five! For reference, nine teams in the National League are over .500. This issue stretches back the last two seasons as well. No AL team won more than 94 games in that stretch and postseasons formed without a true standout team."
"The Yankees cakewalked through the American League Central duo of the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians to reach the 2024 World Series before a swift defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox made the postseason with 89 wins in 2025. That's the new reality of the American League. Gone are the juggernauts of even the end of the 2010s. Remember, the AL had three teams win 100 games or more in 2018 and the Red Sox beat the other two (Yankees, Astros) to win the World Series."
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