Red Sox record: 24-36, missed postseason
Yankees Record: 33-27, Lost in ALDS vs Rays
When you look at the Red Sox and Yankees records this season, you would assume that the Bronx Bombers had a more successful season in 2020 because they had more wins and they made it to the postseason, which is supposed to be every team’s goal at the beginning of the season.
Call me crazy, but the Red Sox season should be seen just as successful as the Yankees season was–probably even more successful.
Every organization has a certain goal going into the season. They’re all going to say they’re trying win the World Series but let’s face it, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals weren’t trying to win the Fall Classic.
Boston has enough talent on the team to contend early on in the season, but their pitching was probably the worst in the league. Inside Chaim Bloom’s office, I’m sure what he wanted to get out of this season was two main things. The first goal was seeing Alex Verdugo and young players like Bobby Dalbec taking a step forward to cement themselves in the middle of the lineup and their second goal was to get some young and controllable talent back for the veterans on expiring contracts that they traded at the deadline.
And the Red Sox accomplished those two goals. Verdugo was the team’s MVP this year and Dalbec had some really great moments in this short two-month season. Then, the organization was able to get back some young and talented pieces back in the trades of Heath Hembree, Brandon Workman, and Mitch Moreland.
Nick Pivetta could be a solid four or five starter for next year’s rotation, Connor Seabold could have some value in the bullpen down the road, and as I mentioned yesterday Hudson Potts could be the next big, power hitting bat in an already deep lineup.
While Chaim Bloom wouldn’t say that this year was a success, they accomplished their two big goals that they wanted to achieve and they’re ready to take a big step next year, especially if they hire a winning manager.
Moving onto the rival New York Yankees, they had a better season if you look at the win totals but not necessarily if you look at their goals compared to Boston’s.
It is clear that the Yankees had one goal this season: to get their 28th World Series title. And they didn’t get it.
The Yankees went out and got Gerrit Cole on a 9-year, $324 million contract, as they believed it was the one thing the team needed to get them over the top. But Cole was on the mound for a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 and he lived up to the hype. He went 5.1 innings on just three days rest and gave up one hit–which ended up being a solo home run off the bat of Austin Meadows.
So while Cole did his job, the problem was the offense and the bullpen. The lineup mustered just three hits for one run and Aroldis Chapman was forced to stand on the mound to see the batter hit the game-winning home run over the left field wall for the second consecutive season, as manager Aaron Boone asked him to get 7 outs which was never going to work.
New York is no longer in San Diego because they didn’t make it to the ALCS, which was supposed to be just another step to winning their first title since 2009. But they couldn’t even get out of the second round.
The Yankees goal was to win the World Series–they failed. The Red Sox goal was the development of young players and to get back young talent at the deadline–they succeeded.
(Photo: Bill Kostroun/AP Photo)
