Why NL exec believes Red Sox are in 'best position' to win AL championship

The 2026 season for the Boston Red Sox has been quite a wild ride, and heading towards October and postseason baseball, things could get a whole lot stranger.

For this Red Sox squad, there's reason to believe that they can not only make the postseason and win a series or two, but actually win the American League Championship Series. But how?

ESPN's Jesse Rogers shared that one NL executive believes the Red Sox are "best positioned" to win the AL among the Wild Card teams thanks to their elite rotation and elite bullpen.

Red Sox pitching staff is reason why they're 'best positioned' to make surprise run

"I like the amount of arms the Red Sox can put out there in a playoff series," an NL executive said. "And then once you get to the back of a game, they're lights out with [Garrett] Whitlock and Chapman. I think they're best positioned to win from the wild-card teams. They'll keep the Yankees in the park when they play in the first round."

Boston's offense isn't as bad as it seemed earlier in the year, thanks to Roman Anthony 's return, Adley Rutschman 's trade, and the unexpected breakout of Mickey Gasper , among others.

But the real star of the show is their pitching staff. Just looking at the starting rotation, it's a group that has a real chance of holding teams down come the postseason.

Sonny Gray has a 2.76 ERA this season, Ranger Suarez is one of the best postseason pitchers in MLB history, Payton Tolle has been a breakout pitcher, and even Jake Bennett has had his moments. Patrick Sandoval is the fifth starter and won't be needed in October.

Looking to the bullpen, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman are a great duo, and with Erik Miller, Bryan Bello, and plenty of other options in a strong bullpen, this pitching staff has more than enough to shut teams down come October.

So, why are the Red Sox "best positioned" among the wild card teams to make a deep postseason run? Their elite pitching staff, both in the rotation and bullpen, should present a huge advantage for the team going forward.