The 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) season was supposed to be anything but magical for the Boston Red Sox. With many questions regarding the starting rotation and the bullpen, fans and experts alike were not sold on Boston. ESPN and Bleacher Report ranked the Red Sox 19th, and MLB ranked them 20th going into the season. The Red Sox were supposed to finish 4th in a loaded division.

But the season was far from what people thought it would be. The Red Sox pitching proved doubters wrong, and the lineup stayed hot all year long. Boston finished second in the stacked American League (AL) East with a record of 92-70. The success of Boston was a dream come true for fans.

A first-year baseball player here at AIC, Owen Clancy said, “Watching the Red Sox push for the playoffs this year was some of the best baseball I’ve ever watched.”

As the playoffs started, it was only the beginning for the Red Sox and their fairytale season.

For baseball fans, Fenway Park has one of the best atmospheres for the game, and it only gets better during the playoffs. Boston earned a home game for the Wild Card game, meaning it would be played at Fenway. In addition to offering the best atmosphere, Fenway Park also hosted one of the most infamous rivalries in baseball at the AL Wild Card game. The Red Sox would take on the New York Yankees in a winner-takes-all game.

Boston would strike early and often to move on and win, 6-2. Boston out-slugged the most power-threatening offense in baseball.

AIC is filled with both Yankees and Red Sox fans. A first- year baseball player here and Yankees fan, Javier Gonzalez said, “Having to see Sox fans celebrate hurt more than losing.”

Boston continued a magical season by beating an age-old rival.

The Tampa Bay Rays would be next in a best-of-five series. The Rays were the best team in the AL and a clear favorite to make it out of the AL on top. Boston would look to upset them and keep the ride alive. The Rays would take game one, but the Red Sox would take three in a row and win the series. The top dogs in the AL had been defeated. The Red Sox were four wins away from the World Series. Nobody could have predicted this.

With a trip to the World Series on the line, the Red Sox took on the Houston Astros, this time in a best-of-seven series. Boston dropped a close one in game one but showed why they were the hottest offense in baseball by taking games two and three. To the disappointment of many Boston fans, those were the last games the Red Sox would win. The Astros would quiet down the Red Sox bats and win three straight games to eliminate Boston. This was the end of a truly unforgettable season for the Red Sox.

Although it was over, and there was no ring to show for it, this season was nothing to be ashamed of. Austin Bequeath, a first-year baseball player at AIC, commented on the loss. “The Red Sox put on a show for a team that wasn’t even supposed to be there,” Bequeath said. The Red Sox proved everyone wrong.

Not only did the Red Sox make the playoffs, but they made a run in them too. It was a year to build off of. They are not finished yet and are looking to make another splash next year. The only difference is that now, they are not looking for just a playoff appearance. They are looking to walk away as world champions.