Despite the best effort of Terry Francona’s Indians to cast some doubt, the 88-39 Red Sox’ body of work so far this season is such that we must begin to consider them for a very short list of the most well-rounded teams they’ve ever had.
The iconic 2004 World Series winners would be in that conversation, as would their fellow champs from 2007, who added the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, and Mike Lowell to the remaining core of that star-studded ’04 squad.
Francona himself thought his ’08 team, which lost to David Price and the Rays in a seven-game American League Championship Series, was in the conversation for most complete Sox team that he oversaw.