A Fox News Outkick sportswriter has publicly retracted his earlier pessimism about the Boston Red Sox after the team's astonishing turnaround in the 2026 season. Once the worst team in the American League, Boston has surged to become the hottest side in baseball, moving into a comfortable playoff position and closing in on the divisional lead, prompting widespread admissions from pundits that they misjudged the club's prospects.

The Red Sox beat the Athletics 13-1 to secure their ninth consecutive win, extending a run of 27 wins in their last 30 games and 33 in their last 40. They now lead the league in run differential at +89 and, according to Elias Sports Bureau, are the fastest team in MLB history to go from 14 games under .500 to 13 games over, achieving it in 44 days compared with the previous record of 59 days set by the 1914 Braves. Players highlighted for their contribution include a batter who played through a dislocated finger to hit a key home run against the Yankees in June, and another currently batting .315 with home runs and stolen bases.