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Boston and Toronto were two teams that were fighting for the last wildcard position last year. Now they are exactly opposite of each other. Boston got off to a hot start to the season before falling completely out of it after the All-Star break. On the other hand, Toronto, on the other hand, started the season off slow, but has gotten better throughout the season. So far, Toronto has had Boston's number this season. The teams have met 18 times so far. This season, Toronto has a 15-3 record against the Sox while outscoring their rivals 119-46. The Boston Red Sox What has happened to the Boston Red Sox? Pitching has been asbismal for the Sox. Starters aren't able to go deep into games, and their bullpen has been a mess all season. Against Toronto, Boston averages 6.6 runs a game, compared to just 2.5 for Toronto. The entire Red Sox team has been an absolute mess this season. From the front office not addressing offseason issues to underperforming players, Many Red Sox players hav

Finally, The Boston Red Sox are now analytically eliminated from the postseason race. Boston didn't show much fight after a slow start to the second half of the 2022 season, but top-draft pick here we come! Now, let's put the negatives behind us and focus on some of the bright spots within the Red Sox organization. For example, Xander Bogaerts is competing for the BA Award! Now let's grade the Boston Red Sox players by season performance:   Xander Bogaerts (A)   There is no doubt that X-man is the heart and sole of the Boston Red Sox team. Bogaerts has been a staple within the Red Sox organization ever since his debut during the 2013 season.   Bogaerts has had a terrific yet interesting season to note. The Boston shortstop has put up the best on-base percentage and batting average to date in his career. Yet, Bogaerts' power numbers are significantly lower from previous seasons. Is this a bad thing? No.   Xander is hitting .314 with 14 home runs and 68 RBIs this

The MLB regular season is coming to a close, we can now diffreniciat the teams capable making the playoffs, and teams that will most definitely not make a run for a pennant. Here are some of the biggest rumors and news from the day: Bogaerts Leading for AL Silver Bat Award Xander Bogaerts is in the running for the Silver Bat Award, an award given to the player that has the highest batting average in each division. Bogaerts has had a tremendous contract season. He constantly puts the ball in play and often finds himself on base.   The Red Sox have been struggling lately, but Bogaerts has been putting together a great second-half of his season. Although the shortstop is failing to hit for power, his offensive totals are still all-star caliber numbers.   Bogaerts is currently hitting .319 with 13 home runs and 66 runs-batted-in. The 29-year-old is currently hitting .003 points higher than Twins' second-baseman Luis Arraez. As Bogaerts is set to become a free agent by the end of th

Ross Atkins is the man behind the helm for the Toronto Blue Jays, practically leading his team ahead of their division rival, the Boston Red Sox. Just to give you some perspective, the Red Sox narrowly, I mean just narrowly, took a playoff spot away from the Blue Jays during the 2021 season. Both teams were rock solid playing against each other, making for an exciting rivalry. But since the 2021 season, the two teams are not even close in terms of playing standards. Atkins took a young core of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, plus many others and added key all-star and veteran pieces throughout free agency and the season. On the other hand, Chaim Bloom led the Red Sox from a postseason contender to a struggling team contending for a top draft pick.   Atkins made it his goal after the disappointing end to the 2021 MLB season for the Toronto Blue Jays, where the team failed to make the playoffs. The Blue Jays' GM made bold moves in the past offseason, acquiring Kevin Gausman a

Jordan Walker is the top-rated prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Walker is a player that has excelled at every single level he has played at, and is just currently 20-years-old. What is there not to like about Jordan Walker? The Georgia native was drafted out of high school by the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2020 MLB Amateur Draft. Walker was selected 21st overall, and from Decatur High School.   Walker primarily plays third base, although he has transitioned a bit in the minor leagues to playing in the outfield also. Walker is described as a powerful hitter. He has phenomenal size, standing at 6-foot-5-inches and weighing 220 pounds.   Walker launches balls at an insane bat-speed and is described as a player that hits for power. Although it is noted that Walker often chases pitches, he makes up for it with insane contact and power. With AA Springfield this season, Walker has gained a lot of experience. Right now, he's batting .309 with 18 home runs and 60 R

It has been a rough and disappointing second-half of the season for the Boston Red Sox. But today the Sox completed a four game sweep, of the Texas Rangers. Connor Wong's First HR : Connor Wong hit his first-career home run in game two against the Texas Rangers, helping Boston defeat Texas, by a score of 9-1. Wong was acquire part of the Mookie Betts trade to the LA Dodgers, and his been called up-and-down throughout the first-half of the season. Wong blasted a two-run dinger during the seventh inning. The former University of Houston native, launched a 439-foot home run, over the Green Monster. Furthermore, Nick Pivetta started the game off strong pitching three innings, before being pulled due to an injury. Tyler Danish, Matt Strahm, Ryan Braiser, and Kaleb Ort each had strong relief outings leading Boston to another victory. Brayan Bello's First Win : Brayan Bello is notched as one of the top pitching prospects in the Boston organization. Bello started game three against the

Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and Jackie Bradley Jr., were the three outfielders that were loved and praised for their defensive plays during the 2018 World Series run with the Boston Red Sox. Ever since winning the World Series during the 2018 season, the Boston Red Sox have yet to return to eliteness and have lost many key players from their winning 2018 team. Including, JBJ, Betts and Benintendi. So where are they now, the dynamic dancing outfielders the Red Sox once had? Mookie Betts : Playing right field for the Red Sox was all-star, Mookie Betts. Unfortunately, for Boston they were unable to sign their young star to an extension and opted moving him to LA Dodgers, along with starting pitcher David Price. In return, Boston received a package including Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs. Alex Verdugo is the only piece Boston got in return that has made an impact so-far at the Major League level. Boston traded a young super star in Betts, in return for Verdugo, a fringe-pl

Andrew Benintendi was once prized as a top prospect within the Boston Red Sox organization. Benintendi also known as "Benny Bombs", was Boston's seventh overall selection during the 2015 MLB Draft. The Arkansas product was even named the #1 prospect during the 2017 MLB season, by Baseball America and the MLB. Benintendi broke into the league during the 2016 season, he would get off to a hot start in his 34 game stint. The rookie concluded his short season with a .295 batting average, two home runs and 14 runs-batted-in. The following season Benintendi would take massive strides within his development. Playing in 151 games, the still-rookie hit 20 home runs and batted in 90 runs. But why did the Red Sox trade Benintendi if he was looking like a future all-star? The answer is simple, Benintendi slumped during the 2020 season. The now veteran outfielder battled injuries and poor play during the shortened season. Benintendi hit for a career low .103, in 14 games. The followin

It is pretty much safe to say that the Boston Red Sox are having a poor 2022 season. J.D. Martinez has only hit nine home runs, and Bogaerts is struggling to hit for power. But what really needs to change in order to contend next season? One need that the Red Sox have had since the 2021 season is their bullpen and relief pitching. The only bullpen acquisition the Sox made during the past offseason was picking up Jake Diekman. And guess where Diekman is now? You guessed it, he was traded after a miserable stint in Boston. The lefty had a 4.23 ERA after he allowed 22 runs in 38.1 innings. In exchange for Reese McGuire, Diekman was shipped to the White Sox. You need your bullpen to be able to keep you in a game. The Red Sox relievers simply aren't doing that. They are allowing teams to expand their leads, preventing a chance at a comeback. For example, yesterday against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox bullpen gave up seven runs and nine hits in just four innings of work.   There ar

Bobby Dalbec is a player that has shown inconsistency all throughout the season and his entire career with the Boston Red Sox. Dalbec is a player known for crushing balls for home runs or consistently striking out. He is referred to as a traditional power hitter. During the season, the once-top prospect in the Red Sox organization has demonstrated the good, bad, and ugly sides of his game. Let's start off with the ugly. Dalbec started the season off-rough! I mean really bad. The power hitter started off the season by batting 4 for 39, or a.102 average. He was not much of a power hitter either! He wasn't making hard contact either, as it took the righty 37 games to hit two home runs. Another part of Dalbec's game that has been proven inconsistent has been his fielding. Dalbec is often used as a utility player, although he mainly plays first base. AHe currently has a .997 fielding percentage, although he also has a defensive run saved metric of -10 at first base. Now that we&

In the latter portion of the MLB season, the Boston Red Sox are currently experiencing a severe slump. The team has only been able to win one game since the all-star break. Since the all-star break, Boston has a 1-4 record and a -33 run differential. Boston even suffered a humiliating 28-5 loss to division enemy Toronto in the first game after the break. The Red Sox now fall to fifth (last) in the AL east with a record of 49-49. There are many factors that have been pulling the Red Sox down. Some of which are uncontrollable. This includes injuries. Boston ace In his first game back from the DL, Chris Sale was declared out for the remainder of the season. The pitcher fractured his finger after taking a comeback hit directly to his finger during his first inning of work. First inning! WOW, how unlucky! The number of players who have been placed on the disabled list is one of the Red Sox's other worries. All season long, the Sox have been missing important members of their starting li

Baseball prospect Ceddanne Rafaela hails from the island of Curacao and is a utility player. His primary positions are third base, shortstop, and center field. He is 5' 8" and weighs 152 pounds. Rafaela was acquired by the Boston Red Sox organization in 2017, when the club signed him as a free agent.  His contract included a $10,000 signing bonus. Rafaela is known as a defensively-oriented player, but after moving to the United States from Curacao, he has improved his hitting technique. He makes use of the entire field, has developed power, and is an agile player. During the 2018 season, the multi-position player made his minor league debut. The 17-year-old would participate in the Dominican Summer League for the Red Sox club. During his 54-game stay, he played well, batting .271, collecting 28 RBIs, and stealing 19 bases. Ceddanne would then compete for Boston's rookie Gulf-coast club in 2019. Rafaela would yet again demonstrate his defensive prowess by playing several po

This past year, the market for sports cards has skyrocketed. This is not surprising. For example, Lebron James' logoman from the 2020–2021 Panini Flawless set just sold for $2.4 million. Who wouldn't want to obtain their favourite player's signature or other memorabilia? Sports cards range from high-end to low-end, making it a hobby for everyone! Now, here are some tips on how to make a profit when dealing with sports cards: 1 . Find Collectible Players Players with high collectibility appeal to and are valued by customers. The cards of players they know and like are the ones that they are most inclined to buy. The player: Is he a superstar? Are they well known? For instance, if they are a prominent social media influencer or manage a charity. The player is the most significant element. People are drawn to the top players who excel and draw attention to themselves. Would you rather have a Yoshi Tsutsugo trade card or a Wander Franco card? Many of us might not even be fami

Prospecting is a major aspect of the baseball card world. People are always looking for players that could be the next Mike Trout or Hall of Famer. Here are some tips that will save you time and money when prospecting! Age of the Player: Age is a major category that comes into play when scouting for the correct baseball card to buy. Collectors want the next Juan Soto or Ronald Acuna Jr., players who broke into the league at a very young age. For example, Juan Soto was just 19 when he made his MLB debut. The younger the player, the greater collectibility the player will receive. Remember, no one wants a rookie card of a 33-year-old player. Generally, a rule of thumb would be to collect rookies under the age of 24. Team Player Plays For : Team factors into the value of a card on the  market. What teams are non-baseball watchers most likely to know? Maybe the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, etc. Players on high-market teams are generally going to go for higher prices, due to the high number

The Miami Marlins walk off the New York Mets, after a home run by Nick Fortes.  Batting : Garrett Cooper got Miami on the board early. The righty hit a sacrifice fly to left field, driving in John Berti. Miami led 1-0 after the first inning. Brandon Nimmo tied the game during the top of the third inning. He hit his fifth home run of the year to centre field. While teammate Pete Alonso got the Mets the lead by doubling to bring in Starling Marte in the same inning, Miguel Rojas tied the game in the bottom of the third for Miami. He launched his sixth home run of the season to deep centre field. The Marlins and Mets were deadlocked heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. Nick Fortes would be the hero for the Miami Marlins. The young catcher launched his third career home run to left field, sending the fans and Marlins home with a 3-2 win. Pitching : Daniel Castano got the ball for the Miami Marlins. The Orlando, Florida native pitched seven innings of work, allowing just five hit

 The Tampa Bay Rays narrowly edge the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-5 today.  Batting : Vidal Brujan singled to centre field in the first inning, driving in two runs. Randy Arozarena and Taylor Wells. Tampa Bay took an early 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh's Diego Castillo cut the lead in half when he homered during the third inning. Castillo's seventh home run of the season was followed by Bryan Reynolds's RBI single. Michael Perez scored to tie the game. Randy Arozarena gave the Rays the lead again after he doubled to center, driving in Josh Lowe.  Rookie Jack Suwinski hit his 12th home run of the game. His three-run home run to left field drove in Bligh Madris and Daniel Vogelbach. Pittsburgh took a 6-3 lead going into the seventh. Isaac Parades hit his tenth home run for the Rays. His solo home run cut the deficit to two. In the ninth, Parades would walk Tampa off. His single to right field drove in Brujan and Choi, giving Tampa the lead and the win. Pitching : Veteran Corey Kluber go

Gypsy Queen (Series 1): Collect major stars, rookies, prospects, and more! The latest collection of Topps Gypsy Queen has been added to the Topps Bunt Digital Trading Card App. The set features similar inserts and is parallel to the physical GQ release.  Remember to collect new players and up-and-coming players for weekly Bunt contests!  Boosts : Uncommon: 2.2x Rare: 2.7x Super Rare: 3.2x Iconic: 3.7x Legendary: 4.2x Act fast before all cards sell out on July 15th, at 1:00 PM ET. Cost :  Standard Packs (odds: 2 guaranteed uncommon, 1:5 rare, 1:40 super rare, 1:400 iconic) - 5000 coins Super Packs (odds: 8 guaranteed uncommon, 3 guaranteed rare, 1:2 super rare, 1:12 iconic, 1:125 legendary) - 600 diamonds Event Packs (complete a three step event for a pack of uncommons) Set Variations  (see full-checklist on Topps Bunt App): Base Set - Uncommon (149 card set + Justin VerlanderAward) Jackie Robinson Day Base Variation - Uncommon *Event Exclusive* (29 card set + Mookie Betts Award) Blue

Boston Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs has been called to the major leagues today. Downs, a middle infielder, has been playing for AAA Worcester this season. The youngster was drafted 32nd overall by the Cincinnati Reds in 2017. He would then be shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers and again to the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts trade. This season Jeter has been having a rough offensive season. In 53 games, the second basemen is batting .180, although he has 11 home runs. The Red Sox require second base reinforcements due to the injuries to Christian Arroyo and Kike Hernandez. Downs will likely be sent back down to AAA once Arroyo and Hernandez are healthy. Downs is currently ranked as the fifth-best prospect in Boston's farm pool. Achievement of his includes representing the American League during the 2021 MLB Futures Game. To correspond with this transaction, Boston designated James Norwood for assignment. Jeter is slated to get his first MLB action soon.

Nick Pivetta leads Boston to a series win against St. Louis. Batting : Trevor Story started the scoring during the second inning. He blasted his tenth home run of the season. Boston took an early lead. Harrison Bader responded, and he singled to left field. St.Louis' Tyler O'Neill scored on the play to tie the game. Jackie Bradley Jr. singled to shallow center field, driving in Alex Verdugo. Boston took a 2-1 lead after five. Rob Refsnyder added to the BoSox lead, driving in Christian Vazquez. While Vazquez would hit a three-run home run in the following inning. Boston took a 6-1 lead going into the top of the ninth. Juan Yepez wouldn't take no for an answer. The Cardinal hit a three-run home run, narrowing a deficit to two. Pitching : Nick Pivetta started for Boston. He completed seven innings of work. The Canadien racked up ten strikeouts while allowing one run off of four hits. He handed the baton to John Schreiber, who pitched a scoreless eighth. Tyler Danish started th

Jameson Taillon pitched five plus scoreless innings, leading the Yankees over divisional rival Blue Jays. Batting : Aaron Hicks opened the scoring for New York, doubling to right field. He would bring in Kiner-Falefa, Torres, and Rizzo, giving NY a 3-0 lead after four innings. Isiah Kiner-Falefa would add an insurance run during the sixth inning. He hit his 11th double of the season, driving in Gleyber Torres. Toronto was held to just five hits compared to eight for the Bronx Bombers. Pitching : Alek Manoah got the ball for the home team Blue Jays. He wouldn't be his best today, pitching in 5.1 innings of work. He allowed four runs off of six hits and struck out five. Manoah currently has an 8-2 record and a 2.00 ERA after his start. Jays' relievers David Phelps, Tim Mayza, and Trent Thornton; were all solid. They each pitched scoreless relief outings. Jameson Taillon was great for the visiting Yankees. The thirty-year-old allowed just four hits in 5.2 innings. He would record