Prior to the beginning of the 2021 MLB campaign, did any Boston Red Sox fans predict, speculate, or even start to think that the team would be performing the way that it has through 91 games? At the All-Star break, the Sox are an astonishing nineteen games over .500 at 55-36, and sit in first place of the American League East. The club currently has a game-and-a-half lead over the second-place, always pesky team in the Tampa Bay Rays. Not only does Boston possess one of the best records in baseball, they have impressively exceeded expectations from a national media standpoint, and then some.

When considering the ways that the club has performed to this point, you have to start with the way in which the roster has been assembled. First, with Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom and company bringing back manager Alex Cora, there’s been a clear resurgence from a disappointing COVID-shortened 2020 season from key players, including Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and JD Martinez. In addition, Bloom brought in free agents Kiké Hernandez, Hunter Renfroe, and Marwin Gonzalez, all of which have contributed throughout the season thus far.

Not only has Boston’s offense shown to be a promising element to success more than halfway through the season, but the club’s bullpen has been performing at a high level as well. While the starting pitching staff has had its troubles, Boston’s ‘pen has proven to be a realistic bright spot. Bullpen arms such as Garrett Whitlock, Adam Ottavino, Josh Taylor, and Hirokazu Sawamura are reliable go-to options for Alex Cora to turn to in the last few innings of games. The most exciting part of the bullpen, however, has been closer Matt Barnes.

In his first career All-Star Game selection, Barnes has posted a 2.61 earned-run average in 38 games, including 19 saves, good for second in the American League. The Red Sox closer recently agreed to a two-year contract extension with the team, one that is well deserved after the improvements that he has made over the years.

While the Red Sox are currently in the midst of an outstanding season to this point, there was yet another part of the season that the fan base can get exuberant about. With the 2021 MLB Draft occurring from July 11-13, there was suspense building from the fact that Boston held the fourth overall pick. With its selection, Boston took Marcelo Mayer, a shortstop from Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California. The 18-year-old was originally the projected top pick in a number of mock drafts, and he ultimately fell right into Boston’s hands.

Mayer is now the second ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization behind the 2018 draft pick, and top prospect in Triston Casas. One of Chaim Bloom’s main short-term goals as Chief Baseball Officer of the Red Sox was to rebuild the farm system. Bloom has made short, yet productive strides of doing just that in his time with the club so far.

With the five players that the Red Sox are sending to the All-Star Game—Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, JD Martinez, Matt Barnes, and Nathan Eovaldi—there is growing optimism around the city of Boston that the performance of the team will continue to be strong as the season continues into August and September. Although the 2021 Boston Red Sox have been surprising to some, it will be compelling to see if the club can show that it can compete at a high level throughout the remainder of the summer and beyond.