REVERSAL OF FORTUNES
The Red Sox are not the only team in the majors falling short of expectations. Of the 10 teams that advanced to the playoffs last season, only one is currently leading a division while five have had a hard time staying above .500.
Here’s a look at the 2017 record of each of last year’s playoff teams. (For consistency, the 2017 records are listed through 38 games, nearly a quarter of the season.)
RED SOX
• LAST YEAR: 93-69, AL East champs.
• THIS YEAR: 20-18, middle of the division with the second-fewest home runs in baseball.
INDIANS
• LAST YEAR: 94-67, won AL pennant. • THIS YEAR: 20-18, second in the AL Central behind Minnesota.
RANGERS
• LAST YEAR: 95-67, best in AL. • THIS YEAR: 18-20, middle of the AL West, having basically swapped places with the Astros.
ORIOLES
• LAST YEAR: 89-73, second wild card.
• THIS YEAR: 23-15, second place in the AL East, jockeying with the Yankees for the division lead.
BLUE JAYS
• LAST YEAR: 89-73, won the wild card game.
• THIS YEAR: 17-21, last place in the AL East with the second-worst record in the AL.
NATIONALS
• LAST YEAR: 95-67, second-most wins in the NL. • THIS YEAR: 25-13, once again atop the NL East with the division's only winning record.
CUBS
• LAST YEAR: 103-58, best record in baseball and World Series champ. • THIS YEAR: 19-19, middle of the NL Central and currently not in a playoff position.
DODGERS
• LAST YEAR: 91-71, won the NL West before losing in the NLCS. • THIS YEAR: 22-16, jockeying with Arizona for second place in division.
METS
• LAST YEAR: 87-75, home field advantage in the wild card. • THIS YEAR: 16-22, one of four sub-.500 teams in the NL East.
GIANTS
• LAST YEAR: 87-75, won the wild card game. • THIS YEAR: 14-24, fourth place in NL West, above only lowly Padres.