What Boston has that we dont...

[Natty]

An extra 60-70 million in payroll.

It's a simple mathematical equation.

[LordBaltimore]

They also have line drive hitters with good speed.

[Frobby]

That is not giving Boston enough credit for drafting/signing and developing guys like Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley Jr. and Benintendi -- and that's just the B's!

[Aristotelian]

High OBP, hitters that are patient and wait for their pitch. They are #1 in OBP while we are #22. We are getting nothing but solo HRs while they keep getting big innings.

Also a lot of confidence at the right time of the season and we are choking.

[Natty]

They also have line drive hitters with good speed.

I remember earlier in the season, when we were on top, everyone was saying we don't need speed.

[Phantom]

They have 6 more wins.

[Frobby]

I remember earlier in the season, when we were on top, everyone was saying we don't need speed.

Boston has been a better offensive club than us from Day One. What has changed since the early part of the season is that their pitching has gotten much better.

1st half: BAL 4.35 ERA, BOS 4.43 ERA

2nd half: BAL 4.33 ERA, BOS 3.49 ERA

[Natty]

Our offense carried us while were on top. In the last 5 games we have scored 2,2,2,2 and 1 run. Only won one of those games.

[Babypowder]

An extra 60-70 million in payroll.

It's a simple mathematical equation.

Is it?

The O's are better than several teams spending more money than them. They are also worse than several spending less. So, that seems pretty simplistic. Of course it helps, but they also do a much much better job of scouting and developing their own talent on top of having the basically unlimited payroll.

Their top 8 position players by WAR were all either drafted and developed by the Red Sox or acquired super cheaply before they became good in Boston's care (Ortiz). On the pitching side they've obviously sunk serious money into Price and Porcello, but the Porcello deal was mostly criticized at the time. The payroll gap has allowed to eat the stupid contracts given to Sandoval and Castillo, that's where it hurts. They still know how to find their own talent though, that's the major difference.

Bogaerts, Bradley, Pedroia, Ortiz and Betts are all really Sox finds and are all producing over 4 wins. The O's only comparable is Machado.

As for actual differences between the two teams in 2016, their offense gets on base more than anyone else and it's about 14 percent better than the O's using wRC+. Using fangraphs defense runs the Red Sox are 16th in MLB while the O's are 26th. Their pitching is better by fWAR, 9th vs 16th. They are quite literally a better team across the board.

[Babypowder]

I remember earlier in the season, when we were on top, everyone was saying we don't need speed.

They don't need speed, it's overrated. If they want to score like Boston, they need to get on base. That's not the type of players they seem to value however.

[TouchemAll]

Pitching and our lapse's into deep freeze with the bats have doomed this club in the 2nd half.

In all honesty with the pitching staff that this team has had it's a wonder that we're still in position to take any wild card spot.

It has to change and QUICKLY on offense!! there are too many other teams playing better baseball right now watch out for Houston.

[Ohfan67]

They did a very nice job, especially for a team with money, of stripping down their payroll, making good trades, and developing some players. They are also getting very good production from their retiring DH. I hate them all, but kudos to them for doing good work. They are a better team than the O's. Of course this is baseball so that doesn't mean that the Orioles can't win a series against them in the (hopefully) near future.

[Aglets]

Not trying to be more of a downer but it's kind of depressing to realize that some of their best players are actually making almost NO money at all. Especially their position players.

Hopefully they regress next year I guess.

[atomic]

Not trying to be more of a downer but it's kind of depressing to realize that some of their best players are actually making almost NO money at all. Especially their position players.

Hopefully they regress next year I guess.

Well Ortiz will be gone. And Sandy Leon shouldn't put up numbers like he has next year. Of course they have Moncada who should put up big numbers.

[eddie83]

Finishing in last place helped them as well. They sandwiched a championship around 3 last place finishes. Those years they dealt for young talent or developed their own.