The postseason starts Sept. 29, and the Red Sox’ first potential home game wouldn’t be until Oct. 7. Congrats on your season; here’s a five-game, two-city road trip.

MLB’s 12-team playoff bracket rewards winning a weak division more than it does having a better record. The Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox have the three best records in the league. Only one will get to the AL Championship Series.

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A far lesser team will have a much easier path.

There’s every chance the AL West winner will be the third seed in the league bracket with a record one or two games over .500. The Astros or Rangers will undeservedly get at least two home games.

When I covered the UConn men’s basketball team, coach Jim Calhoun celebrated important nonconference victories but always with the caveat that Big East games were the true tests.

“You have to beat your neighbors,” Calhoun used to say. (He’s a big Sox fan, by the way.)

That stuck with me over the years — the idea that games against your direct competitors mattered most, so don’t overinflate the other games. When MLB teams played six series against division opponents, winning the division was a significant accomplishment. Every Red Sox-Yankees series felt like a referendum on the season.

Can we still say that now, with teams playing 52 games within the division and 48 interleague games? The Sox played four games in the Bronx from Aug. 28-30, and one was a sellout. Fans understand those games don’t carry the weight they once did.

The Sox played their final home series against a division opponent the weekend of July 24-26 against the Blue Jays, and had only seven division games scheduled for September.

The National League doesn’t have that problem this season. The Brewers, Dodgers, and Braves are lined up to win their respective divisions and have the top three seeds.

The NBA ignores division standings and seeds teams by winning percentage in each conference. Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock would like to see baseball go that route.

“I don’t think it’ll happen until they do the expansion,” he said. “I think it would be cool, because now we’ve changed the whole schedule, anyways.”

The ongoing labor negotiations offer the league and MLB Players Association an opportunity to examine the postseason format. It’s a discussion worth having.

Braiden Ward’s 19 stolen bases in spring training games caught the attention of the Red Sox, and he has followed up with 60 at Triple-A.Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

ON THE RUN?

Maybe Ward will get a chance

Early in spring training, then-Red Sox manager Alex Cora called Braiden Ward the next Dave Roberts. Then Ward stole 19 bases in 22 tries, and it made sense. Theo Epstein was always a big fan of the postseason pinch runner, and Ward profiled as the next player to take that role.

Ward went 60 for 69 in swipes for Triple-A Worcester, and the Sox are considering adding the outfielder to the roster.

“I’d cry; I’d freak out,” Ward said. “I was joking with [my] dad about it. In a perfect world, I’d like to go up a little bit earlier just so my first taste in the big leagues isn’t Game 3 of a Wild Card [Series], in a one-run ball game in NYC, looking up at the lights and being like, ‘Oh my gosh, where am I?’ ”

Ward, a 27-year-old career minor leaguer, makes a good point. If the team is going to call him up, let him play in a game or two before Game 1.

“I know I could handle it,” he said. “I just want to do whatever it takes to help the team. It would be fun.”

A few other observations on the Red Sox:

▪ Sonny Gray has pitched well against the Yankees this season (three earned runs over 13⅔ innings in two starts), and has a 3.26 ERA in six career postseason starts. He absolutely deserves to start a Game 1, and surely will.

But it’s hard not to think Payton Tolle would rise to the challenge of facing Cam Schlittler in the Bronx and throw an absolute gem. Nothing against Gray, who has been better than the Sox could have possibly hoped. But Tolle vs. Schlittler would be like a big heavyweight fight.

▪ There are 136 qualified hitters in the majors this season. Through the Rangers series, Jarren Duran was last in on-base percentage (.259) and next-to-last in OPS (.618) and wRC+ (66). And that’s with hitting 20 home runs.

Duran has played well in left field, which gives him a 0.2 bWAR, but it’s becoming indefensible that the Sox keep running him out there even with center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela on the injured list.

▪ The Sox will have Franklin Arias report to Fenway South in Fort Myers, Fla., after the Triple-A season ends Sunday. The plan is to have the middle infielder work out there for a month.

Arias doesn’t need the extra work after playing a full season, but keeping him active will serve as insurance if the Sox need an injury replacement in the postseason.

Ideally, they would prefer Arias to be able to play in Triple-A if the 2027 season doesn’t start on time. But if Arias could help win a playoff series, that becomes a priority.

▪ Minor League Baseball named Single-A Salem catcher Kleyver Salazar to the Carolina League All-Star team. The 20-year-old from Venezuela hit .293 with 38 extra-base hits and an .883 OPS over 96 games. He was signed in 2023.

MILB also recognized High-A Greenville second baseman Mason White, who hit .270 with 14 home runs and posted an .887 OPS before being promoted to Double-A Portland. White, who was a fourth-round pick in 2025, will play in the Arizona Fall League.

The Sox will also send infielders Antonio Anderson and Nazzan Zanetello to the AFL, along with righthanders Harry Blum, Madinson Frias, Nick Judice, and Trevor O’Donnell, and lefthander Caden Vire.

Judice, Frias, Vire, and Zanetello all missed significant time this season because of injuries. Anderson had a breakout season after struggling at the plate for three years.

Zanetello was the 50th overall pick of the 2023 draft and signed for $3 million, more than 23 players taken before him. He has a .619 OPS in 210 games since.

Terry Francona, the two-time World Series-winning manager of the Red Sox, is wrapping up a second season guiding the Reds.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

ETC.

Francona wants to see it through with Reds

Terry Francona’s surprise return to managing in Cincinnati in 2025 resulted in a winning season and a playoff berth. The Reds made a quick exit against the Dodgers but looked like a team on the rise.

Francona’s second season will end with only his third last-place finish in 25 years as a manager. The Reds have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments.

Francona is intent on returning next season, saying he was pleased that president of baseball operations Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador will be back.

“I value especially, maybe at my age now, the people,” said Francona, who is 67. “It doesn’t mean you don’t go through tough times, because you do. But when you do, you want to be with people that you’re aligned with and you care about, and they care about you.”

He sees 2027 as a pivotal season for the franchise.

“When you go through your second year, and things don’t go the way you want to, I’ve seen a lot of times things go off the rails,” Francona said. “That’s why I want to be part of the solution, and I know [Krall and Meador] do, too. I mean, that’s why we’re here.”

Francona is 11th all-time in managerial victories and needs only 21 more to pass Hall of Famer Joe McCarthy for 10th place.

J.D. Martinez played five of his 14 major league seasons with the Red Sox, winning a World Series with the team in 2018.Jim Davis/Globe Staff

J.D. Martinez, who retired after the 2024 season, will have jobs to choose from if he decides to return to baseball in the front office or as a coach. Martinez is bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. But he’s also bilingual in the sense that he speaks the language of analytics with the sensibilities of having played 14 years in the majors … Mets fans did not miss Tuesday night, chanting Pete Alonso’s name after he belted his 300th career homer until he emerged from the dugout for a curtain call. Then they broke into chants of “Fire Stearns” to express their displeasure that president of baseball operations David Stearns let Alonso go to the Orioles as a free agent without putting up much of a fight. “To have that kind of reaction to an opposing player, could be anybody, is crazy to me,” Mets pitcher Sean Manaea said. “I’ve got nothing but respect for Pete. Just never seen anything like that before.” It was a very public moment of embarrassment for the entire organization, something the Mets have specialized in over the years. Owner Steve Cohen’s massive investment in the roster and organizational upgrades hasn’t changed the mojo. Meanwhile, Alonso got the ball back from the fan who grabbed it and promised the man and his friends VIP treatment for a game at Camden Yards next season … Schlittler feels like a lock for the Cy Young Award at this point. The righthander from Walpole and Northeastern has thrown 18⅓ more innings than Dylan Cease and his ERA is nearly half a run lower. Schlittler also has a 1.84 ERA on the road. That’s the lowest for a qualified starter since Greg Maddux’s 1.12 in 1995. “He might be MVP, too,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Astros DH Yordan Alvarez has the edge there, but you can make a good case for Schlitter to finish second … Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (core muscle surgery), Astros infielder Carlos Correa (left ankle), Blue Jays righthander Jameson Taillon (elbow), and Cubs righthanded reliever Shelby Miller (elbow surgery) have all been shut down for the season. The Cubs signed Miller to a two-year, $2.5 million contract hoping he would return this season, but it didn’t happen … The Dodgers had only a brief champagne toast after clinching their 14th consecutive postseason berth Monday with a victory against the Reds in Cincinnati. The players collected the requisite T-shirts and hats, then cleaned up and headed back to the team hotel instead of spraying champagne and carrying on to celebrate what for them is a routine achievement. Tarik Skubal, who was traded to the Dodgers in August, was a bit surprised. “It’s different than anything I’ve experienced for sure,” the lefthander told reporters. “But I think it just speaks to the people in this room and what they expect out of this team. That was cool. A little toast and move on.” The Dodgers joined the 1991-2005 Braves as the only teams to qualify for 14 consecutive postseasons. The Dodgers had a more raucous celebration on Wednesday when they clinched the National League West title … Ryan Watson has pitched well for the Angels since being claimed off waivers from the Red Sox on Aug. 7. The righthander, who made the Sox as a Rule 5 pick, allowed three earned runs on 11 hits over his first 14⅓ innings for Los Angeles with three walks and 17 strikeouts. “Boston will always hold a special place in my heart because they gave me a chance,” Watson said when the Angels were at Fenway Park earlier this month. “They taught me how to be a big leaguer, so I greatly appreciate that.” Watson credited Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey for his success. “Great pitching mind,” he said. “He’s good at what he does. I’m proud of the work that I put in.” … The Dodgers designated Millbury’s Ryan Ward for assignment Wednesday. The 28-year-old former Bryant College outfielder made his major league debut April 19 and had a .738 OPS over 20 major league games. Ward has hit for power in Triple-A and won’t lack for opportunities … In a scoreless game, White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters drew an 18-pitch walk off Guardians righthander Gavin Williams in the sixth inning Monday. Chicago went on to score six runs in the inning. Peters fouled off 12 two-strike pitches. Since pitch counts were tracked in 1988, it was tied for the most pitches in a walk since Adam Kennedy of the Angels also had an 18-pitch free pass in 2004 off Luis Vizcaino of the Brewers … Tijuana beat Tabasco to win the Mexican League championship Tuesday with a lineup that included Justin Turner and Franchy Cordero. At 41, Turner hit .295 with an .865 OPS over 65 regular-season games. He often commuted from his home in southern California for the games. Cordero, now 32, had a .953 OPS and belted 17 homers. He has not played in the majors since 2023 … Edwin Diaz has a week to prove to the Dodgers he belongs on the postseason roster. The three-time All-Star closer has appeared in only 16 games because of injuries, none since Aug. 17, and was hit hard. Worse, Diaz has pitched poorly during a rehab assignment in Triple-A this month. He has only four saves since being signed to a three-year, $60.03 million contract in December. Tanner Scott, who has no postseason saves, has been closing since mid-June … MLB and MLBPA joined their counterparts from the MLS, NBA, NFL, and NHL in calling for gamblers who threaten athletes to be banned for life from betting sites. That should be the minimum. The best way to end such abuse would be to arrest a few people who make such threats and make a public example of them. A gambler banned from a sportsbook will still bet through a friend … Mark Wahlberg is set to play Pete Rose in a film that could begin production before the end of the year. Wahlberg said the story would center on Rose setting the all-time hits record, his time managing the Reds and subsequent suspension for gambling. If the story sticks to the facts, it would be compelling; a hagiography not so much … Happy birthday to Jeffrey Springs, who is 34. The Red Sox acquired the lefthander a few weeks before spring training in 2020 in exchange for first baseman Sam Travis. Both players had aged out of prospect status at that stage of their careers and had not been particularly impressive in their major league opportunities. That trend continued for Springs in 2020, and he was traded to the Rays as part of a four-player deal after the season that returned infielder Nick Sogard. Springs has since posted a 3.94 ERA in 145 games for the Rays and Athletics. Sogard emerged as a valuable utility player for the Sox this season. Springs has yet to appear in a postseason. Sogard has him there as he started twice against the Yankees in the Wild Card Series last season and was 2 for 6 with a double.

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social‬.