Red Sox Led The Majors In This Surprising Stat In 2024, New Report Says

Did it ever feel like these Red Sox were oddly good at replay reviews?

Sep 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) argues his case to umpire Alan Porter (64) during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

As an 81-81 ballclub, there weren't many statistics the Boston Red Sox led Major League Baseball in during the 2024 season.

Fenway Park is a high-scoring environment, so the Red Sox's offensive numbers look decent on the whole. But they didn't lead MLB in any major offensive categories, and anyone who watched the pitching staff in July and August knows they didn't lead in any run prevention numbers, either.

However, the Red Sox did manage to lead the league in one under-the-radar stat in 2024. It's not something fans think about daily, but it has the potential to swing games in a team's favor on any given night.

An Associated Press report published Wednesday found that the Red Sox were 67.9% successful in overturning calls via replay, making them the best team in the league. The league average was 53.7%, meaning the Red Sox were successful 14% more often than their big-league competition.

The rest of the top five was comprised of the New York Yankees (66.7% success rate), Seattle Mariners (65.7%) Arizona Diamondbacks (64.1%), and Philadelphia Phillies (62.3%).

Red Sox replay coordinator Mike Brenly has drawn rave reviews from manager Alex Cora in the past, and it's no surprise to see his hard work paying off at the end of a successful season. A former Red Sox farmhand and the son of ex-big-league manager Bob Brenly, Mike Brenly shifted from coaching to replay review duties to great success.

One memorable replay moment from the Red Sox's season came in August, when ex-fan favorite Dominic Smith appeared to be thrown out by several at home plate on a clumsy slide following a wild pitch. But Brenly quickly told Cora to challenge the call, and replay showed that Smith indeed was able to evade the tag with an awkward swim move.

Though it only helps in a select few cases, the Red Sox will be glad to have a trustworthy replay operation on their side again in 2025. Perhaps it will even help them get back to the playoffs at long last.

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