Athletics vs Boston Red Sox Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 9/16/25, 3:16 PM  by Erik Gibbs | Modified on 9/16/25 at 9:40 PM in MLB Picks

The Oakland Athletics head to Fenway Park today for the opener of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox, and both teams come into this matchup with very different priorities. Oakland sits at 70–80 on the season, well out of the playoff picture and on the verge of mathematical elimination from postseason contention.

Boston, meanwhile, is 82–68 and firmly in the thick of the American League Wild Card race, holding the second of three available spots. The Red Sox are also a force at home with a 45–30 record at Fenway, and they currently sit fifth in the AL standings.

Despite their struggles throughout the year, the Athletics enter this series with some momentum. They have won three straight games and four of their last five, showing some late-season fight even as their chances slip away. Oakland did, however, drop two out of three games to Boston just last week, which highlights the uphill climb they face in this matchup. Overall, Oakland is positioned 11th in the league and has struggled to sustain winning stretches across the long campaign.

The Red Sox are trending in the opposite direction. They are coming off a hard-fought split with the New York Yankees, highlighted by a 6–4 win on Sunday that gave them an energy boost heading into the final weeks of the regular season. With just a handful of games left in September, Boston finds itself sprinting to the finish line in an intense Wild Card race.

They sit a few games above the cutoff line and are close to moving up in the standings, but every win matters as multiple teams remain within striking distance. Facing an Athletics squad that has struggled against playoff-level opponents, Boston knows they cannot afford to drop this series.