The Boston Red Sox are finally showing signs of life. After a brutal start to the season—going just 12-19 across March and April—the team has bounced back in May with a 5-4 record, sparking renewed optimism among fans and analysts alike.

It's been over two weeks since the Red Sox parted ways with longtime manager Alex Cora, and the early returns under interim skipper Chad Tracy are promising. In fact, some MLB experts believe Boston still has a legitimate shot at the postseason despite their slow start.

The Athletic's latest MLB power rankings reflect this surge, bumping the Red Sox up nine spots from 26th to 17th this week. That's a significant jump for a team that looked lost just a few weeks ago.

Red Sox reporter Chad Jennings highlighted several reasons for optimism. "Garrett Crochet is playing catch again, and when he returns from the IL, he could replace Brayan Bello (7.44 ERA) in a rotation that has four other starters with ERAs below 3.60," Jennings wrote. "A rotation like that is a fine place to start turning things around, especially with Justin Slaten back from injury to improve the late innings."

Offensively, there's room for growth too. Jennings pointed out that it's unlikely Jarren Duran and Caleb Durbin will hit below .200 all season, and top prospect Roman Anthony is knocking on the door. "There's ample room to improve the offense," he added.

Perhaps the biggest advantage for Boston? The rest of the American League is struggling just as much. "Like a lot of other underperforming teams in the American League, the Red Sox can take comfort in looking at the standings to see that the vast majority of the AL is below .500," Jennings noted. "Get the rotation together and get a few bats going, and they can be right back in the wild card free-for-all."

For Red Sox fans, the message is clear: don't count this team out just yet. With a revamped rotation, a healthy bullpen, and a weak AL field, Boston's comeback story might just be getting started.