Boston’s Wilyer Abreu, left, celebrates with Ceddanne Rafaela during a game earlier this season. Abreu is part of a young group of Red Sox who have kept the team in playoff contention. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

BOSTON — A few months ago, the idea of the Boston Red Sox entering their mid-August series with the Baltimore Orioles with a winning record and a chance to make the postseason was a long shot. During the offseason, the Red Sox did not conduct themselves like a team expecting to contend. And they did not look like a team ready to emerge when they lost some of their few proven pieces – pitcher Lucas Giolito in March and shortstop Trevor Story in April. But as of Saturday, they were six games over .500 and 2 1/2 games out of the final AL wild-card spot. Somehow, they are in it.

In fairness, sitting a handful of games above .500 and a few games out of a playoff spot would not normally constitute success for an organization that won four World Series titles in 15 seasons from 2004 to 2018. The Red Sox are supposed to be able – and, perhaps more importantly, willing – to outspend mediocrity. By that measure, the organization continues to be a relative shadow of the juggernaut that bludgeoned its way through the unforgiving AL East for decades.

But for an organization that finished under .500 three of the last four seasons, continued to reduce its payroll, fired its chief baseball officer and saw its biggest offseason acquistion (Giolito) succumb to elbow surgery … well, playoff contention qualifies as an achievement.

That achievement inspired the front office to commit to Manager Alex Cora, signing him to a three-year contract extension last month. Had he become a free agent this winter, Cora would probably have garnered as much or more interest than Craig Counsell, to whom the Cubs gave five years and $40 million despite already having a manager in place.

But after multiple seasons of uncomfortable, partial rebuilding that was not yielding a clear-cut next core, Cora and his staff are overseeing the emergence of a capable group of young big leaguers.

Outfielder Jarren Duran, who was suspended for two games this week after yelling an anti-gay slur at a fan, emerged as a force at the top of the lineup, breaking out in his age-27 season. He is hitting .291 with an .855 OPS and leading the AL in doubles and triples. Ceddanne Rafaela plays Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field when he isn’t helping fill in for Story at shortstop. The 23-year-old rookie is hitting .262 with 13 homers, 17 stolen bases and a .705 OPS, none of which are the best rookie numbers in his own lineup.

Rafael Devers is one of the few veteran players making an impact in the Red Sox lineup. Sam Hodde/Associated Press

Fellow rookie outfielder Wilyer Abreu is second among big league rookies with an .844 OPS and is hitting .269 with 14 homers. Speedy rookie infielder David Hamilton leads all major league rookies with 31 stolen bases. Outside of veteran staple Rafael Devers – the lone player from the last Red Sox core that the front office splurged enough to sign long term – a large portion of Boston’s offense this season has come from players who are under team control long-term – and that’s despite injured 24-year-old first baseman Triston Casas, one of the more highly touted youngsters of the bunch, missing most of this season because of an injury. Casas was activated Friday night.

“Some guys have taken some big steps forward,” said veteran starter James Paxton, who played for the Red Sox last year before signing with the Dodgers this offseason, only to be traded back to Boston late last month. “There’s a lot of talent in this room. It’s young, exciting talent. You don’t know exactly what is going to happen, but it’s fun.”

Despite expectations for another lost Boston season, that young lineup was doing enough by mid-June to keep the Red Sox around .500. Then, in mid-June, the Red Sox played the Yankees in one of the Sunday Night Baseball matchups that used to be such dramatic television but hasn’t been lately.

The Yankees entered that game 27 games over .500, cruising as much as they have in years. The Red Sox ran right over them, stealing nine bases in a 9-3 win that offered a high-profile demonstration of how that young, agile lineup might find regular success.

“This is an electric team,” said catcher Danny Jansen, who faced the Red Sox for several years with the Toronto Blue Jays before being dealt to Boston at the trade deadline. “They can push the envelope on the bases. They’re fast. They steal bases. And a lot of their guys can play a lot of positions, so you can get pretty tactical with pinch-hitting and moving things around.”

That Boston was adding anyone at the deadline was an achievement in itself for a young roster bolstered by veterans who might have, under other circumstances, been dealt with an eye on the future. Instead, the Red Sox traded for Jansen and relievers Lucas Sims and Luis García. They also acquired Paxton when the Los Angeles Dodgers designated him for assignment. Paxton has since torn his calf, another blow to a pitching staff that somehow keeps surviving.

Remaking that pitching staff seemed like a key part of Craig Breslow’s charge as chief baseball officer when the Red Sox wooed him from his role in the Cubs front office this winter. Breslow was a major influence on the remodeling of the Cubs’ pitching development system, one that became far more capable and fruitful for his efforts, according to multiple people who worked with him there.

But his ability to implement dramatic change was limited, in part by the massive cost of free-agent starting pitcher this winter. When he decided to offload veteran ace Chris Sale in exchange for the second baseman of their future, Vaughn Grissom, it seemed Breslow’s front office was willing to absorb some growing pains from its starters. When Giolito suffered a torn UCL shortly after Breslow signed him, it seemed like the rotation would be a weakness Boston could not overcome. Instead, it has helped them overachieve.

“From what I remember, they always had a good staff,” Jansen said. “But I see they definitely have a way of doing things: Where are your strengths? Let’s utilize them.”

Tanner Houck’s emergences as a staff ace has helped the Red Sox remain in contention this season. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Tanner Houck emerged as a true ace, becoming a first-time All-Star at age 28 after altering his pitch mix to better use the sweeper on which he relies most heavily. He owns a 3.01 ERA, eighth-lowest among qualified starters. Kutter Crawford, while struggling with allowing homers, is also having the best statistical season of his career at age 28. Twenty-five year-old Brayan Bello has battled inconsistency but is striking out more batters than he did in 2023.

Journeyman Cooper Criswell, who had never thrown more than 33 major league innings in a season while in the Angels and Rays organizations before this season, has emerged as a key bulk innings man, with a 4.56 ERA in 75 innings, and will probably be Boston’s regular fifth starter with Paxton injured. Outside of Houck, none of Crawford or Bello or Nick Pivetta has been elite. But in the aggregate, thanks in part to a changing pitching mindset, they have been enough.

“They’ve been trying to help us actually understand what your best stuff is and essentially attacking the strike zone with it,” said Criswell, whom the Red Sox advised to up his changeup usage in an effort to help him be more effective, more often. “That sounds pretty easy, but in trying to keep it simple, guys don’t have to think as much out there and just attack. That’s the easiest way to explain it: Trying to throw your best stuff, in the zone.”

That approach might not be enough to completely revitalize a rotation that still lacks the star power and experience of those ahead of Boston in the standings. The return of Casas will bolster a lineup that has been good enough to stay afloat so far. Story is supposed to take live batting practice next week. He could still return, too. Six weeks from now, the Red Sox could be on the verge of playing in October despite expectations that they would be out of the race by July. They could also fall out of reach. Either way, their unlikely contention has lasted longer than expected, which is important: The halfhearted, herky-jerky rebuild that consumed their last half decade lasted longer than expected, too.