NEW YORK -- Eyes are being opened.

For Carl Crawford, the latest enlightenment was something as simple as putting on the gray "Boston" uniform that turns the dial for Yankee Stadium fans.

"The [Yankees] fans got on me [with Tampa Bay], but now it's was more personal. It was a little different," the left fielder said during the Sox' latest sweep of the Yanks in their home stadium. The tone when they're screaming at you, it's a little harsher than when you come with Tampa Bay.

"I've learned being on this team, we're not as liked that much away from home. Being on this team, I've heard some stuff that surprises me. That still is going to take a little time to get used to, but it's not going to change."

As Crawford has discovered, unless you're a fan of the favorites, folks generally root against such teams. And, after the last three wins over the Yankees, it's hard to come away from the Bronx not believing the Sox don't fall into that 'favorite' category.

The Red Sox have officially offered their first real eye-opening experience thanks to the past three days.

All of a sudden, they have the best record in the American League (36-26), and since April 15, no team in baseball can match the mark put up by the Sox (34-17).

You can continue to go through the stats to help paint the picture of how the Red Sox might be separating themselves from the pack. They have the best team batting average in the AL (.271), they've scored the most runs (315), and they claim the highest OPS in the majors (.784).

And while the pitching numbers might reside primarily in the middle of the pack, it can be noted that the Sox' starting pitchers have the second-most wins (27) in the major leagues.

But the season statistics really aren't what slapped baseball in the face these past few days. Rather, it was the sampling of how good this team could be.

In three games, the Sox scored 25 runs, slugged .543 and carried an OPS of .917, all major-league bests.

What many thought could happen is happening.

Jacoby Ellsbury, the player Red Sox manager Terry Francona singled out as perhaps his team's biggest difference-maker when hitting well at the top of the lineup, has become just that, a difference-maker. He finished the latest Yankees series going 7-for-14 while stealing a pair of bases.

Ellsbury's batting average (.329) is second only to the Mets' Jose Reyes among leadoff hitters. His .370 on-base percentage is 15 points higher than the outfielder's perceived breakout season of 2009. He has scored more runs than any Red Sox and stolen more bases (24) than any player but Houston's Michael Bourn.

Adrian Gonzalez, well, has been Adrian Gonzalez … and then some. There's the .952 OPS, the .336 batting average and the MLB-best 55 RBI. And just for good measure, he hasn't made an error.

Other questions continued to be answered with authority.

David Ortiz had another good series, launching two home runs, scoring four runs and going 4-for-12 with six RBI. In case you haven't noticed, the DH is having a pretty good year, totaling the third-best OPS in the AL (1.006).

Hope has also been restored with the bottom of the order, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Carl Crawford and whomever is playing shortstop showing an offensive upswing. And the final game of the series offered an example of the value of Jed Lowrie and Marco Scutaro, with the pair offering hope of a legitimate double-play combination if Dustin Pedroia's knee goes south.

As for the pitchers who contributed to the sweep, Jon Lester showed signs of top-of-the-rotation stuff, while Tim Wakefield continued to offer the kind of value that it would cost a high-level prospect to attain at the trading deadline if the knuckleballer wasn't in attendance.

And the ace hasn't gone anywhere, with Josh Beckett continuing to lead the AL in ERA 2.06 while carrying a neon-sign-like feather in his cap to highlight the season-long excellence. After going giving up just a Curtis Granderson two-run homer in seven innings Thursday, Beckett now has an ERA of 0.86 in three starts against the Yankees. This after carrying a 6.26 ERA vs. New York in his 22 previous starts against the Yanks as a member of the Sox.

The series highlighted some potential bumps in the road, with the injury to reliever Bobby Jenks thinning out the bullpen. But with the emergence of Alfredo Aceves, potential of Tommy Hottovy, and presence of Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, the kind of desperation that has suddenly struck the Yanks bullpen isn't in the building.

It's not perfect, and there is still some fixing to be done. But as we sit here, more than at any other point in the season, the Red Sox appear to be sitting on top of the MLB heap.