We are finally close to Spring Training! Red Sox pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 13 to Fort Myers, Florida. Red Sox Nation is looking forward to the 2017 season. The Sox have three amazing pitchers on their staff in David Price, Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello. Price and Porcello are both former Cy Young winners, with the latter taking home the award just this past season. Sale also has finished in the top ten of overall ERA in each of his first five seasons in the MLB. These guys are all legitimate aces. The trio will be at the top list of the rotation for this upcoming season. The two other great pitchers are Steven Wright and Drew Pomeranz who were part of the 2016 All-Star team. Boston’s rotation looks to be very strong this season, and certainly good enough to win a World Series.
Three out of the nine American League pitchers that pitched 200 or more innings in the 2016 season are currently with the Sox. Let’s review the stats for each pitcher that is predicted to be in the rotation. David Price led the American League by pitching more than 230 innings and was able to strike out 228 batters. He had 17 wins and 9 losses, with a 3.99 ERA. He has had two complete games in 35 starts. He also walked 50 batters and had a 1.20 WHIP.
Next on the list: Chris Sale. He pitched 226 innings and had 233 strikeouts. Sale has had 17 wins and 10 losses with a 3.34 ERA in 32 starts, and pitched one shutout. He walked 45 batters and had a 1.04 WHIP.
Now let’s look at Rick Porcello, who was on fire last season and won the American League Cy Young award. He pitched 223 innings and had 189 strikeouts. He had 22 wins and 4 losses, with a 3.15 ERA. In his 33 appearances, he had a 1.01 WHIP.
The other two pitchers in the rotation are Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright. Pomeranz played for San Diego and Boston, giving him a total of 11 wins and 12 losses. He has had a 3.32 ERA in 31 appearances, but struggled mightily when coming to Boston as he saw his ERA rise to 4.59 in 14 total appearnces. He pitched 170.2 innings this past season, and struck out 186 batters with a 1.18 WHIP.
Overall the pitchers in the rotation have a positive outlook. In an interview, David Price said, “We’re going to come in everyday and expect to win.” With that kind of attitude, it seems like the Red Sox are going to try their best this season. Steven Wright suffered from a previous shoulder injury, but he should be able to bounce back. He had 20 wins and 11 losses, with a 3.58 ERA, and pitched a total of 211 innings, while striking out a total of 211 batters and having and walking 97. He also finished with a 1.27 WHIP.
This season looks good considering the Red Sox have a balance of both right-handed and left-handed pitchers. When averaging out the pitch speeds for each man in the rotation, it came out to 90.5 miles per hour. They will be bringing the heat come April. Opening day kicks off Monday April 3rd, 2017 at 2:05 p.m. The Red Sox will be facing the Pittsburgh Pirates. The projected rotation will start off with Sale, all eyes will be on him. Hopefully, the pitcher and other members of defense will make the Red Sox a powerhouse this season, and for many years to come. Things are looking good and hopefully this will allow the Red Sox to have a better chance of winning another World Series.
High Hopes For 2017 Red Sox Rotation
By Monica Ricci
|
February 8, 2017