Red Sox: Clay Buchholz explains new approach for next start

The last time Clay Buchholz was in the Boston Red Sox rotation it didn’t go well, but his time in the bullpen has helped him find a new approach.

Clay Buchholz is under no illusion as it pertains to his start on Saturday. He’s well aware that this is merely a spot start, one necessitated by an injury to Steven Wright, rather than a sign that the Boston Red Sox have regained faith in him to rejoin the rotation.

That doesn’t mean he won’t attempt to make the most of this opportunity.

The enigmatic Buchholz has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career, mixed in with frustrating inconsistencies and several trips to the disabled list. His time spent in the rotation this season has been almost exclusively the bad version of Buchholz, which has twice cost him his starting role. After briefly reclaiming a rotation spot as the Red Sox shuffled through a revolving door of fifth starters, Buchholz was again banished to the bullpen following his last start on July 2, the infamous 21-2 beat-down at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels.

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Adjusting to a new role proved to be as difficult as accepting his fate as a reliever, but Buchholz has started to find a comfort zone in the bullpen. After a couple of rocky outings, he has strung together five scoreless appearances covering 6 1/3 innings.

As much as he initially resisted the change, moving into a relief role may have ultimately been the best way to salvage his career. Buchholz explained to reporters that his time in the bullpen has taught him to simplify his approach on the mound. Rather than eliminate pitches from his arsenal based on scouting reports, Buchholz intends to dictate the matchup.

"“It’s more what I want to do rather than letting the hitter determine what I’m going to throw,” explained Buchholz. “I battled that early in my career and I let that get to me early in my career. The years I’ve gone out and had good years are years I’m going out knowing what I want to do and I’m throwing the pitches I want to throw regardless of who’s hitting.”"

This approach clashes with today’s analytics driven philosophy, where teams carry binders stuffed with data detailing how to attack hitter’s weaknesses. Buchholz isn’t concerning himself with those details, he’s just going out there to pitch.

While this may not be the direction most pitchers would go in, the approach may actually benefit Buchholz. He’s always had talent, but has often been held back by the mental aspect of the game. His issues have generally been in his head, not with his physical ability. Perhaps the solution is as simple as telling him to stop thinking so much on the mound and just throw the ball.

"“I’m in a little bit better place right now as far as delivery and things I’ve been trying to tweak,” said Buchholz. “I just think everything is coming to a head as far as the stuff I’ve been working on, not really having to think about it. I’m just going out and pitching rather than going out and thinking about mechanical issues or fixes. Right now it’s becoming second nature to me.”"

Is it really that simple? This new approach could finally get Buchholz to settle down on the mound and pitch to the potential we’ve witnessed in the past.

Or it could backfire with disastrous results if it quickly becomes clear he is unprepared and baffled by how to avoid throwing the ball to a hitter exactly where they want it. A rough start could send Buchholz retreating back into his own head where he has so often been lost.

The game plan Buchholz followed during his last stints in the rotation this year didn’t pan out, so what risk is there in trying something new? Expectations couldn’t be lower when he takes the mound on Saturday, so if this adjustment works then we’ll end up pleasantly surprised.

Next: Will Red Sox have a Benintendi bounce?

What an ironic twist it would be if the lessons Buchholz learned in the bullpen led to him finding success again as a starter. The results of this next start aren’t going to cement his spot back in the rotation – not with Wright expected to be back relatively soon – but the Red Sox may need to count on Buchholz again at some point before the season ends.