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Boston Red Sox: Top 10 memorable moments of 2016

By Sean Penney

Oct 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) salutes the fans after loosing to the Cleveland Indians 3-4 in game three of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) salutes the fans after loosing to the Cleveland Indians 3-4 in game three of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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October 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello (22) throws in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians during game one of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball game at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
October 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello (22) throws in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians during game one of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball game at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Cy Young pitcher

The Red Sox expected to have a Cy Young contender anchoring their rotation when they entered the season, but they had the wrong pitcher in mind. That was the role David Price was supposed to fill, but it was Rick Porcello that ended up having a career year to surpass his more accomplished teammate as the top ace on the staff.

Porcello delivered a stellar 22-4 record to lead the majors in wins. Granted he also had plenty of run support from the best offense in baseball, but Porcello did his part to earn those victories. He finished 5th in the league with a 3.15 ERA, second in WHIP at 1.01 and fourth with 223 innings.

Most impressive was his impeccable control. Porcello isn’t an overpowering hurler with a top notch strikeout rate, but he makes up for it by avoiding free passes. The result was a major league-leading 5.91 K/BB rate.

Wins tend to be an overrated statistic for measure the value of a pitcher, but collecting over 20 of them in a season remains an impressive accomplishment. Even if you ignore the win total, Porcello provided elite production in plenty of categories to be considered a worthy Cy Young Award winner.

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