One of the biggest questions for the Boston Red Sox heading into Spring Training is whether or not Rick Porcello can continue his winning ways in 2017.
If their was one surprise of the 2016 season for the Boston Red Sox, it was the emergence of Rick Porcello.
Porcello, who had a terrible 2015 season where he saw his ERA north of four, figured it out a season ago to earn the American League Cy Young Award and post the best record by a Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez went 23-4 in 1999.
Porcello is back in the rotation this year, hungry for the 2017 season where he is joined by the two left-handed monsters of David Price and Chris Sale. But the question remains, can Porcello repeat his career year?
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Prior to last season, Porcello showed he was just an average, middle of the rotation type guy throughout his career. After coming off a dreadful 2015 season where he signed a 4-year, $82 million deal, we expected nothing more or less than that last year. However, Porcello showed the confidence and tools that proved he was worthy of his money, as he pitched into the seventh inning in 23 of his 33 starts and logged a career high 223 innings (6th in Major League Baseball).
Porcello thanks his breakout year to his ‘go to’ pitches that found him success early on his career – his wipe-out slider, a changeup that keeps hitter always off balance and his sinker that induces ground ball outs. According to ESPN Stats and Information, batters hit .190 against his slider which was down from .333 the prior season. Porcello also got 103 outs via his changeup that opponents hit .174 against which was down from .304 in 2015.
It seems Porcello really figured out how to pitch last season and found the tools necessary to be successful consistently in the big leagues and still has the same expectations for himself this upcoming season.
"“My expectations have always remained consistent, regardless of what season I’ve had prior to that, I’m thinking about the same sort of things going out and being a quality pitcher for us every fifth day and giving us a chance to win,” said Porcello, per ESPN’s Scott Lauber."
With the help of two other ‘ace’ type pitchers in the rotation, it will definitely help take the pressure off of Porcello to be the man he was a season ago to help get the Red Sox atop the AL East once again.
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Run support should most definitely come to Porcello again this year with the Red Sox stacked line up. So as long as Porcello can repeat his routine and execute his pitches again this year, he should most definitely be Cy Young material again this season.