Boston Red Sox Report Cards: Left-handed pitcher David Price

The BoSox Injection team grades the 2018 season for each member of the Boston Red Sox. Up next is left-handed starter David Price.

No member of the Boston Red Sox flipped the script on their narrative in the eyes of the fanbase more than David Price this season.

The overall numbers are solid yet not spectacular. Price went 17-6 with a 3.58 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 177 strikeouts in 176 innings this season. A case can be made for that production putting him among the top-10 starters in the American League but it still leaves him a tier below the elite. People tend to expect more when you’re one of the highest paid players in baseball.

However, Price’s value extends beyond these numbers and he ultimately proved to be worth every cent of his lucrative contract.

When Chris Sale was sidelined for the bulk of the second half with shoulder inflammation it was Price who stepped into the ace role. The veteran lefty was 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA after the break, carrying Boston’s short-handed rotation down the stretch.

Price has reinvented himself for the next stage of his career. He’s no longer the overpowering force looking to blow hitters away. Working with reduced velocity has made him adjust to being craftier, painting the edges of the strike zone with his fastball and fooling opposing hitters with a changeup that looks identical to his fastball coming out of his hand. He’s as likely to catch a baffled batter looking as he is to overwhelm them with a pitch that sends them down swinging.

Postseason

No matter how well Price pitched this season, the critics would never back down until he proved himself in October. Consider the haters silenced.

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This playoff run didn’t get off to a rousing success for Price. He allowed three runs and was pulled with two outs in the second inning in the ALDS against the New York Yankees. The Houston Astros rouged him up for four runs in less than five innings in Game 2 of the ALCS. Boston would go on to win that game, marking the first time Price’s team had won a postseason game he started, yet he didn’t stick around long enough to earn the credit. Through two starts it seemed as if we were seeing the same old postseason Price.

That concept didn’t last much longer. Price out-pitched Justin Verlander in Game 5 against the Astros, tossing six shutout innings to win his first career playoff game as a starter. He kept rolling in Game 2 of the World Series with six innings of two-run ball for another win. With the pressure reaching highs he had never been exposed to before, Price pitched another gem to beat Clayton Kershaw in the World-Series clinching Game 5.

So yeah, it’s safe to say he can handle the pressures of the postseason.

Grade

While his season stat line seems more deserving of a solid B grade, Price’s strong second half and brilliant postseason effort push him over the edge into the A range. A pitcher who tallies three postseason wins, including two in the World Series, deserves a bit of extra credit. Especially when we’re talking about a pitcher with Price’s history.

The postseason demons have been vanquished and Price is back to being a strong ace-caliber pitcher worthy of his salary.

Looking ahead to 2019

Price announced during Wednesday’s championship celebration that he intends to opt into his contract, which included a clause that would allow him to jump into the free agent waters this winter.

There are four years and $127 million remaining on Price’s deal that he is now locked into. No more opt-outs, no more escape plans. This is where he wants to be and he’s not going anywhere.

Next season’s starting rotation hasn’t been set in stone but we know that Price will be a part of it. He’ll team with Sale to form a two-headed monster leading the Red Sox pitching staff in the quest for another championship.