The Boston Red Sox have plenty of prospects that the following season could be good too. Just exactly who will make it their year in 2019 though?
It’s easy to miss a pitching prospect or two when the Boston Red Sox system boasts arms like Jay Groome, Tanner Houck, Alex Scherff, and Darwinzon Hernandez. Eduard Bazardo has done enough to earn your attention though.
Bazardo joined the Red Sox system in 2015. Coincidentally, that’s the only year he had an ERA over 3.00.
2016 was his way of correcting that ERA. The right-handed pitcher spent both years in the Dominican Summer League. In 2015, he posted a 4.37 ERA. In 2016 he dropped it to 0.79.
2017 looked to be more dominance (1.00 ERA over 18 innings in the DSL) before he was sent to the Gulf Coast League. Things didn’t go as smoothly there, but a 3.08 ERA is still superb, and they evened out to a 2.41 ERA combined between the two leagues.
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Then came last season, with Bazardo finally out of Rookie Ball. Bazardo made nine appearances in Short-A and five in Full-A (all 14 appearances were starts).
In those 14 starts, Bazardo posted a 6-5 record and a 2.67 ERA. This wasn’t just a case of limiting damage though, he simply wasn’t putting himself in many situations that could hurt him.
Bazardo posted a .217 BAA and a 0.93 WHIP, both numbers that show just how dominant he was.
If that’s not enough for you though, there’s icing for that cake. The starter posted career-highs in innings pitched (77 2/3) and strikeouts (84). Despite highs in those categories, he posted the lowest walk total of his career, only allowing eight free passes.
He also threw at least five innings in 12-of-14 starts. The two odd-starts-out were both four-inning efforts, one coming in his first outing of the year, in which he piled up 10 strikeouts.
The 23-year-old has been discounted due to his size (listed at 6’0″, 155 lbs), but clearly has a big presence on the mound. Bazardo has a nice assortment of pitches (solid fastball and changeup to go with a devastating curve) and hasn’t had a problem at any level he’s been in so far.
So why will 2019 be Bazardo’s year?
Recognition.
The Red Sox have a lot of pitching prospects that can overshadow others. Due to that, it’s easy for someone in the lowest levels of the system to be overlooked. Bazardo finally getting out of Rookie Ball last year helped his case a little, and now 2019 will kick that into overdrive.
The pitcher should start the year in Full-A and could see promotions to Advanced-A or even Double-A. Being in higher levels of the minors will get him more recognition as fans will have a better chance to see him.
Chances are they’ll like what they see. Then it will be hard for anyone to deny that 2019 could be the year of Eduard Bazardo.