Ranking the Red Sox bullpen from least to most trustworthy
The Boston Red Sox bullpen has been a point of contention among fans this season. Looking at the roster there is a clear separation based on reliability.
The Red Sox are currently sitting in third place behind the Yankees and the Rays. With just 5.5 games separating them from the top of the mountain, one topic has consistently been on the tongues of the fans, the bullpen.
Currently, the Red Sox pen own 12 blown saves this season which as we know is a giant number compared to the GB column. We could be looking at an entirely different season had it not been for the blown saves. For what it’s worth the team only had 20 in all of last season, but that’s kind of how 2019 is going these days.
So, after today’s roster moves the Sox are currently carrying eight relief pitchers in the active bullpen. They’ve all had varying levels of success throughout this season and there are definitely varying levels of trust when it comes to certain pitchers. Looking at the arms in the pen going into this Minnesota series I’ve placed the relievers into three categories:
- The Untouchables – I have little to no faith when they take the mound
- This Could Be Ok – just as it sounds, this could really go either way
- Search and Rescue – These are the guys that I have full faith in no matter the scenario
The Untouchables
As I said before these are the guys that when I see them come into the game I begin to get the sweats. Not because they’re bad pitchers in the grand scheme but because I just can’t find enough faith to trust them.
Hector Velazquez: Hector is making his return to the team today after being on the Injured List. Coming into this season he was carrying a 10-3 record with 72 strikeouts. This season hasn’t been as strong for Velazquez as he is carrying a 1-3 record and a 5.97 ERA. The big positive for Hector is that he has 32K in just 34.2IP.
But it’s been the up and down of his appearances that have me on the fence with trusting him. Now that he’s back to the active roster I’m sure that Alex Cora will be ready to use the righty again.
Josh Taylor: This one is based purely on the numbers with a dash of the unknown. Taylor only has 6.1IP under his belt this season but has a whopping 8.53 ERA. Not 6 runs in 6.1IP is just not a good time. This is the main reason that I have him in “The Untouchables,” he just hasn’t shown me any reason that I should trust him.
There’s always time and Taylor can always turn those numbers around but the poor start doesn’t give me any confidence. Hopefully, he turns things around and can become a viable member of the relief efforts.
Colten Brewer: Brewer came to the Red Sox via a trade with the Padres this winter and has 30IP under his belt this season. In those innings, he is touting a 4.50 ERA and a 1-2 record. Not the best season so far but Brewer is still young at only 26 years old.
A big thing that has given me hope for Brewer so far this season is the fact he’s often called upon when runners are already on the base paths. He has inherited 14 runners so far this season and 11 haven’t seen home plate. That’s a hell of a stat and confidence boost knowing that you can stop momentum cold like that.
This Could Be Ok
This is the portion of the bullpen that could trend on the Jekyll/Hyde side of things. We’ve seen some great things as well as some head-scratchers from these pitchers.
Mike Shawaryn: Shawaryn is a rookie and I already trust him more than a solid amount of the pitchers the Red Sox have put on the mound this season. Mike hasn’t had a large amount of game time this season with only 9IP as he was recently called up, but his outings have been promising.
Shawaryn is carrying an outstanding 14-4 K/BB ratio with an even more impressive 1.00 ERA. He has allowed his only inherited runner to score but in the overall big picture, he has adapted very well to the MLB.
Marcus Walden: Walden has spent most of his career in the minors until a brief outing with the Red Sox last season. In the 14.2IP last season, he amassed a 14-3 K/BB ratio with a 3.68 ERA. He’s shown much of the same this year with a 43/10 K/BB ratio in 39.2IP and a strong 2.50 ERA. His big positive has been his IRS% as 13 of the 17 runners he’s inherited haven’t scored.
Walden has been a big go-to for Cora when they need some serious innings out of the bullpen. He has nine outings that have gone a minimum of two innings and a pair that have touched 3IP. He is a reliable long reliever and has great potential as we’ve seen.
Ryan Brasier: Brasier has been a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma this season. Coming out of spring training it seemed like he was going to be the closer this season but that has devolved into a closer by committee situation.
Brasier hasn’t been as lights-out as he was last season and that’s mostly due to the fact that he isn’t new to the league. Though he has 6 saves this season he also has 3 blown saves. So there are times where he can be electric as his 25/8 K/BB ratio shows, but there are others where he just doesn’t have it.
Search and Rescue
This is the group of guys that I trust with my baseball life. No matter what the game scenario is this is the squad I’m calling on from the bullpen.
Heath Hembree: Yes I know, I said I would only be ranking the eight active pitchers but when I was looking at the bullpen it was impossible to ignore Hembree. Heath has been a member of the Red Sox since 2014 and has really come into his own this year. He’s sporting a cool 2.51 ERA over 28.2IP.
In his last few appearances, Hembree has just been a stone-cold killer with ice in his veins. He was recently added to the IL with some right elbow discomfort. Hopefully for the Red Sox when he is available to return he will still have the electricity he had before the injury.
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Brandon Workman: This guy has been the most reliable pitcher in the Red Sox bullpen. He’s already on target to crush his season high for games (43) and is doing so with ease. His K/BB ratio isn’t the prettiest 46/22 but he has a 1.60 ERA which is far more important. He’s also stranded 6 of the 7 inherited runners he’s been given.
Workman has more than earned his spot in the upper echelon of the Boston bullpen this season. He isn’t perfect though as he does have 2 blown saves but that number is erased as he also has 2 saves and a 5-1 record. He is 100% a guy I trust if things are close are about to hit the fan.
Matt Barnes: Barnes is much like Brasier in that we thought he may be named the closer for this season. He has an electric fastball and a curveball that will buckle the knees. He has struck out 54 batters while only walking 13 and is posting a 3.38 ERA in 29.1IP. He started the year by dominating anyone and everyone that stepped to him but has some blemishes as of late.
Though he has a 3-1 record, he is 4-4 in save opportunities on the year. He’s also stranded 6/7 of the runners he’s inherited in 2019. Barnes is a guy even with the setbacks I fully trust to take the baseball when the game is on the line. His upside far outweighs any shortcomings that he may have.
The Red Sox have a big opportunity with this series against Minnesota. The Rays and Yankees are playing each other which is the ideal scenario for Boston. If the top two can beat each other up and the Sox can have a good series against the Twins, they can climb back in the race.
They’ll need their bullpen to come up huge as the Twins have been just killing the ball lately. With the 12 blown saves this season the big thing that the Sox need is a real closer. The closer by committee gameplan never plays out the way teams want it to. With the trade deadline rapidly approaching time is running out to acquire one.
Next. Red Sox utility superstar Brock Holt has been the spark the team needs. dark
The season is far from over for the Red Sox especially with how well they’ve been playing. If the bullpen can keep the team in games as well as close them out when called upon, that third place standing won’t last. If they can get a closer before the trade deadline then this division will get even more interesting.