Red Sox LHP: Eduardo Rodriguez
Of the three I have on this list, I can safely say I’m the most eager to see what Eduardo Rodriguez can do in this series. Since returning from his battle with COVID and myocarditis Eddie has been nothing but Aces.
In fact, he’s currently tied with a list of pitching studs for the most wins with 3, including his teammate Nathan Eovaldi. In spring training it was clear that Eduardo was coming back to retake his title as the top dog in the starting rotation until a case of dead arm sidelined that plan.
After spending the first few days of the season on the IL he was able to rehab and recover enough to make his return to the lineup. Since then he’s amassed a 3-0 record through 16 innings with a 3.38 ERA, pretty damn good. He’s averaging a 10.1 K/9 while limiting free passes with a 3.3 BB/9.
That should be the big metric that jumps off the screen as Eduardo is notorious for giving up walks and actually lead the AL with 75 back in 2019. I know eventually that number will start to climb but to be off to such a solid start is a great sign of what may come in 2021.
In his three starts this season he’s gotten better with each outing. His ERA has decreased over those starts 5.40/3.60/3.38 while his inning count has increased, 5.0/5.0/6.0. It’s pretty clear that while there isn’t a true mandate on his starts the Red Sox aren’t going to let him run himself into the ground.
Though he did hit 90 pitches in his most recent start on Tuesday night. His 69% strike rate has played a massive part in his success as he isn’t giving the opposition anything to work with.
E-Rod will have his shot at the end of the series with a chance to bring his record to 4-0 and continue his warpath toward being the ace once again. Hell, if he gets that fourth win he may just get that ride in the laundry cart that he’s been wanting!