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Predicting Boston Red Sox’s Opening Day Starting Rotation for 2022

By Brendan Mizgala

BOSTON, MA - JUNE 29: A bullpen is constructed in the concourse in advance of a training period before the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season on June 29, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The season was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 29: A bullpen is constructed in the concourse in advance of a training period before the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season on June 29, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The season was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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Red Sox ALCS Nathan Eovaldi
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 10: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after forcing out Wander Franco #5 of the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning during Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 10, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Red Sox RHP: Nathan Eovaldi

Nathan Eovaldi has gone from Postseason hero to overpaid, to the foundation of this starting rotation in just a matter of years with Boston. Since joining the Red Sox ahead of the Trade Deadline in 2018 he has run the gauntlet with the Fenway Faithful. After a Cy Young worthy 2021 campaign, he’s earned the right to be called “Ace.”

As I mentioned in the slide above, I went back and forth between Sale and Eovaldi as my Opening Day starter. Both have the credentials and the goods to be on the mound to open the season but ultimately I settled on the big lefty. That isn’t a knock on Evo as this man has more than proven that he can take the ball in high leverage games.

I’ve become a massive Nasty Nate fan over these last few years and I’m very curious to see how he performs in his contract year. With free agency looming next winter he’ll undoubtedly want to give everything he has in the tank to raise his stock to its highest value.

A league-leading 32 starts allowed Nate to earn a 3.75 ERA, an AL-leading 2.79 FIP, 1.190 WHIP, and an MLB-best 1.7 BB/9. The fireballing Texan finished fourth in this year’s Cy Young voting just missing the top-3 by a handful of voting points. He just missed out on the honor though the argument could be made that he should’ve been a finalist.

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