Nick Pivetta has been spectacular for the Boston Red Sox
What a tale of two seasons so far for Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta. He went from people calling for him to be shipped off to the moon to being one of the most reliable arms on the pitching staff. Coming into this year his role with the club was becoming more prominent and at first, it looked as if he wasn’t going to be able to step to the plate, oh how those concerns have vanished.
After starting the season 0-4 and looking more than lost on the mound, Captain Canada is on a bit of a run. He has now won each of his last five starts to bring his record to 5-4 while simultaneously dropping his ERA down from 10.03 to 3.50.
In that five-game span, he’s also pitched at least six innings or more and also has a complete game as the cherry on top as well. It’s taken some time but it looks as if he’s got himself locked into his new role with the club.
To get a good understanding of just how bad things were to open the season and how good they’ve gotten for Pivetta we can look at his monthly splits. In April, he had an 8.27 ERA through 16.1 innings of work while walking 13 batters to just 16 strikeouts.
Now, when we flip the calendar to May we get an entirely different story. In May, the righty tossed 38.1 innings for a 2.11 ERA and only walked six batters while striking out an insane 35 hitters, per FanGraphs.
And now that we’re in June, let’s toss yesterday’s start into the mix. Nicky P tossed seven shutout innings and added another seven whiffs to his total while only serving up a pair of free passes. Throughout his struggles, we heard about the mechanics and just needing to get things moving in the right way, well, they’re moving now!
Whatever he and the Red Sox coaching staff worked on is paying hugely for the team now as it feels like every fifth day when he’s on the mound, it’s almost a guarantee we’re going to see something special. He’s hitting that “can’t miss,” area that when it’s his day, you want to be there.
Pivetta became a quick fan favorite when he joined the Red Sox in 2020 and cruised to a quick 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He was steady again in 2021 and then burst out of his shell when October baseball came back to Boston. If you ask any fan what their favorite memory of last season’s playoff run was I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few mentioned Pivetta’s name.
Whether he was slamming his fist into his chest and letting out a roar or stomping off the field as if he owned the damn place, he was electric in the postseason. I think we’re finally starting to see that guy again and with each passing start, he’s getting better and more confident in what he can do. If he can keep this momentum rolling into the second half, he’s going to be a major player in what could be another Red Sox playoff push.
Things may not have panned out for him in Philadelphia but it’s pretty obvious that a change in scenery was exactly what he needed. He’s been nothing short of reliable since putting on that Boston cap and is now one of Alex Cora’s best weapons. No, he may not hit 100 mph on the radar gun or have a nasty wipeout slider, but he’s methodical and his stuff is damn good. He’s figured out the secret recipe for his style of pitching and not that he’s humming along, it’s time we give him the respect he’s earned.