Brayan Bello continues to ascend in the right direction
Red Sox fans should be optimistic about the direction Brayan Bello has taken this season. In 14 starts Bello has an ERA of 3.04 with a record of 6-5 on the season and has been able to showcase what the organization has wanted to see from the rising star.
Behind the help of Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, Bello has elevated his game to another level this season with his dominating arsenal of pitches including his devastating changeup. Similar to Martinez Bello has been able to punch many out with his shifty slider which has been slighlty enhanced over the off-season.
Before being called up to the MLB, he signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent in the summer of 2017 out of Samana, Dominican Republic. Bello was able to show flashes of potential when he spent time playing for the Double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs, posting a 6-5 record, 3.65 ERA, and a no-hitter. With Bello catching the attention of many when he was called up to the Worcester Woo Sox where he notched a 6-2 record, 2.64 ERA, and 85 strikeouts finding himself one of the MLB's top prospects.
Bello was called up to the Red Sox in 2022 where he was able to show small flashes of his potential but couldn't quite get off to the right start. Last season, Bello had a record of 2-8 with an ERA of 4.71 where he allowed a whopping 30 runs in just 57 innings pitched.
Brayan Bello's breakout 2023 season
Trending in the direction we expected, Bello has been one of the most reliable and consistent arms in the starting rotation for the Sox this year where he has a record of 4-1 in his last five outings. Bello has been able to control the strike zone retiring 70 batters in 80 innings pitched with a WHIP rate of 1.188 this season.
"His stuff wasn't great, command wasn't great but to do that against that lineup? That's impressive."
— NESN (@NESN) July 6, 2023
Alex Cora on Brayan Bello's 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 3 K performance in the Red Sox 4-2 win over the Rangers. #RedSox | https://t.co/jyk3EsbxuY pic.twitter.com/obMUiNFE0K
Not only has Bello's consistency shown the team that he can be one of the team's core pieces moving forward, but his last two games have been a full display of the star player the Sox have. Over his last two games he has combined for eight strikeouts, three earned runs in 14 innings pitched.
Bello has been able to give the the Sox a spark on the mound heading into the All-Star break where they have won eight of their last ten and have been firing on all cylinders. There is no doubt that Bello has been able to ascend into stardom and we are just witnessing the takeoff of one of the teams most exciting players.