Before Andrew Bailey was hired by the Boston Red Sox, he worked his pitching magic with the San Francisco Giants.
Bailey served as the Giants' pitching coach from 2020-23. He helped San Francisco's pitchers find themselves and advance their careers — Kevin Gausman, Carlos Rodón and Logan Webb each finished in the top six in Cy Young voting during his tenure with the club.
Webb sees flashes of himself in Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck. He had a feeling Bailey's methods would resonate with the 27-year-old just as they did with him with the Giants. Houck has pitched to a career-low 2.54 ERA over a career-high 117 innings of work under his new pitching coach's instruction, and Webb saw his success coming a mile away.
“I did talk to when he signed there. I was like, ‘Tanner’s going to win the Cy Young this year, huh?'” Webb said to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe at All-Star Media Day on July 15.
“We have a similar way of doing things, how we throw and how we get guys out. It’s fun for me to watch. . . His stuff’s always been unbelievable.”
Logan Webb predicted Tanner Houck's breakout season when Red Sox hired Andrew Bailey
Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford each rank among the AL’s top 10 in ERA, WHIP, and opponent AVG.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) July 18, 2024
Houck:
19 GS
3.4 fWAR
117.0 IP
2.54 ERA
.215 AVG
112 SO, 26 BB
1.03 WHIP
Crawford:
19 GS
2.3 fWAR
112.2 IP
3.04 ERA
.212 AVG
110 SO, 29 BB
1.04 WHIP
Houck's breakout campaign has been one of the most unexpected success stories out of the 2024 Red Sox team. Bailey's teachings have helped him throw more strikeouts — he's already passed his strikeout total from last season — by relying on his best stuff. Houck's slider and sinker are dangerous, and he uses them nearly 75% of the time. His chase percentage has increased by almost 30 points from last season and he went from the 42nd percentile in walk rate to the 84th percentile.
Houck earned his first All-Star nod this year and has been a popular name in the American League Cy Young conversation. He's already racked up more innings than he's ever thrown in a single season and some concerns about his longevity have surfaced. Houck has logged a 3.92 ERA in his last seven starts, which is by no means bad, but his ERA has steadily increased as the season has progressed.
Houck only pitched one inning in the All-Star game and last pitched a full outing on July 11. Over a week of rest could set him right and he could be back on the Cy Young track that Webb anticipated he'd take.