After a breakout season that included a career-high 30 starts and his first All-Star nod, Boston Red Sox fans have been excited about Tanner Houck's future.
Houck posted a 3.12 ERA with 154 strikeouts and 48 walks over 178.2 innings last year. He established himself as a top-of-the-rotation arm and earned the No. 2 starting spot behind Garrett Crochet for 2025.
But Houck's spring training has raised alarm among some Sox fans. He's posted an 11.20 ERA over 13.2 innings with five walks and just seven strikeouts. He's allowed 29 hits and 17 runs in his four Grapefruit League outings.
After the righty was rocked to the tune of 10 runs on 12 hits over 3.2 innings in his final Grapefruit League start, Red Sox manager Alex Cora blasted Houck's pitch selection.
"Honestly, pitch selection was horrible,” Cora said, per Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe (subscription required). “He threw 10 sinkers to lefties and all of them were inside."
However, the skipper left room for the righty to succeed when his first start comes around on March 28 at Globe Life Field.
"When we get there on Friday, it’s going to be a lot different. I think the location of the slider was off. Location of the sinker was off. He doesn’t do that in the season.”
Spring training is just spring training... but what if it isn't? On potential concerns over Tanner Houck after he was rocked again Saturday in his Grapefruit League finale:https://t.co/vDzi6wopdF
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 22, 2025
Tanner Houck's rough spring training could be a sign of a difficult start for the Red Sox
Hopefully, Cora is right and Houck can return to last season's form with a game that counts on the line. Spring training stats don't matter, but the stark change from Houck's production last season to his stats on the mound in the Grapefruit League are concerning. Chris Cotillo of MassLive pointed out some striking parallels between his spring training work and his regular season success.
Before his career-best campaign last year, Houck clocked a 2.40 ERA with 16 strikeouts and three walks over 15 innings. The year before, Houck posted a 9.74 ERA with 27 hits, 25 strikeouts and 12 walks in 20.1 frames. He finished the 2023 regular season with a 5.01 ERA over 106 innings.
Any way you slice it, Houck hasn't missed bats like he used to this spring. The Red Sox will open the season with three starting pitchers on the injured list in Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito. Walker Buehler is also a complete wild card in the rotation after his rough 5.38 ERA season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Boston needs Houck at his best in the early goings of the campaign, and Red Sox Nation is banking on Cora being right about him shaking off the rust.