The Boston Red Sox are off to a slow start in the 2022 campaign, but there have still been some early-season bright spots for the squad.
One of the team’s most exciting developments so far this season has been Garrett Whitlock.
The 25-year-old pitcher put together a very impressive rookie showing in 2021 and established himself as an extremely reliable arm for the Red Sox.
This season, it’s been more of the same from the righty.
Whitlock seems like the real deal, and to make matters better, it doesn’t even seem like he’s anywhere near his ceiling yet.
A Quick Glance At Whitlock’s 2022 Season So Far
The Red Sox have called on Whitlock five times so far this season.
Four of his appearances have come out of the bullpen, while his most recent outing was a start.
As a reliever this season, he has maintained a 0.93 ERA and .384 opponent OPS.
In his lone start, he tossed four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and fanning seven.
Overall, the youngster has a tiny 0.66 ERA, 1.84 FIP, and 0.51 WHIP across 13.2 innings of work this season.
In his first appearance of the season, he allowed a run, but since then, he has posted 11.1 consecutive innings of scoreless work.
Garrett Whitlock, Expelliarmus Slider. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/HrAbubsvwy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 23, 2022
Whitlock already has a 0.9 bWAR, and that number will surely get much bigger as the season moves along.
Here To Stay
The Red Sox are treating Whitlock like a guy they have big plans for.
The team recently signed him to a contract extension in a move that was very well received among fans.
Whit𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡
The #RedSox today signed RHP Garrett Whitlock to a four-year contract extension that spans the 2023-26 seasons, with club options for 2027 and 2028. pic.twitter.com/L7Njg9yPBv
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 10, 2022
There has been a lot of talk about the idea of Whitlock eventually moving into a permanent starting role, as he seemingly has what it takes to flourish in that capacity.
The good news for the Red Sox is that they’re obviously going to have plenty of time to figure out what sort of role he belongs in going forward.
For fans who didn’t follow Whitlock’s breakout season in 2021, it’s worth reading about.
The New York Yankees essentially gave up on the Georgia native by deciding not to protect him in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft.
The Red Sox snagged him, and he proceeded to make Boston’s Opening Day roster in 2021.
He wound up being one of the team’s most important players all year long.
In the 2021 regular season, he pitched to a 1.96 ERA, 241 ERA+, 2.84 FIP, and 1.11 WHIP across 46 outings and 73.1 innings.
In the 2021 playoffs, he saw action in five games and allowed just two runs in 8.1 innings.
He had a big hand in the team’s run to the ALCS, and his success was inarguably one of the best storylines of the season for the Red Sox.
This year, Whitlock would certainly love to help his club make it even deeper in the playoffs.
At 7-9, Boston isn’t doing itself any favors in the early going, but there’s still plenty of time for the team to get things moving in the right direction.
No matter what role Whitlock finds himself in, he’s sure to do everything in his power to help the Red Sox succeed.
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