The Boston Red Sox have, quietly, one of the best rotations in baseball.
The unit has the fifth-best ERA in MLB and fourth-best in the American League with 3.51.
You probably didn’t expect the group to be that good, huh?
But it certainly has, and it’s actually the main reason why the Red Sox went from last in the AL East to second in a matter of weeks.
And, if they have some luck with prospects and injuries, the group could be even better and deeper.
“Imagine this as the Red Sox rotation: • Nathan Eovaldi • Nick Pivetta • Chris Sale • Michael Wacha • Brayan Bello • James Paxton. It could be reality very soon,” The Athletic’s Jordan Moore tweeted.
Imagine this as the Red Sox rotation:
• Nathan Eovaldi
• Nick Pivetta
• Chris Sale
• Michael Wacha
• Brayan Bello
• James PaxtonIt could be reality very soon.
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) July 5, 2022
Pivetta has been a real revelation, with a 3.23 ERA in 94.2 innings so far.
Wacha is at 2.69 in 70.1 frames: impressive production from a talented, yet inconsistent hurler.
An Incredibly Deep Group
Rich Hill, Garrett Whitlock and Nate Eovaldi have been really solid, as well.
The last three are currently on the injured list, but with great odds of returning relatively soon.
Sale should be able to return next week, if everything goes according to the plan.
Paxton is more of a second-half play, given the state of his recovery.
Bello will depend entirely on his ability to get MLB hitters out: he will make his MLB debut on Wednesday after breezing past Double-A and Triple-A this season.
When/if the Red Sox are fully healthy, they will have a nice problem on their hands: deciding who will be the five starters that will take the ball every turn.
That could be incredibly difficult, but it’s nice to know that they have enough depth to navigate through the season.
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