Boston Red Sox starter Rich Hill is an ageless wonder.
Whereas some pitchers see their careers finish in the mid-to-late thirties, the left-hander is still pitching at 42.
He is not just pitching: he is performing at an admirable level.
As of Friday afternoon, he boasts a passable 4.42 ERA in 118.1 innings.
If the Red Sox’s defense was better, Hill’s ERA would be much lower.
This is evidenced by his much more palatable 3.82 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), which removes defense from the equation and evaluates a pitcher for the things he can control.
He has been a steady member of the Red Sox rotation when healthy, and that’s all that the organization needs from him.
“One more on Rich Hill. He’s third on the team in innings (118.1), second in starts, and the Sox are 13-12 in those starts. Fair to say he met expectations,” Red Sox insider Pete Abraham tweeted.
One more on Rich Hill. He's third on the team in innings (118.1), second in starts, and the Sox are 13-12 in those starts. Fair to say he met expectations.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) September 29, 2022
He Continues To Get The Job Done On A Per-Inning Basis
Hill last pitched on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.
That day, he earned the win to take his record to 8-7.
He conceded no runs and just five hits, plus one walk, and struck out nine foes over six innings.
At this point of his career, Hill won’t even sniff 180 innings: in fact, the last time he passed that mark was in 2007.
His body and age require a stint on the injured list or two per year, but he is an asset on a per-inning evaluation.
He is left-handed, he is experienced, and that loopy curveball of his keeps getting excellent results.
Since he doesn’t rely on velocity, Hill could pitch for a few more years if he wanted to.
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