Stats Show Rest Is Best For Josh Beckett, But Should Red Sox Have a Six-Man Rotation?

by abournenesn

Mar 28, 2010

Stats Show Rest Is Best For Josh Beckett, But Should Red Sox Have a Six-Man Rotation? Josh Beckett has been named the Opening Day starter by manager Terry Francona.


Besides that, the only news regarding the starting rotation this spring is that Clay Buchholz is struggling and an injured Daisuke Matsuzaka is off to a slow start.

What does this mean for the state of the rotation? Will Francona turn to a six-man rotation upon Dice-K’s return to the mix?


One look at Baseball Reference points out that more (rest) is better for the majority of the Red Sox starters:


Four days rest
Beckett: 4.00 ERA, 1.269 WHIP, 3.03 K/BB ratio
Lester: 3.93 ERA, 1.334 WHIP, 2.68 K/BB ratio
Lackey: 3.82 ERA, 1.250 WHIP, 2.73 K/BB ratio
Matsuzaka: 4.63 ERA, 1.487 WHIP, 1.92 K/BB ratio
Buchholz: 5.88 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 2.08 K/BB ratio
Wakefield: 4.22 ERA, 1.312 WHIP, 1.83 K/BB ratio

Five days rest
Beckett: 3.90 ERA, 1.189 WHIP, 3.46 K/BB ratio
Lester: 3.10 ERA, 1.286 WHIP, 2.43 K/BB ratio
Lackey: 3.61 ERA, 1.250 WHIP, 2.76 K/BB ratio
Matsuzaka: 3.62 ERA, 1.372 WHIP, 1.99 K/BB ratio
Buchholz: 3.71 ERA, 1.529 WHIP, 1.83 K/BB ratio
Wakefield: 5.54 ERA, 1.406 WHIP, 1.62 K/BB ratio

Six or more days rest
Beckett: 2.93 ERA, 1.129 WHIP, 2.78 K/BB ratio
Lester: 3.94 ERA, 1.421 WHIP, 1.68 K/BB ratio
Lackey: 4.44 ERA, 1.389 WHIP, 2.65 K/BB ratio
Matsuzaka: 3.47 ERA, 1.245 WHIP, 2.24 K/BB ratio
Buchholz: 3.60 ERA, 1.400 WHIP, 1.85 K/BB ratio
Wakefield: 4.20 ERA, 1.387 WHIP, 1.52 K/BB ratio

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