As it stands right now, Beckett's ERA is at 2.12. Last year, he finished the season with an ugly mark of 5.78. If Beckett can maintain his current success through the entire season, he could turn in the third-best ERA turnaround in MLB since 1900, as noted by The Wall Street Journal. If he improves, he could register the biggest single-season improvement.
He's currently dropped his ERA by 3.66 runs. The best improvement from one season to the next came from Lefty Grove in 1934 and '35, when he went from a 6.50 ERA to 2.70, a difference of 3.80. The second-best turnaround came from Butch Henry in 1993 and '94, when he improved his ERA by 3.69 runs in going from a 6.12 ERA to a 2.43 mark.
In keeping with strictly Red Sox history, Beckett's name can be placed among some all-time legends, depending on how his start goes on Friday night. ESPN.com's Jeremy Lundblad noted that, if Beckett's ERA remains where it currently is, the righty would post the fourth-best first half ERA in the franchise since World War II. It would be the best since Pedro Martinez's 1.44 ERA in 2000, with Tim Wakefield's 1.61 ERA in '95 and Pedro's 2.10 ERA in '99 serving as the marks higher than Beckett's.
If Beckett's ERA takes a hit on Friday night against the Orioles (he owns a 3.68 ERA against them in 15 career starts), he could drop behind Roger Clemens' first-half ERA of 2.22 in 1991.
Lundblad also notes that Beckett's opponents' batting average (.178) would be the fourth-best such mark in the AL since 1969.
Not bad for a guy who didn't even pitch in the Sox' season-opening series in Texas.
Beckett's faced the Orioles just once this year, giving up four earned runs over six innings on April 27. Those four runs were the second-most allowed by Beckett in any one start this season. In his two starts since missing 13 days with what the team said was a flu, he's given up six earned runs in 14 innings.
