Despite a rocky season for the Red Sox’s starting rotation, many have been impressed by what they’ve seen from Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound this season.
David Price and Rick Porcello are among them.
Much like the rest of Red Sox Nation, the pair is pleased with the progress the 26-year-old Rodriguez has made, especially between the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The southpaw currently boasts the best record (15-5) and ERA (3.92) among the team’s starters and has been the most consistent arm for the rotation through Boston’s tumultuous 2019 season.
And all of this, by the way, has largely been his own doing.
“We’re not trying to mold Eddy into being anything,” Porcello told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “We’re just providing guidance and support and help along the way because it’s tough being a starting pitcher at the big-league level. It’s a learning process. That’s all it is. He has always been himself.
“He’s really starting to understand,” Price added. “He’s not just throwing out there anymore. He’s pitching. He’s mixing everything in and he’s learning how to set up different stuff with his sequences. He’s learning what to look for in video before he goes out there. Just identifying little things like that. He’s starting to do everything a really, really good pitcher is supposed to.”
But there’s still plenty of room for Rodriguez to continue growing as a hurler.
“He’s still very young,” Price said. “He was very, very young whenever I got to the big leagues. He has definitely matured in the clubhouse and on the field. He’s still a little kid at heart. He’s definitely matured in all facets of the game of baseball. It’s good to see.”
That said, “everything” has improved for Rodriguez in Porcello’s eyes.
“Maturity, mound presence, overall stuff and command and an overall understanding of his abilities and how to attack hitters,” Porcello said. “Those are all things that come along with being at this level and understanding what it takes. Just that’s kind of the normal progression of what guys go through.”
One thing is for sure: when you’ve got two former CY Young winners lauding your work, you know you must be doing something right.
