‘Amazing Stuff’ Helping Alex Cora Develop Trust In Red Sox Pitcher

The improvements made by young members of the Boston Red Sox has caused plenty of hullabaloo in 2023.

Jarren Duran is electrifying, Brayan Bello looks like a future ace and Triston Casas is tearing the cover off the ball following the All-Star break. There’s one member of the roster who has taken his game to a whole new level, but received a fraction of the credit that his teammates have, however.

Josh Winckowski has been dang good.

One glance at the statistical differences between his rookie and sophomore campaigns, which you can find below, will tell the whole story. Winckowski has been elite for a large portion of the season, taking his role in the bullpen and running with it.

2022: 5-7 record (15 appearances, 14 starts; 70 1/3 innings), 5.89 ERA, 1.592 WHIP, 44 Ks, 27 BBs
2023: 3-1 record (35 appearances, 0 starts; 55 1/3), 2.93 ERA, 1.337 WHIP, 47 Ks, 16 BBs

Winckowski’s latest gem came in Sunday’s win over the New York Mets, when he struck out two batters after coming in with runners on the corners and just one out. It was something that not only helped the Red Sox in their effort to complete a series win, but opened up their options in the future.

“The stuff was amazing. … Just made some good pitches, man. He was throwing 97, 98.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Josh Winckowski

“The stuff was amazing,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “We needed that. He was the only righty available in the middle of the game. We were trying to stay away from Nick (Pivetta) tonight so he can pitch on Tuesday. Just made some good pitches, man. He was throwing 97, 98.”

It was a big moment for Boston, as well as Winckowski, who was aware of the moment’s importance.

“I think moments like that are always big,” Winckowski said, per Smith. “Usually … there’s a couple moments where the momentum can shift. So we took the momentum early. And obviously they started to build some momentum there. So to come in and shut it down is obviously a big moment. First and third, to be able to leave them there, that’s big, although Murph did a great job before that. Just ran into a little bit of trouble. So props to him. But yeah, a big moment.”

Winckowski’s improvements have been a result of his offseason work, with the right-hander undergoing an aggressive transformation where he developed a new grip on his slider, increased his sinker usage, changed his windup and altered his mental approach after a challenge from the organization. Those changes have led to his throwing the ball harder, as his fastball, sinker and slider are each averaging about 1.5 MPH more than in 2022.

Things haven’t been perfect for Winckowski, but Cora and the Red Sox have stuck with him throughout whatever struggles he has experienced in 2023. That trust has led to continued success for the 25-year-old, with Kenley Jansen even going as far as to say he sees a future closer in the making.

The Red Sox have battled adversity this season, but they seem to be finding another piece to their future around every corner.