Why Will Middlebrooks Isn’t Surprised By Success Of Red Sox Pitching Coach Andrew Bailey

Will Middlebrooks can see the irony in the approach first-year pitching coach Andrew Bailey has brought to those on the mound for the Boston Red Sox.

Bailey, who was teammates with Middlebrooks for two seasons with the Red Sox from 2012-13, wants Boston's pitchers to attack the strike zone mainly with their off-speed and secondary pitches instead of relying heavily on fastballs.

But when Bailey, a two-time All-Star, was on the mound during his eight-year MLB career, he did the exact opposite.

"It's so silly that he's at the head of this, 'Don't throw fastballs,'" Middlebrooks told NESN.com with a laugh. "And it's not that he's against fastballs. I think you just pick your spots to use them and pitch backward, essentially. But he was like 60% fastball usage in his career as a player. So that's kind of funny."

It's hard to argue against Bailey's pitching plan, though. It has turned in immediate results through the first week of the season with the Red Sox entering Wednesday's matchup against the Oakland Athletics with the lowest ERA (1.79) in all of baseball. They are also tied for the league lead in strikeouts (72) while issuing only 10 walks.

Bailey's fingerprints are all over that success, and if the pitching production stays this way, signing him will be the biggest move the Red Sox made this offseason.

Bailey spent the last four seasons as the pitching coach of the San Francisco Giants and jumped right into coaching with the Los Angeles Angels after retiring following the 2017 season. He was a bullpen coach and coaching assistant and video replay coordinator with the Angels for two seasons.

And Middlebrooks isn't surprised one bit to see the route Bailey took after his playing career ended.

"He was always buried in the work and the video and the preparation," Middlebrooks said. "He was always one of the most prepared guys I played with. So, it makes sense. And he just loves the game."

Middlebrooks believes Bailey getting the most out of the Red Sox pitching staff isn't just due to a change in tactics. Middlebrooks knows his former teammate can relate well to Boston's pitchers, aiding Bailey in getting his message across. It also doesn't hurt that the 39-year-old Bailey is close in age to the Red Sox staff. He's just a couple of years older than relievers Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen.

"The game's different now where coaches used to want you to be scared of them and they weren't friends," Middlebrooks said. "I think there is a trust level there with him and the players, just from talking to Garrett Whitlock and Nick Pivetta and these guys about Bailey. They almost view him as a teammate, and that's how it should be."