In the span of just one year, the Boston Red Sox’s bullpen has gone from being one of the worst in baseball to one of the best.
Last season, the Red Sox’s relief corps was a problem, ranking 24th in MLB with a 4.39 ERA. Garrett Whitlock appeared in just four games due to injury and nobody was truly dominant, resulting in an underwhelming unit.
This season, the bullpen has been much better. Whitlock’s been healthy and back to being one of the best relievers in baseball, going 6-3 with a 2.39 ERA and 2.1 WAR. Aroldis Chapman has also been lights-out in his first season in Boston, posting a 1.26 ERA with a 0.68 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings.
Steven Matz has been great since being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, logging a 2.04 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP in 16 appearances for the Red Sox. Greg Weissert (2.93 ERA), Brennan Bernardino (3.14 ERA), Justin Wilson (2.78 ERA) and Chris Murphy (2.54 ERA) have all been tremendous as well, giving Boston exceptional depth.
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Accordingly, it’s not surprising that the Red Sox have the second-best bullpen ERA (3.45) in baseball, behind only the San Diego Padres (3.13), who play in a much more pitcher-friendly environment.
Boston leads the American League in bullpen ERA. If that holds, it will be the first time since 2007 that the Red Sox have done so.
Boston won the World Series that year, so that’s a good sign for this year’s squad. Similar to this season, the 2007 Red Sox had perhaps the best setup man (Hideki Okajima) and closer (Jonathan Papelbon) in baseball.
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A good bullpen can get a team far in October, especially with starting pitchers throwing fewer innings and having less of an impact. While Boston has a good rotation and lineup, its elite bullpen might be its secret weapon.
Featured image via Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images
