Boston Red Sox: Future is bright with Tanner Houck

Boston Red Sox young pitcher Tanner Houck is one of the bright spots of the future.

It’s no secret that the Boston Red Sox have a strong lineup. Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and JD Martinez will certainly be reliable pieces of the offense.

However, there are equally as many concerns about the strength of their pitching staff, especially after the injury to Chris Sale and the departure of David Price and Rick Porcello.

Likewise, the Red Sox do not have a strong track record of developing young arms that go on to contribute at the big league level. In the past decade or so, Boston has spent first round draft picks on the likes of Casey Kelly, Henry Owens,and Jay Groome – only to have them be shipped away or stall out in the minors.

But for current prospect Tanner Houck, there seems to be more cautious optimism. Like the others, Houck is also a first-round pick though he is the only one of the group to play Division I college baseball.

So far in the minors, Houck has begun to turn heads. During the 2019 season with Double-A Portland, he posted a complete-game shutout and made an All-Star appearance.

Scouts look to his fastball and slider as strength pitches and see potential in his changeup. Some see Houck as a future late-inning reliever and others project he’ll end up in the starting rotation if he continues to improve.

While the Boston Red Sox do not have as much of a fruitful farm system as they did five years ago, players like Houck offer optimism for the future. The coaching staff has spent a lot of resources in developing Houck, so here’s top hoping it pays off.

Perhaps I am just itching for baseball, but I am excited to see where his career goes.