Boston Red Sox: 3 unsung heroes through the first half of the season
At the outset of the MLB season, there was reason to believe that the Boston Red Sox would be able to put together a better season then their recent calamity of a 2020 season.
As we inch closer and closer to the All Star break, it’s safe to say that not even the most optimistic Red Sox fan would have expected this.
Heading into today’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, the Sox boast a 54-33 record, with only the San Francisco Giants holding a better record than them. They have established themselves as not only one of the top teams in the American League, but one of the top teams in the entire league.
Boston’s success is largely due in part to their league leading five All-Star selections who have been the main cogs leading this team forward. Yet while they have been spectacular in their own right, they haven’t been alone.
Similar to prior successful Red Sox teams (2013 anyone?), the Sox have relied on contributions up and down the roster to help them get to where they are today. While the star players will get most of the applause, there are numerous players who have stepped up and become unsung heroes on one of the most successful teams in the league. Let’s take a look at three of those players, starting with the steal of the Rule 5 Draft.
Boston Red Sox Unsung Hero No. 3: Garrett Whitlock
It seemed like general manager Chaim Bloom was taking a leap of faith when he snatched Garrett Whitlock away from the New York Yankees, especially considering Whitlock had yet to pitch in the majors. But Whitlock has made Bloom look like an absolute genius for most of the season, and has been a key part of Boston’s deep bullpen.
Featuring in just about every role from closing a game to being a long-reliever, Whitlock has excelled whenever he has been called upon. He has a 1.54 ERA over the 41 innings he has pitched, and has already accrued 43 strikeouts on the season. For what it’s worth, that basically means Whitlock is striking out a batter per inning, good for a 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings ratio.
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Whitlock’s all around steady presence has been huge for a Sox bullpen that was looking for consistency after a miserable 2020 season. While he has certainly earned more responsibilities, such as coming on in the later innings, he’s been so good in his current role that it seems foolish to move him. Plus, the alternative to Whitlock is Matt Andriese, who has been quite awful since the first month of the season.
Whitlock has continued to improve as the season has gone along. He’s only given up two runs in his last 13 appearences, which has covered 18 innings of work. While much of the bullpen’s credit will go towards Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino holding down the backend of things, Whitlock has done a superb job of holding onto leads in the middle innings, or keeping the Sox in a game long enough for them to mount a comeback.
Plus, he’s made the Yankees look foolish for not protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft all season long. What’s not to like about this kid?