Boston Red Sox: Brayan Bello hype has finally arrived to Fenway
Brayan Bello was stated to take the hill for the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night in his first major league start after lighting up the minor league system.
If you weren’t excited, you should have been. It’s about time the Red Sox snapped out of their seemingly almost decades-long lethargy and started bringing up young talents before they’re no longer young.
The Red Sox are notorious for keeping young talents in the minor leagues until they start graying at the temples. One stark example from the not-to-distant past was a very good player, now announcer Kevin Youkilis.
Youk was kept down on the farm and kept back for years before getting his opportunity and making the most of it.
It’s nice to see that finally, under Chief Baseball Officer, Chaim Bloom, a young talent like Bello is getting an opportunity in the Big Show to demonstrate what he can do. It’s about time.
Boston Red Sox is slow on the uptake in giving young talents a shot
The young flamethrower faces an always tough Tampa Bay Rays outfit. Butterflies will be there but so what. His performances for Portland and Worcester dictate that he definitely be given an opportunity no matter what the outcome is against the Rays.
Bello’s combined stats include a 113/33 strikeout to walk ratio and an ERA of 2.33 in 85 innings. That strikeout record is hard to ignore. Fortunately, Chaim Bloom isn’t anymore though it evidently took an injury to Rich Hill to force his hand. Why does that always seem to be the way?
It shouldn’t be. It’s time for Boston to loosen the reins on great young players and not have to season them until on some occasions they’re overripe. Trust the system and utilize it for the benefit of the big club.
More about that later.
This space has never bought into the fallacious theory that bringing up a young player too soon will hurt his psyche if he doesn’t perform and could even ruin the player. That is all so much hogwash yet it’s been a staple for the Red Sox seemingly forever. Throw that policy out with the dishwater. It’s foolishness.
A young payer with the grit to be a major league starter or star will flourish no matter what happens on any cameo appearance…period.
If they can’t then, it wasn’t there in the first place. Saying that their egos will be bruised or other such excuses just don’t hold water.
If the player has the talent, the grit, and the gumption he will overcome any temporary obstacles and excel. And that will be the case even if they get sent down to the minors as most will anyway no matter how well they perform. It’s just the way it is with years of contractual control and all that business.
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Remember back to Dustin Pedroia who struggled initially but the team stuck with him? The result was an American League Rookie of the Year Award. The best players have to be brought up when the team can use them and just let them play.
And in an age where sustainability (aka cost-consciousness) is paramount, the ability to groom and then promptly bring up a young solid player is an absolute economic necessity. So why not bring them up earlier and more often than has been the case?
Top 5 Boston Red Sox rookie seasons in team history. dark. Next
Hopefully, that will start tonight. Brayan Bello is getting an opportunity and it’s a good thing, no matter the outcome. After all, who was the last Red Sox starting pitcher who was drafted or signed as a youth and performed well? Jon Lester, maybe? If so, it’s certainly time for some others.
With tough decisions ahead, it behooves the Boston Red Sox to roll out their best young players and give them a chance to shine. You just never know when you might hit pay dirt.