Top 5: Boston Red Sox most dominant pitching seasons since 2000
By John Hynes
With just under three weeks until Opening Day, the Boston Red Sox pitching staff is entering the new season with multiple question marks. It remains to be seen if Chris Sale can resurge, or if Brayan Bello can ascend into the ace that teams seem to need in order to make a serious run.
It’ll be interesting to see if this 2023 squad has an ace in the rotation. In the last two decades the Sox have been lucky to see a lot of talent from their pitchers, and some dominant seasons.
What are the 5 best seasons from a Boston Red Sox Pitcher since 2000?
There is no shortage of options for this list, and there are certainly more than five that are deserving of being on it. It should be noted that this list is not the top five pitchers in Boston’s history, it’s highlighting the best seasons we’ve seen since 2000.
Jonathon Papelbon in 2006 posted a 0.92 ERA over 68.1 IP. He was a fan favorite who was feared on the mound for good reason. However, being a starter unfortunately carries more weight and that is the only reason Pap doesn’t make the cut here.
In 2010 Clay Buchholz went 17-7 while leading the league in ERA+. Buchholz was an All-star in what was a breakout year for him.
Maybe the biggest snub from the list is the shocking Cy Young season from Rick Porcello in 2016. Stats like ERA and WAR were steps below Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, but Porcello’s 22-4 record was hard to overlook. Average strikeout numbers and lack of team success keep him off the list.
There are even more great seasons that could be argued for that are left off, but these 5 campaigns are all more impressive in my opinion.