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The Boston Red Sox are playing their best baseball at the right time as they get themselves on track for their first postseason appearance since 2021.
Rookie phenom Roman Anthony leads a capable offense while Boston excels with a trio of talented starting pitchers in Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito.
Behind those starters is plenty of uncertainty for Boston, especially for how that group will look if the team stays on pace for October baseball. The Red Sox have talent in the bullpen led by All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, but the collective group will shuffle for the construction of a postseason staff.
Here’s how Boston’s pitching staff projects for the Red Sox on a hypothetical postseason roster:
Starters:
LHP Garrett Crochet
RHP Brayan Bello
RHP Lucas Giolito
RHP Dustin May
Those top three arms already proved themselves worthy to take the ball in October. May is on the fringe with an up-and-down tenure since he joined Boston after the trade deadline, though he’s the most likely option as the fourth postseason starter for the Red Sox.
Relievers:
RHP Walker Buehler
RHP Jordan Hicks
RHP Richard Fitts
LHP Steven Matz
LHP Payton Tolle
RHP Garrett Whitlock
LHP Justin Wilson
RHP Greg Weissert
LHP Aroldis Chapman
Fitts and Tolle (currently in Triple-A) both worked as starters this season, but they make sense as young arms whose stuff can tick up in relief roles. Hicks has trust from his manager but still needs to prove his worth after a dreadful Red Sox tenure thus far following the Rafael Devers trade.
Buehler moved to the bullpen after season-long struggles in the rotation. He’ll give multiple innings and closed out last year’s World Series in relief for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Red Sox do find comfort in an exceptional group of leverage arms following fantastic campaigns from Wilson, Whitlock and Chapman. That trio can decide wins in October.
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