Why Red Sox Pitching Staff Is Being Seriously Underrated

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The Boston Red Sox are off to a poor start, finishing April last in the AL East with a 12-19 record.

The Red Sox have underperformed both at the plate and on the mound. Entering play on Thursday, they ranked 25th in runs per game and 21st in ERA.

While much of Boston’s lineup is struggling, most of the pitching staff has actually been pretty good. The team’s elevated ERA is largely due to Brayan Bello’s 9.12 ERA in 25 2/3 innings.

If you remove Bello’s rough start from the equation, the Red Sox’s ERA improves half a run, from 4.35 to 3.85. That’s a big jump in the rankings, too, going from 21st to ninth, per Daniel Fox.

Ranger Suarez, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle have all been excellent. The bullpen’s been terrific as well, ranking eighth in ERA at 3.67.

Bello had a career-best 3.35 ERA last year, so Boston is hopeful he can turn things around. The club is also short on proven starting pitchers at the moment given the injuries to Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo and others.

If Bello can get back on track and start pitching like he’s capable of, the Red Sox’s staff will be even better. But for now, it’s not getting the respect it deserves due to the team’s lack of success and the early struggles of Bello and Crochet (6.30 ERA).

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