The Boston Red Sox were driving the ball over the Green Monster all night on Friday, but the real story was unfolding on the pitcher’s mound.
Twenty-five-year-old Hunter Dobbins, who entered the season as MLB Pipeline’s 14th-ranked Red Sox prospect, took the mound for his second career start. Much like the first one, he earned the win, but this time, instead of dancing in and out of trouble, he was cruising.
Dobbins went six innings, allowed two runs (one earned), three hits, and no walks, while striking out six. He only needed 79 pitches, and had he needed to, he absolutely could have gone back out for the seventh inning.
Granted the Chicago White Sox were the opponent, so it’s not as though Dobbins proved with finality that he deserves a rotation spot moving forward. But he’s been trending upward for more than a year now, and although he was reportedly optioned to Triple-A after the game, the Red Sox are surely aware he’s an option if they need a full-time starter.
Could they need that extra starter soon? It’s certainly possible, because 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck is off to a dreadful start to the season, continuing his downward trend from the second half of last season and spring training.
Houck, 28, has allowed the most earned runs in the majors so far this season (19) and owns a 9.16 ERA and 1.93 WHIP through 18 2/3 innings. He was a great story in 2024, earning his way to the All-Star game after barely securing a rotation spot, but that doesn’t mean the spot should be his in perpetuity.
To be clear, this piece is not meant to insinuate that Houck should be taken out of the rotation now. But how long a runway should Boston realistically give a starter with three great months under his belt in the big leagues? Ten starts? Fifteen?
The Red Sox also have rookie Richard Fitts, who owns a 2.39 ERA in seven career spots, angling for a more permanent spot in the rotation. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito should be back from injury within the next two weeks, so there’s a bit of a logjam forming, but that’s a good thing for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox will give their veterans (Houck, Bello, Giolito, and Walker Buehler) the benefit of the doubt, as they should. But should any of those righties falter enough for Boston to doubt they can get the job done moving forward, they can make a difficult decision knowing Dobbins is ready for the spotlight.
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