John Tomase and Lou Merloni share a few of the things they dislike the most about this Red Sox team through the first ten games of the 2020 season.
When the 2019 MLB season started, the defending World Series champion Red Sox boasted an impressive rotation.
Perennial Cy Young contender Chris Sale. Former Cy Young winners David Price and Rick Porcello. World Series hero Nathan Eovaldi. Eduardo Rodriguez, who would go on to win 19 games.
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But the 2020 Sox rotation is a far cry from that collection of talent.
Instead, with Sale sidelined with Tommy John surgery, Price and Porcello on different teams, and Rodriguez out for the season with myocarditis, the Sox have been forced to rely on a flotsam and jetsam rotation that has been exposed as not MLB-worthy.
Through 11 games, the Red Sox have already used seven starting pitchers, and they've combined to allow a whopping 32 earned runs in 42.2 innings pitched, often putting the Sox in early deficits they've been unable to overcome. It all adds up to a 6.75 ERA, which isn't just bad; it's actually on pace to be the worst starting rotation in the last 120 years, according to Boston Sports Info.
Only Nathan Eovaldi with a 3.94 ERA in three starts and Austin Brice, who pitched one scoreless inning in his only start of the season as an opener, have ERAs below 5.00, while Josh Osich, Ryan Weber, Matt Hall and Zack Godley all have ERAs of 9-plus.
| Pitcher | ERA as starter |
|---|---|
| Austin Brice | 0.00 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 3.94 |
| Martin Perez | 5.06 |
| Josh Osich | 9.00 |
| Matt Hall | 10.13 |
| Ryan Weber | 11.57 |
| Zack Godley | 13.50 |
And with the supposedly strong Boston offense underachieving through 11 games, it's no wonder the team is off to a horrific 3-8 start, the 28th best record out of 30 MLB teams. If that starting pitching doesn't turn around — and turn around quickly — the Red Sox are in danger of digging a hole that will be too deep to climb out of in a shortened 60-game season.
