Boston Red Sox Pitchers of the Month, July 2026: Dominant Rotation, Bullpen Power Historic Turnaround

[Gottie Chavez]

The month of July was historic for the Boston Red Sox, who went 21-4 to post the highest monthly winning percentage in franchise history. While the offense saw some improvement, it was the pitching staff that was the driving force behind their success, leading the MLB with a 4.5 WAR while also having a 2.91 ERA and 3.34 FIP, both lowest in the league.

Boston also led the league with 21 wins and 13 saves, displaying their effectiveness through their ranks. While veterans like Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez have garnered most of the attention throughout the season, July saw several newer faces establish themselves as key contributors.

Here are the three pitchers who deserve the most flowers for the team's brilliant month.

Ranking Red Sox's Best Pitchers In July

#3: Jake Bennett

Just three months into his major league career, the 25-year-old rookie has firmly established himself in the rotation. Consistently improving each month, July saw Bennett take the biggest leap, compiling a 4-1 record, 2.21 ERA and 3.46 FIP over 32.2 innings. His 0.7 WAR led all Red Sox pitchers for the month, and he took advantage of each of his opportunities, throwing five quality starts in five appearances. 

Bennett’s success was driven by the effectiveness of his changeup. His second-most-used pitch behind his four-seam fastball, opponents hit just .071 against it. Consistently locating it low or below the strike zone, Bennett generated a 35% whiff rate. He also made noticeable improvements to his sinker. After allowing batters a .350 batting average against the pitch in June, they hit just .281 in July while the pitch produced a 37.5% put-away rate. These adjustments led to him having 21 strikeouts for the second consecutive month.

#2: Garrett Whitlock

During Boston’s difficult first half, Whitlock remained one of their only reliable pieces and July may have been his best month yet. His 0.5 WAR ranked tied for fifth among all MLB relievers as he posted a 0.73 ERA and 1.48 FIP over 12.1 innings. Whitlock also led all relievers with eight holds and even recorded a save, while holding opponents to a team-best .143 batting average.

His effectiveness came with the reestablishment of his sinker. After opponents hit .400 against it in June, Whitlock regained confidence in it after increasing its average spin rate from 2141 RPM  to 2207 in July. The added movement immediately translates to better results, as opponents batted just .080 against the pitch. Whitlock also relied on it 66.7% of the time in 0-0 counts, allowing him to get ahead of hitters and dictate at-bats throughout the month.

#1: Aroldis Chapman

After a lingering hamstring injury limited his availability and contributed to an inconsistent June, Chapman shut down any doubts surrounding him with a dominant July. In 12 appearances, he led all closers with 10 saves and a 0.75 ERA and 2.60 FIP. His 10 saves were his most for a single month since 2019 as he continued his late-career resurgence. 

Chapman also led Boston’s bullpen with 17 strikeouts and a 34.7% strikeout rate, while holding hitters to a .209 batting average. But while the strikeout numbers were flashy, his reliability in high-leverage situations may have been even more valuable. After blowing two saves in June, Chapman did not allow a single inherited baserunner to score all month, quickly reestablishing himself as the backbone of the bullpen. With the future Hall of Famer back to closing games at an elite level, Boston's bullpen has become one of the biggest reasons the club enters the back half of the season with legitimate postseason momentum.

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