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In the month of June, the Red Sox pitching staff posted a 4.11 ERA which ranked 16th in MLB. It was an average month for an average pitching staff — the Red Sox finished 15th in ERA in April, and 16th in May. Let's take a look at which pitchers led the team this month with strong performances. Two names in particular will be featured on the list for the third consecutive month, and there will be one new addition.
Honorable Mention: Brayan Bello
It was the best month of the season for Brayan Bello, even though it ended with a poor start against Toronto. He finished June with a 2.87 ERA across five starts and 31 innings. Bello posted a respectable 17.4% K rate—a high mark for him. He also induced ground balls on 56% of his pitches, meaning he kept the ball down and induced weak contact. It would be a huge development for the Red Sox if Bello could perform like this for the rest of the season, but his start Friday night surely left a sour taste in the mouths of fans.
#3: Lucas Giolito
Lucas Giolito and Bello had eerily similar stats in June. Giolito posted a 3.04 ERA across five starts. Though he threw less total innings than Bello, Giolito edges him out at the third spot thanks to his strikeouts. His 22.7% K rate was second among all Red Sox starters in June. Giolito also walked batters just over 7% of the time. Overall, he makes the list thanks to the timeliness of his starts, and because he needed a bounce back in the worst way month. Just a month ago, Red Sox fans were calling for Giolito to be designated for assignment; now, he is the team's second or third-best starting pitcher.
#2: Aroldis Chapman
One area of the team without any drama is the back of the bullpen, and once again closer Aroldis Chapman had a stellar month. In 11 innings, Chapman posted 0.7 WAR, a 0.00 ERA, and a 0.18 FIP. The Red Sox closer had an absurd 51.4% K rate, while walking just 5% of the batters he faced. Chapman faced 37 batters and he allowed just one run, two hits, and two walks. INSANE. He'll continue to be a regular on this list... unless the Sox trade him at the deadline.
#1: Garrett Crochet
In six starts, Garrett Crochet threw 40 1/3 innings and posted a 2.68 ERA and a 2.25 FIP. It would not be surprising to see Crochet win this award every remaining month of the season. He had a stellar 29.7% K-BB rate, while allowing under one baserunner per inning. Crochet is the best pitcher on the team, and it is scary to think about where the Red Sox would be without him. His 1.4 WAR in June doubled that of Aroldis Chapman, and tied Zach Wheeler and Jacob deGrom for first in baseball. If the Red Sox didn’t get a Cy Young-caliber month from their ace, Chapman’s near-perfect performance would have seen him atop the list. Sorry relievers, we live in a starter’s world.
What do you think of our list? Any other Red Sox players you’d add? Let us know in the comments!







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