Starting Pitcher Report Card – Tim Wakefield – B
Let’s take a look at the Red Sox starting rotation – despite injuries and some poor performances (Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny and John Smoltz), the top 3 Red Sox starting pitchers were excellent – Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. The Penny and Smoltz experiments can be deemed failures, but Beckett, Lester, Buchholz and Wakefield (when healthy) rallied to help the Red Sox win the wild card playoff position during the 2009 MLB schedule.
Tim Wakefield – 2009 Report Card Grade – B.
Tim Wakefield was a pleasant surprise for the Red Sox during the 2009 MLB schedule, although the frustrating back injury limited him to just 4 starts after the All-Star Break. Wakefield earned himself his 1st ever All-Star appearance with a stellar 1st half – all of his 11 wins came before July 8th.
2009 stats – 129 2/3 innings in 21 starts; 11-5 record with a 4.58 ERA and 1.44 WHIP; 72 K’s; 50 walks; .270 opponents’ batting average.
2008 stats – 181 innings in 30 starts; 10-11 record with a 4.13 ERA and 1.18 WHIP; 117 K’s; 60 walks; .228 opponents’ batting average.
Wakefield took a major step forward in 2009 with his 11 wins in the 1st half of the season. With off-season back surgery behind him, it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox opt to bring Wakefield back. Wakefield is a fan favorite at Fenway Park in Boston given his 15 years of service for the club.