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Boston Red Sox need Nathan Eovaldi to dominate for a playoff berth

By Max Smith

BOSTON, MA - JULY 19: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch during an intrasquad game during a summer camp workout before the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season on July 19, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The season was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JULY 19: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch during an intrasquad game during a summer camp workout before the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season on July 19, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The season was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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Nathan Eovaldi will be the Red Sox’ X-factor this season.

The Red Sox pitching staff is an absolute mess. We knew this coming into the season, but now we’ve seen play out in front of our faces over the past four games and it is not pretty. The Sox are 1-4 on the season, with their only win coming on Opening Day, when Nathan Eovaldi pitched a gem and the Red Sox bats did their part in a 13-2 rout of the Orioles.

The other two Red Sox starters were terrible in their starts, with Martin Perez giving up four earned runs in five innings and Ryan Weber giving up six runs in 3.2 innings. The Sox were then forced to use openers in the next two games against the Mets, both of whom were nothing to behold.

Make no mistake, the bats will need to be much better as well. While the pitching has been abhorrent, the batting hasn’t been much better. We all knew the pitching situation coming into the season, it wasn’t a secret that the Sox would need to rely on their bats to win games. That’s why players like Andrew Benintendi need to be better as the season goes on.

Red Sox: Nathan Eovaldi has what it takes to be an ace.

Nathan Eovaldi may well be the most important player for the Red Sox this season. He is clearly the staff’s number one pitcher and will need to be dominant in most of his outings if the Sox want a shot at the playoffs this season.

This season, Eovaldi has a chance to prove that he has what it takes to be a top pitcher in the league. Throughout his career, he’s struggled with injuries that have always held him back from showing his full potential. If he can stay healthy this summer, he has the chance to be an ace on a team that desperately needs one.

In his first start, we saw Eovaldi make some adjustments to his mechanics. He looks to have a more fluid motion while still generating the same power he always has. If his first outing was anything to go off, his new mechanics could be a huge difference-maker for the righty this season.

We all see the potential Nathan Eovaldi possesses. His ability to consistently hit 100 mph throughout his starts is outstanding. His stuff isn’t too bad either. He has a slider, curveball, and a splitter in his arsenal, which he can use to great effect.

If Eovaldi is able to set a precedent with continuous solid outings, the rest of the pitching staff may be able to build off him. Martin Perez and Ryan Weber simply have to be better than they were in their first starts. There’s no getting around that. The Red Sox will not see any success this year if two of their starters aren’t able to pitch past the fifth inning. Eovaldi could be able to instill some confidence in them with his performances throughout the season.

With the expanded playoffs this season, the Sox may be able to sneak in with only one star pitcher. Eight total AL teams will make the playoffs, which is more than half of the entire league. One hot streak could be all they need to earn themselves a playoff berth. If there’s ever a year to have a shaky pitching staff, it’s this one.

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