The Boston Red Sox hoped they'd be the organization that would finally unlock Jordan Hicks' potential, but it's been more of the same for the hard-throwing righty since his arrival — if anything, he's actually regressed since he was traded from the San Francisco Giants back in June.
The 28-year-old pitcher has always lit up the radar gun, and his stuff has certainly mesmerized scouts and coaches alike. But Hicks hasn't shown the ability to piece it all together on the mound for long periods of time. Still, there are flashes, glimpses of how dominant Hicks could be that continue to trick his new team. His new manager, Alex Cora, is the newest victim.
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Jordan Hicks continues to struggle
Hicks made his 15th appearance with the Red Sox in Monday night's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles immediately jumped on him, putting a runner in scoring position with a leadoff double. The pitcher's control eluded him from there, as Hicks hit the next batter. Yet, maybe what's most frustrating for Cora and all Red Sox fans watching is that Hicks then proceeded to strike out the next two batters with a devastating split finger and then a 97-mph sinker that was perfectly placed on the inside edge to Colton Cowser.
But that's the Jordan Hicks experience, because right after a pair of masterful strikeouts he threw a wild pitch that put two runners in scoring position and Samuel Basallo caught up to a 97-mph fastball to extend Baltimore's lead.
BIG knock Basallo 💪 pic.twitter.com/1xNhiftfmu
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 19, 2025
Alex Cora is dead wrong about Jordan Hicks
Prior to the game, Cora was optimistic in Hicks, saying the pitcher was on the verge of taking off.
"I think Hicks, stuff wise, is close to take off, to be honest with you." -- Alex Cora before tonight's game.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) August 19, 2025
Not quite, as Hicks gave up multiple runs in his second consecutive relief outing for the Red Sox and the third in his last four appearances out of the bullpen.
Hicks has been hit around at a good clip since joining the Red Sox, allowing the opposition to slash .281/.406/.421 against him. The right-hander has not gone more than two straight appearances without allowing a run to score and it boggles the mind why Cora would ever think that Hicks was close to figuring it out.
Jordan Hicks has now allowed 14 runs, including 11 earned runs, in 14 innings with the Red Sox.
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) August 19, 2025
The novelty of throwing hard and hitting triple digits has worn off, and Boston is learning why, despite the good stuff, Hicks only has a career strikeout rate of 22.5%. So far, between his time with the Giants and Red Sox in 2025, Hicks is only striking out 19.4% of batters.
Hicks has been a mess in Boston, recording a K/BB ratio of 13/8, which should not really come as a surprise. That's the thing: Even when Hicks was turning heads with his velocity in the Minor Leagues he wasn't considered a big strikeout pitcher, and despite of his allure Hicks continues to leave a lot to be desired on the mound.
Cora is finding out first hand that the idea of Jordan Hicks is a lot more appealing than the actual pitcher himself. Hicks now has a 7.07 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in his 14 innings of work with the Red Sox.