Red Sox's Breakout Players, Most Disappointing to Start 2023 Season
The Boston Red Sox face an uphill battle in a stacked AL East division, but they have exceeded expectations with a winning record and an offense that looks capable of covering up some of their shortcomings on the mound.
The starting rotation as a whole has a case for being the biggest disappointment, and veteran Corey Kluber has been perhaps the biggest culprit.
However, there have also been plenty of positive takeaways, including a stellar stateside debut from Japanese League standout Masataka Yoshida and a quietly excellent performance from Josh Winckowski in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.
Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the biggest breakout players, as well as the most disappointing one, on the Red Sox roster through the first quarter of the 2023 season.
Under-the-Radar Breakout: RHP Josh Winckowski
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Right-hander Josh Winckowski was a 15th-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016. He was traded to the New York Mets in a deal that sent Steven Matz the other way prior to the 2021 season, and later that year he was on the move again when he joined the Boston Red Sox as part of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City.
The 24-year-old made his MLB debut last season and pitched primarily in a starting role, posting a 5.89 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 70.1 innings spanning 14 starts and one relief appearance.
Pushed to the bullpen this year, he has been an extremely valuable multi-inning weapon, logging a 2.15 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while recording more than three outs in 10 of his 17 appearances. With those numbers, he is one of only 14 relievers to tally at least 1.0 WAR this season.
Second baseman Enmanuel Valdez also deserves a tip of the cap as a surprise contributor.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Corey Kluber
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At his peak, Corey Kluber was one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning a pair of Cy Young Awards during his time in Cleveland while racking up three All-Star selections and 20.3 WAR in nine seasons.
He settled into more of an innings-eating role last season with the Tampa Bay Rays, but he was still a solid rotation option, going 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 139 strikeouts in 164 innings while making 30 starts for the first time since 2018.
The Red Sox signed him to a one-year, $10 million deal during the offseason to try to ease the losses of Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill in free agency, but he has struggled to a 6.26 ERA through his first nine starts.
An ugly 6.59 FIP provides little hope for positive regression, and he has completed six innings just once in his nine outings.
Biggest Breakout: OF Masataka Yoshida
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Offense has not been an issue for a Red Sox team that ranks among the MLB leaders in OPS (.766, seventh) and runs scored (259, fourth), and rookie outfielder Masataka Yoshida has been one of the team's most productive hitters.
The 29-year-old spent the last seven seasons playing for the Orix Buffaloes in the Japanese League, and he hit .336/.449/.559 with 28 doubles, 21 home runs, 89 RBI and more walks (82) than strikeouts (42) last season.
The transition to the MLB game has been a smooth one for him, and he's hitting .300/.376/.481 with 16 extra-base hits, 29 RBI and 26 runs scored in 181 plate appearances to kick off his Red Sox career.
Don't be surprised if he finds his way onto the AL All-Star Game roster, and his five-year, $90 million contract is looking like one of the better splurges of the offseason.
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