Josh Winckowski

Winckowski had a nice 2023 season out of Boston's bullpen, posting a 2.88 ERA over 84.1 innings with four wins, three saves and 18 holds across 60 appearances. The 25-year-old added velocity (+2.2 mph) on his sinker that he threw 96.3 mph on average, which ultimately induced more whiffs. He also threw more cutters (+24.5% usage over 2022) and his strikeout rate took a big jump, from 13.9% in 2022 to 22.3% last season. This mark was still below league average, but the right-hander maintained a high ground ball rate (51.2%) despite issuing free passes at an 8.4% clip. Red Sox manager Alex Cora recently suggested Winckowski could get a look in the rotation in 2024, which syncs up with how he was used throughout the minors and his rookie season. However, his numbers are much worse as a starter (5.66 ERA, 1.55 WHIP over 68.1 innings), which could warrant a relief role after all. Read Past Outlooks