Though the Red Sox have yet to name a closer for the 2020 season, Brandon Workman is an obvious choice.
Following the struggles of Matt Barnes (4/12 in save opportunities) and Ryan Brasier (4.85 ERA), Workman didn't take over as Boston's closer until August of last season. Yet, he made quite a statement all year long out of the Boston pen. The 31-year-old posted a 1.88 ERA over 71.2 innings, which just begins to tell the story. Workman allowed a mere 29 hits, the second fewest among qualifying relievers in Red Sox history.
In fact, the righty ranked near or at the top of nearly every statistical category for big league relievers. Workman held opponents to a .123 batting average in 2019 (29-for-235), which is the lowest mark for any pitcher since 1900 (min. 60.0 IP). His .166 opponents' slugging percentage is the lowest in the expansion era (1961-2019).
Consider that for a moment; those two statistics are amazing.
Though he may be due for a regression in 2020, Workman's 2019 numbers were spectacular. The one concern was his inflated walk rate, which reached a career-high 5.7 BB/9.
Workman is by now one of the longest-tenured members of the Red Sox, having pitched in the 2013 World Series. He threw a perfect 8th inning in the decisive Game 6, setting up closer Koji Uehara.
You may have forgotten how Boston ended up with Workman in the first place. The Red Sox drafted him in the second round (57th overall pick) of the 2010 MLB draft; he was a compensation pick from the Mets for signing free agent Jason Bay.
So, a decade a later, the decision to let Bay walk is still paying dividends for the Red Sox. By the way, Bay has been out of the majors since 2013 and his career went into a tailspin following his breakout 2009 season with Boston.
Meanwhile, Workman just quietly posted a historic season as a reliever for the Red Sox.
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