Eduardo Rodriguez is coming off what was arguably the best season of his career in 2018. And as 2019 approaches, it seems that he could be poised for another strong season.
Rodriguez has gotten off to a solid start in spring training so far. Per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, Sandy Leon was complimentary of Rodriguez's performance so far in spring training.
[Rodriguez] was locating his pitches very well. His command was very good. The tempo of the game was quicker . . . He looks ready now. He looks like he knows what he’s doing.
Leon wasn't the only one who complimented Rodriguez's performance. Manager Alex Cora was also pleased and implied that Rodriguez was working on one of the issues that plagued him last year.
“He understands. He knows that five [innings] is not enough,” Cora said of the pitch efficiency. “He knows it and he’s working hard at it.”
It makes sense that the Rodriguez would look to improve his pitching efficiency after last season. He averaged 17.8 pitches per inning in 2018, ranking fifth-worst among pitchers that logged at least 100 innings.
Considering that the Red Sox were 14-1 in games where E-Rod went at least 5 2/3 innings in 2018, it's clear that him getting deep into games is important for him. To do that more consistently, he will have to limit the number of pitches he uses to get himself through the early innings.
Boston Red Sox
The early signs are encouraging, with Leon and Cora praising Rodriguez. His performance will be a key factor to watch early in the season. If he continues to progress, the Red Sox rotation will be more of a juggernaut than it already is.
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