Coming into this season the Red Sox bullpen was the number one question surrounding this team. While there has been a couple issues, for the most part those concerns have subsided. Matt Barnes has officially taken a step towards being elite. Ryan Brasier has settled nicely into his role. Marcus Walden has been a terrific surprise that nobody say coming, and that doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Which brings us to Brandon Workman.

Workman is the longest tenured pitcher on the roster. It really does feel like he’s been around forever. From his attempts to crack the rotation in 2013 and 2014, to missing 2015 and 2016 with injuries, we’ve truly seen the ups and downs of Brandon Workman.

But here we are, 2019, and Brandon Workman has quietly worked his way to the forefront of the discussion for best reliever in Boston. After notching his first career save on Sunday against Houston, his ERA dropped to 2.21, with a stellar WHIP of 0.93.

Workman

It seems as if every time Workman is called upon, he delivers. However this shouldn’t been seen as a complete surprise. The last two years Brandon has featured an ERA below 3.30, and has slowly been growing into the pitcher we see today.

The most astonishing number he has produced this year has to be his BAA. Hitters are hitting just .065 off of Workman this year. That is absolutely insane. 4 hits in roughly 20 innings. That, is crazy.

It’s crazy that the national media hasn’t picked up more on Workman’s success. Matt Barnes has finally caught the eye of most, and rightfully so due to his strikeout dominance. Marcus Walden has been the feel good story, and that has also garnered a lot of attention, especially locally. Workman however, continues to quietly do his job and then some.

Even if Workman is slightly due to regress, he is still going to be a weapon for Alex Cora this year. There’s no reason to believe that his ERA can’t stay under 3. As long as his walks get slightly more controlled, Brandon is setting the tone to be a true eighth inning guy.

Better yet, if he keeps pitching this way, his save Sunday against Houston won’t be his last.