What do the Red Sox have in Jake Bennett?

"Pitching injuries happen. They have always happened, and they always will happen. That's why when someone says "there's no such thing as too much pitching", they're correct, regardless of how much pitching that team actually has. You could have a rotation of prime Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Pedro Martinez, Cy Young, and Randy Johnson, and that would still not be enough pitching (I don't know why those are the five names that came to mind. It's late. Leave me alone)."

"The Red Sox, despite having plenty of pitching, have proven that rule. Through the first month or so of the season, they've had eight different pitchers start games, and only one has been a scheduled opener. That also doesn't include Johan Oviedo, who was injured before he could get a crack at the rotation. One of those pitchers was Jake Bennett, who most didn't expect to debut in May. Thanks to a series of injuries, some major and some minor, he got his chance on May 1st. Since then, he's made two starts, thrown 10.1 innings while registering a 4.35 ERA, 9.5% strikeout rate, and 9.5% walk rate. While those numbers are far from stellar, they're not bad, and he's held his own in those two games."

"After Spring Training, I was excited about Bennett as a prospect. He's a huge lefty who was throwing hard and using his frame to get down the mound. He's also equipped with a plus changeup, a useful tool in neutralizing right-handed hitters. After two starts in the big leagues, I walked away underwhelmed, but not discouraged."

"Bennett struggled to punch out hitters. Over his two starts, he only struck out four guys. He got to two-strike counts against 19 hitters. I actually don't know what the league-wide conversion rate for two-strike counts into strikeouts is, but about 19% of two-strike pitches go for strikeouts, so it has to be above Bennett's mark of 21%. Doing my best to be polite to Mr. Bennett, I'd say it's because his stuff isn't good enough. Here's a look at his two-strike command"

Pitching injuries are unavoidable, meaning even elite rotations cannot fully prevent workload and availability issues. The Red Sox have demonstrated this by using eight different pitchers to start games early in the season, with only one scheduled opener and additional impact from injuries such as Johan Oviedo being sidelined before joining the rotation. Jake Bennett received an unexpected opportunity after injuries and made two starts, totaling 10.1 innings with a 4.35 ERA, a 9.5% strikeout rate, and a 9.5% walk rate. His performance was not stellar but was serviceable. As a prospect, he profiles as a strong left-hander with velocity, a downhill delivery, and a plus changeup for neutralizing right-handed hitters. His main issue in the majors has been limited strikeout production, with only four strikeouts across two starts and weak conversion from two-strike counts.

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