Red Sox
Giolito has a 0.72 ERA in his last four starts.
When the Red Sox signed Lucas Giolito in January 2024, it’d be hard to imagine the rollercoaster his two seasons in Boston would become.
Boston aimed to deepen its shallow starting rotation ahead of last season, and Giolito was the main pitcher they sought to fill out one of their weak spots. However, a significant arm injury in training camp wiped away Giolito’s 2024 season completely, and the Red Sox’s rotation struggled without him — especially after the 2024 All-Star break.
In 2025, Giolito picked up his player option, looking to prove the Red Sox brass right for inking him to a two-year deal. But his early starts were nothing impressive.
Giolito became one of a few starters failing to reach the potential Boston hoped for in them. But over the last few starts, it appears the 30-year-old may finally be turning a corner.
Giolito pitched seven full innings on Saturday, and though Boston’s offense was pouring it on at Fenway Park, the right-handed starter still did his part, keeping the Blue Jays at bay. He recorded five strikeouts while only walking one batter, and though he gave up six hits in his outing, Giolito did not allow an earned run.
At the beginning of June, Giolito had one of his worst outings of the season, allowing even runs — all earned — while only recording one strikeout. Boston won that matchup despite his start, but Giolito left that day with some not-so-happy thoughts about his season.
“I need to figure it the F out,” Giolito said postgame on June 4.
Over his last four starts since then, Giolito has an ERA of 0.72 and is 3-0. All four of those recent outings have been deemed quality starts, and have brought his ERA on the season down to 3.99. And while that’s by no means a fantastic metric, it has been helpful for Boston to get another starter throwing quality outings.
Outside of Garrett Crochet — who has entirely lived up to the hype as the Red Sox’s new ace pitcher — Boston’s rotation has been inconsistent through the first half of the season. Brayan Bello is trending upwards after a bit of a shaky start to 2025, and has the second-best ERA of any starter.
Tanner Houck hasn’t come close to his All-Star form from last season, currently injured and commanding an 8.04 ERA in his smaller sample size of nine starts. Hunter Dobbins has provided a few quality outings, but wasn’t even expected to be in the Red Sox rotation prior to Boston’s injuries.
During spring training, it looked like Boston could rely on its starters as one of the team’s strengths in 2025. But so far, that hasn’t been the case. So getting Giolito on the right track in the middle of the rotation would be a win for the Red Sox, who are still battling with hopes of a playoff push post-trade deadline.
Pitching seven innings without an earned run against a Toronto team that hung nine unanswered on Boston on Friday night? That could be the sign of a positive shift for Giolito’s days on the mound with the Red Sox.
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