Pitching for Success as Andrew Bailey’s Vision for the Red Sox After His First Season

Andrew Bailey Reflects on First Season as Red Sox Pitching Coach and Future Plans

A year ago, Craig Breslow had just begun his role as the Boston Red Sox’s chief baseball officer, while Andrew Bailey was still awaiting his appointment as pitching coach. Revamping the pitching infrastructure was a major goal for Breslow, and shortly after Bailey’s hiring in late November, Breslow also recruited Justin Willard as the director of pitching to oversee the organization’s pitching strategy from the minors to the majors.

The past year has been eventful, filled with both challenges and successes in the Red Sox’s pitching department. Signs of progress are starting to emerge.

“At the end of the season, I believe we’re in a much better position than when I took over,” Breslow stated. “There’s a greater emphasis on pitching development, and both Justin Willard and Andrew Bailey have done excellent work. We can highlight several players who have positively impacted our team this season, such as Luis Guerrero, Richard Fitts, and Quinn Priester. Justin Slaten wasn’t even part of the organization this time last year. We’re on the right path, but there’s still more to accomplish.”

In a move to strengthen the team’s pitching pipeline, the Red Sox allocated 14 of their 20 picks in the 2024 MLB Draft to pitchers. Additionally, the rookies mentioned earlier made significant strides, enhancing the overall depth of the pitching staff. On the major league side, the Red Sox pitching staff had a solid year, yet there remains considerable potential for improvement. The starters recorded a 3.81 ERA, ranking seventh in the MLB, a significant improvement from their 4.68 ERA last season, which placed them 22nd. They also logged approximately 65 more innings than in 2023, though their total of 839 2/3 innings still put them at just 16th in the league, indicating that the rotation needs to go deeper into games.

While Tanner Houck had a commendable season, Brayan Bello struggled in the first half but bounced back later on. Kutter Crawford experienced a mix of dominant performances and inconsistency. Nevertheless, all three homegrown starters made at least 30 starts, marking the first time since 1987 that the Red Sox had three pitchers they drafted reach that milestone, reminiscent of Roger Clemens, Al Nipper, and Bruce Hurst.

On the other hand, the Red Sox bullpen ranked among the lower tiers in the league, posting a 4.39 ERA (24th) and a 4.11 FIP (also 24th). The unit faced significant challenges over the summer, particularly with Slaten and Chris Martin sidelined, compounded by starters not pitching deep into games.

Bailey guided the rotation through the early-season injuries of Lucas Giolito and Garrett Whitlock while also fostering the development of several young pitchers. The Red Sox utilized 34 pitchers in 2024, the second-highest number in team history, just behind the 37 used in 2021.

Early in the season, Bailey and Willard implemented a strategy focusing on reducing the use of four-seam fastballs while capitalizing on pitchers’ most effective off-speed pitches. While this approach yielded strong results initially, adjustments were necessary as the league adapted to their tactics by midseason.

As Bailey reflected on his first year in Boston, he prioritized addressing the team’s inconsistency and their extended struggles. He emphasized the need to shorten what he called “that six-to-eight week period where our pitching staff ranked last in various categories.”

“I’m really proud of our starters and the entire staff,” Bailey noted. “But the challenge is figuring out how we can avoid swinging between being the best and the worst at different times. We need to maintain a more consistent performance.”

Last winter, shortly after their hiring, Bailey and Willard worked intensively to analyze the pitching staff, identifying areas for improvement and developing player plans. They conducted Zoom meetings with each pitcher over a two-month period leading up to spring training. However, by that time, much of the offseason had passed, leaving pitchers with limited time to implement their suggestions. This year, the approach will be markedly different.

“I’ve already outlined the offseason plan, focusing on communication with players, understanding their needs, and establishing our goals for the offseason,” Bailey explained. “This will allow us to create targeted plans and ensure everyone is on the same page. Last year, we were at a disadvantage coming in late, but now we can start strong since we already have a relationship with the players. I expect us to make significant improvements heading into spring training and the next season.”

While pitchers generally have a designated downtime for arm recovery, another key area of focus this offseason will be building strength.

“Strength is crucial,” Bailey emphasized. “The next eight weeks will be vital for our players to establish a strong foundation and enhance their output strength, effectively building bigger engines. From there, we can introduce more intensive throwing programs, ramping up as we approach spring training.”

Both Breslow and manager Alex Cora have highlighted the need for increased velocity within the pitching staff. While they plan to make external additions to the rotation and bullpen, they recognize that improvements must also come from the pitchers already in the organization, who are encouraged to enhance their strength to not only throw harder but to pitch deeper into the season without succumbing to injuries.

“We understand that velocity and effective stuff are critical,” Bailey said. “We’re aware of the importance of mixing components and developing arsenals. I believe we’ve established a solid foundation for being effective in the strike zone. We led the league in in-zone pitch rate, but we need to improve our swing-and-miss rate.”

Despite ranking first in the league with 50.8 percent of pitches in the zone last season, the Red Sox finished 26th in swing-and-miss rates. Their pitches simply lacked the overpowering quality needed to be more effective.

“It’s about maintaining higher levels of velocity,” Bailey noted. “Our pitchers have reached those upper thresholds, but the challenge is sustaining that performance. We need to reduce lower-effort pitches to achieve a higher average. This will be crucial for enduring the 162-game season and understanding how to better manage their bodies.”

While progress was evident in 2024, there remains ample opportunity for growth, and Bailey is committed to ensuring the pitching staff reaches its full potential.