Not too many people believed me when I said that Josh Beckett is going to improve by leaps and bounds in his second year in the American League. Well, the numbers speak for themselves: Beckett has now won each of his first seven starts, giving him the best record in baseball to go along with his tidy little 2.51 ERA (good for fifth in the AL). It seems as though Beckett has settled down after his shaky 2006, putting more trust in himself and in Jason Varitek, and also allowing himself to relax on the mound and not rush his delivery. He still puts the ball over the plate at 97 mph, but he also has much more command and trust in his off-speed pitches, which only makes his heater more effective. Keep an eye on Beckett as the weather (and power bats) heat up; how he manages in the dog days will show just how improved this talented young pitcher is.
1 comment:
Give him until the all star break to make his case on cy young. Ita far too early. Who knows what can happen. But you got a good point though.
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