Red Sox Rotation Candidate Surprisingly Picked To Strike Out 200+ In Injury Return

The Boston Red Sox have reasons to be excited about their rotation, even if the rest of the roster still has question marks.

The trade for ace Garrett Crochet and the signing of two-time All-Star Walker Buehler gave Red Sox fans hope heading into the 2025 season. But there's also the return of Lucas Giolito to factor in; the former All-Star missed all of last season after undergoing an internal brace procedure on his pitching elbow.

Giolito has repeatedly insisted that he will be ready to start the season with no restrictions, beginning next week in Spring Training. He's embraced the fact that he may have to compete for a spot in the rotation, with Kutter Crawford currently projecting as his biggest challenger for the number-five spot.

Is it possible that Giolito will have a bigger year than Red Sox fans might expect from a pitcher returning from elbow surgery? One recent projection is sure to raise some eyebrows.

On Monday, FanSided's Mark Ruelle previewed Giolito's 2025 season, and included a prediction that would be a pleasant surprise for Red Sox fans: the righty striking out at least 200 batters in the upcoming campaign.

"(Giolito) was remarkably consistent between 2021 and '23 as a starter who produced quality starts nearly half the time and racked up nearly 200 strikeouts while limiting walks. He will not need to be this team’s ace, which he might have been asked to be (in 2024) before getting hurt," Ruelle wrote.

"Giolito will have the opportunity to ply his craft in the middle of the Sox rotation with lower expectations than before. Double-digit wins, 15 quality starts, and over 200 strikeouts are reasonable expectations of the veteran, who will plug in nicely around Crochet, Buehler, Houck and Bello."

Strikeouts have been a prominent issue for the Red Sox in years past, something they've clearly made a concerted effort to address. No Boston pitcher has struck out 200 or more batters since Eduardo Rodríguez in 2019 (213).

Since then, three new Red Sox pitchers have 200 or more strikeouts in a season for another team: Crochet last season, Buehler in 2021, and Giolito twice. If two of the three of them did it again, it would be a massive win for the Red Sox.

Giolito might be the least likely candidate to achieve the feat, if only because his health is still somewhat in question. But if Ruelle's prediction comes to fruition, the Red Sox will be over the moon about their rotation from top to bottom.

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