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Ex-Yankees Farmhand Garrett Whitlock Thriving in Red Sox Bullpen
Like countless other prospects, Garrett Whitlock was forced to adjust last summer when the pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season.
A Yankees farmhand at the time, the right-hander had yet to pitch above Double-A and was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He had to go through physical therapy and a team-crafted training program near Birmingham, Alabama, where he went to college. Whitlock would send the Yankees videos of his progress and hop on Zoom calls with the organization’s pitching coordinators. Newly married, he also took a pitching coach job with the Central Alabama Baseball Academy, a local travel program, in an effort to earn some additional money.
It wasn’t an ideal situation for a rehabbing minor leaguer, but Whitlock tried to make the most of it.
With another summer approaching, a lot has changed for the 24-year-old.
While the Yankees oversaw Whitlock’s recovery, it is the Red Sox who are reaping the rewards. Boston plucked the pitcher away from its bitter rival in the Rule 5 Draft last December. Now a trusted member of the big-league bullpen, Whitlock could face the only other franchise he’s ever known for the first time this weekend when his Red Sox visit the Bronx.
An 18th-round pick of New York’s in 2017, Whitlock looked to be a promising starter before surgery. He recorded a 2.41 ERA over 205.1 innings in the Yankees’ system, but his torn UCL went unprotected on a 40-man roster that included other talented, young pitchers.
Whitlock first looked like he could become a Rule 5 steal for the Sox in spring training, as he allowed just one earned run over nine innings. He forced his way onto the Opening Day roster as a reliever and has since become a versatile weapon for Alex Cora.
Whitlock has pitched in 14 games for the Red Sox, recording a 1.73 ERA over 26 innings. He has struck out 25.5% of the batters he’s faced while registering a 1.15 WHIP.
He has been especially valuable as a multi-inning arm, as more than half of Whitlock’s outings have lasted at least two frames. He’s also had success against hitters on both sides of the plate: righties are slashing .235/.316/.412 against him, while lefties are slashing .234/.265/.319.
Not bad for a guy who never pitched at Triple-A.
Now Whitlock could get his first chance to toe the rubber at Yankee Stadium after years of hoping he one day would. He last threw 1.2 innings on June 1, meaning he should be available early on in Boston’s first series against the Yankees this season.
Should he pitch, Whitlock will have an opportunity to show his old organization what it’s missing out on.
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