Who Kyle Hart is and why he is starting Thursday

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Why not Kyle Hart?

There probably aren't a lot of good retorts to that question, and that's why the 27-year-old will be making his major league debut Thursday against the Rays.

Hart isn't considered one of the Red Sox' top pitching prospects, having seemingly fought an uphill battle after being drafted in the 19th round in 2016. He was the 6-foot-5, soft-throwing lefty out of Indiana University who spent five years at the school after missing his junior season due to Tommy John surgery.

But here's the thing with Hart: He gets guys out.

In 77 minor-league appearances (71 starts) he has totaled a 3.13 ERA, having come off a half-season in Triple-A in 2019 in which he managed a 3.86 ERA in 15 starts. Prior to joining the Pawtucket Red Sox last season, Hart made nine starts in Double-A Portland, finishing with a 2.49 ERA.

It was a success that has carried over to the alternate training camp at McCoy Stadium in recent weeks with Hart throwing 11 1/3 scoreless innings during his last two intrasquad games.

In fact, the only time Hart hasn't managed to siphon impressive results was during this year's Grapefruit League when his three spring training appearances ended with the lanky southpaw allowing five runs (3 homers) in six innings.

Now the Ohio native who received a signing bonus of $5,000 - (the pick after him received $100,000) -  is getting the chance to prove the minor-league success can translate to the majors.

Kyle Hart is starting Thursday. Here is Kyle Hart ... pic.twitter.com/iExwdz4SYx

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) August 12, 2020

"I think he’s continued on with a lot of stuff he’s been working on the last couple years," said Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush. "I’ve been around him quite a bit the last three or four years. For him, a lot of the adjustments are small – incremental adjustments in pitch mix and pitch shape, trying to understand exactly where his pitches play in the zone, how to mix pitches together, how to sequence things. So I don’t expect any particularly big changes with him, but as he’s done the last couple years, he’s just getting incrementally better at each of those small things to allow him to be successful at each step along the way. He’s been continuing to do that. No magic answers, no big changes. His command is going to be critical. It always is for him. The stuff is not going to light up a radar gun, but he’s got multiple pitches, he commands the ball to both sides of the plate. The better he is at that stuff the better he’ll be on the field."

"I think I can provide some value to this team right now," Hart said. “I can roll out of bed and throw 100 pitches, you know? Whether that’s a quality 100 pitches, that’s what I’m focused on. Can I give us five or six good innings, not just some ho-hum, five (or) six runs and 100 pitches? I want to make my pitches quality and really bring value to a team."