Chris Sale is making what could be his final rehab start before his much-anticipated return Wednesday night in Worcester. Normally, that’s the kind of thing that might draw some eyeballs away from Fenway Park for a night.
In this case, however, the pitching performance taking place at Fenway Wednesday night is even more exciting. Brayan Bello, Boston’s top pitching prospect, will be making his Major League debut when he walks out to the mound to face the Tampa Bay Rays.
By definition, teams have a “top pitching prospect” every year. But there is good reason to be more excited about Bello than many of the other top prospects that have come through the Red Sox’ system in recent years… or maybe even in recent decades.
Finding comparisons for Bello (pronounced BAY-oh) isn’t easy. Just ask the voice of the Worcester Red Sox, Tyler Murray, who joined The Greg Hill Show on Wednesday and said he has tried to do exactly that.
WooSox voice Tyler Murray breaks down Brayan Bello
“I’ve asked every smart baseball person I know: When was the last time you saw someone who was 23, had this stuff, this polish, and this poise?,” Murray said. “And the answer is, I quote, ‘Uhh… well… uhh…’ No one has an answer, because this is that rare.
“At the risk of overhyping -- he’s not gonna throw a no-hitter tonight, you’re not gonna define his career by this game -- but it’s been tough to find someone who can come up with an answer for somebody this exciting. People go back to Clay Buchholz in the Red Sox system, but I have to put Bello’s ceiling way, way higher, with all due respect to Clay. So the excitement’s definitely there.”
It has been a pretty rapid ascent for Bello, a native of the Dominican Republic who was actually passed over by all 30 teams for two years before the Red Sox signed him at the age of 18 in 2017.
A strong first season in the Red Sox system in 2018 was followed by some struggles at Single-A Greenville in 2019 (5.43 ERA in 117 innings). But his work during the 2020 COVID season -- which didn’t even include an actual minor league season -- paid off in 2021 with a promotion to Double-A Portland.
Bello’s fastball velocity has increased from the low-90s when he was signed to the high-90s now, and late in 2021 he added a sinker to his already-impressive fastball and changeup that has taken his repertoire to another level.
A 1.60 ERA through six Double-A starts this season led to a quick promotion to Triple-A Worcester. In nine games (eight starts) there, Bello has gone 6-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. Some of the deeper-dive stats are extremely impressive, like this one:
Murray said Bello has completely overmatched Triple-A hitters, and that the hype for his debut is warranted.
“He just turned 23 years old, and it feels like he’s a 10-year big league veteran,” Murray said. “It may sound like overhype, but I have seen the future, and it is Brayan Bello. These guys don’t grow on trees, but Red Sox fans, he’s grown in your backyard. This is the one you want. He’s only getting better year after year.
“His fastball and changeup combination, fans are gonna love. Sinker, which he just started throwing at the end of last year, is 96-97. And his changeup is about 8-10 mph slower, and it just has Triple-A hitters tied in knots. It’s really impressive. Fans are gonna have a lot of fun watching him.”
Bello has drawn some comparisons to his idol and fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez, with whom he has worked. If it seems like the hype and expectations may be going overboard, Bello himself has not shied away from them, saying at one point that he wants to be even better than Martinez.
Murray sees a player who is quietly (or sometimes not-so-quietly) confident, and who won’t be fazed by the pressure or the bigger stage of MLB and Fenway Park.
“If any 23-year-old can [handle it], it is Brayan Bello,” Murray said. “This is the thing that guys consistently say about him -- even going back to spring training, Dave Bush, Red Sox pitching coach -- ‘Great stuff, but most impressed with his demeanor and his calmness on the mound.’ Keep an eye on it tonight, if you’re listening on EEI.
“If things do go a little awry, what’s the response like? In Triple-A, it’s been, all right, I’m attacking, I’m using my high-90s fastball, I’m getting strikeouts, let’s get settled back in. That’s what’s got him here so quickly, is that demeanor on the mound. Pedro’s one of his idols. You’ve been hearing a ton of comparisons to Pedro Martinez. I think that’s one of his best skills, is his demeanor out there.”
Related
