Since Tanner Houck made his major league debut in 2020, there has been an ongoing debate about how the team should utilize him. During his time in Boston, Houck has served numerous roles, including a starter, long reliever, and closer. The goal for teams with young pitchers is very often to make them into a starter if they can succeed in that role. The Red Sox did that with Josh Winckowski, only to learn his best role looks to be in the bullpen. Similarly to Winckowski, Houck’s numbers over his first four major league seasons suggest one thing… Tanner Houck is a reliever. Let’s take a look at why that’s the case.
By The Numbers
Over 41 career starts:
- 198.1 IP
- 4.17 ERA
- .315 OBP
- .365 SLG
- .680 OPS
Over 33 relief appearances:
- 53.2 IP
- 2.68 ERA
- .297 OBP
- .273 SLG
- .570 OPS
If you take a look at those numbers, it becomes pretty clear where he has had more success. The idea of wanting to keep Houck as a starter isn’t crazy but the fact is he struggles to work late into games. During his first time through a lineup, opponents have batted only .212 and Houck holds a measly 2.91 ERA. That number then jumped to .272 BA with a 4.03 ERA during his second time through the lineup, and a .307 BA and an awful 12.74 ERA during his third time. Most people see the potential upside of Houck and with pitching gurus Craig Breslow and Andrew Bailey now in the mix, maybe they can take Houck to the next level as a starter. With that said, the numbers don’t lie, Houck has found significantly more success as a reliever.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Best Position To Succeed
Houck’s preference seems to be to stay as a starter. In an article from “The Athletic” in June 2023, Houck went into depth about his development and the differences in approaches to being a starter vs a reliever. While he has that preference, the Red Sox need to decide on their own what they feel is best for the still-young pitcher.
As the team looks towards constructing the 2024 bullpen, there are whispers that closer Kenley Jansen could be moved. If he was to be dealt, Houck could certainly return to the role he briefly served in, and thrived in, in 2022. The closer position fits his mentality, and his demeanor as well.
As I mentioned, the team’s preference has been to see if Houck can develop into a major league starter. The idea makes sense because that would be the best way to maximize a player’s pitching abilities but Houck simply hasn’t shown he can succeed there. It’s time to maximize his production and put Houck in the best position to succeed.
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Featured Image: Sam Hodde/Getty Images
