2023 In Review: Josh Winckowski, The Thinking Fan’s Pitcher

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports2023 In One Sentence:

Josh Winckowski overcame a slump in his debut season — and the daunting luck of being part of the Andrew Benintendi trade — to make noticeable strides in 2023, as he became one of the Red Sox’s most viable options in the bullpen.

The Positives:

For one, the fact that the young righty cut his ERA in half (from 5.89 to 2.88) is commendable. His FIP will say he was unlucky in 2022 and luckier in 2023, but he still improved from 4.95 to 3.91 there. Winckowski struck out 82 batters in 84 1⁄3 innings, an enormous climb to the tune of 3.12 more K’s per 9 innings than he tallied in 2022. When the game needed securing, it was a standard operating…