1. Steven Wright – BOS
Ownership: 49 percent
The Boston Red Sox have a much improved rotation from this time last year. But surprise surprise, it’s not David Price who is leading the way with his startling 6.75 ERA,. Instead, the relatively unknown knuckleballer Steven Wright is pushing for ace of the staff status with a 1.2 WAR through five starts .
If not for a a poor pitch to Brett Gardner in the bottom of the ninth inning of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball versus the Yankees, Wright would’ve recorded his first career shutout. Instead, the 31-year-old settled for a complete game three-hitter.
Wright now has a 1.52 ERA on the season, improving to 3-3 on the for the second place BoSox in the AL East. Unlike R.A. Dickey in Toronto — the leagues other prominent knuckler chucker — Wright has been hitting his spots all season long. His minuscule ERA is supported well by his FIP of 3.23 entering last evening’s start. Even his strikeout rate is decent, with 38 punch outs in 41.1 IP. Those numbers rank third and first on the club, respectively. Sunday’s win marked Wright’s sixth straight quality start to begin the season.
Next: Starting Pitcher