‘He’s getting better’: Brayan Bello registers another solid outing while introducing a new pitch
Bello threw a cutter for the first time in a game during his career, saying he learned the pitch between starts.
Brayan Bello registered another quality start Friday. His latest came with a bit of a surprise, though.
The Red Sox’ young phenom threw nine cutters – a pitch he’d never thrown in a game before – in the 3-1 win over the White Sox. It ended up being a successful pitch for Bello, too. Eight of the nine cutters he threw landed in the strike zone, recording three outs on those pitches while giving up just one hit.
Bello’s cutter also traveled well for a pitcher who’d never thrown the pitch in a game before. His nine cutters had an average velocity of 88.6 mph, topping out at 89.7. Bello’s average cutter speed in Friday’s game is tied for the 50th-fastest among the 122 pitchers that qualify this season, via Statcast.
As Bello was able to induce a whiff and three outs with his new pitch on Friday, he revealed it was a pitch he really just started to learn recently.
“I started working on the pitch this week,” Bello told reporters through Red Sox translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “I know my slider, I haven’t been able to control it as I’ve wanted to. So I tried it today and it was good to some hitters and it got me out of trouble a couple times.”
Bello also admitted that he began to work on the pitch on his own, saying he was just “trying different stuff, trying to improve for my next start and I think that’s what happened.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora added that Bello is “working on a lot of things” when he was asked about his young pitcher’s cutter, mentioning that “he’s not afraid” to use new things during his starts.
Bello’s ability to incorporate a cutter into his repertoire is just the latest impressive thing he’s done in his first full season in the big leagues. The 24-year-old gave up one run on six hits, one walk, and five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched on Friday, giving him a quality start in his fourth straight outing. He’s also had six quality starts in the 12 games he’s pitched this season, too.
In the month of June, Bello has gone 2-1 in four starts with a 2.36 ERA. He’s allowed seven earned runs on 19 hits, seven walks, and 21 strikeouts over 26 2/3 innings pitched.
As Bello looks to be the first pitching prospect the Red Sox have turned into an ace in 15 years, Bello said that’s what he’s aiming to be.
“Of course,” Bello said. “My goal is to be one of the best pitchers in the organization and that God will give me the opportunity in the future to be an ace.”
Cora also sees it.
“It’s good, and he’s getting better,” Cora said.
While Bello has been pitching like a veteran ace as of late, he admitted he had a rookie moment (though he’s technically not a rookie) in Friday’s game. During the fifth inning, Bello looked up at the scoreboard at Guaranteed Rate Field and saw the number of pitches thrown. He was bummed out at the number of pitches he thought he threw, admitting he was “stressing out,” before realizing he was looking at White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito’s pitch count.
Cora calmed down his young pitcher, telling him, “Bro, you were looking at the wrong pitcher. You are in a good spot.” But Cora also praised that element of Bello.
“He wants to go deep in the game,” Cora said. “I know he was disappointed I took him out there.”
Bello ended up throwing 104 pitches, the second-most he’s thrown in a game in his career. He was removed in the seventh inning with a runner at first base with White Sox leadoff hitter Andrew Benintendi stepping up to the plate for the fourth time of the evening.
“My goal is always to go deep into the games so I can help the bullpen,” Bello said. “That has been my mentality since I came up here. So I’m trying to get quick outs. I’m not trying to strike out anybody.
“That’s been the key like I said before, too, to go deep into the game and be able to throw 7 and 6 2/3 [innings] like today.”
Bello also shared with reporters following the game that he still keeps in touch with Red Sox icon Pedro Martinez during the season after the two worked together during the offseason.
“It’s something that is on and off,” Bello said of his text messages with Martinez. “He will reach out to give me advice on something that went well or something that I need to improve on.”
If Bello continues to pitch the way he does, Martinez might not have to send him many text messages.
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