Red Sox Insider Predicts Surprise Pitcher As ‘True No. 2’ In ‘Breakout Season’ originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox‘s starting rotation is loaded to begin the 2026 MLB season.
Advertisement
At the front, the Red Sox have reigning AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet and three-time All-Star Sonny Gray. Venezuelan left-hander Ranger Suarez is building up after a relatively light workload between spring training and the World Baseball Classic but is expected to be a huge part of the unit.
Brayan Bello is the longest-tenured member of the starters as he enters his fifth season with Boston and offseason trade acquisition Johan Oviedo is likely to serve as the No. 5 starter.
Longtime Red Sox reporter Ian Browne of MLB.com made some preseason predictions for the team on Monday, including outfielder Roman Anthony being the team MVP and Crochet as Boston’s Cy Young.
Browne’s “bold prediction” was about Bello.
Advertisement
“Though Gray and Suarez were brought in to be the Nos. 2 and 3 starters in whichever order, Brayan Bello will wind up being the true No. 2 in a breakout season,” the insider wrote. “People forget what strong a season the righty was having last year until a September swoon and a postseason start that was cut short at 28 pitches. If Bello can get his changeup back to where it was prior to last season, his arsenal is nasty and deep.”
The 26-year-old went 11-9 with career-lows in ERA (3.35) and WHIP (1.23) across a career-high 166 2/3 innings pitched covering 29 games (28 starts) during the 2025 campaign.
More MLB: New Red Sox Pitcher Claims He Has ‘No Concerns’ After Inconsistent Spring