Brayan Bello to be Boston Red Sox's Opening Day starter; how he earned that honor

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Sometimes, life is about opportunity. And youngster Brayan Bello has been given that and more as he has been handed the keys to the golden city.

Expected to be the Boston Red Sox No. 2 pitcher at the beginning of spring training, Bello was elevated to Opening Day starter after Lucas Giolito suffered a right elbow injury and was likely lost for the season.

But, of course, manager Alex Cora couldn’t resist poking fun at the 24-year-old righty who now becomes the entrusted ace of a young and rebuilding staff. Boston opens the season with a 10-game West Coast road trip that beings on Thursday night in Seattle.

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“Scared, very nervous,” Cora joked before Thursday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles at JetBlue Park. “You can tell this kid is not ready for that.”

Despite the light-hearted ribbing from his skipper, Bello is viewed by many inside the Red Sox organization as a bonafide top-of-the-rotation hurler who can help Boston return to prominence after consecutive last-place finishes in the American League East.

Bello — who signed a six-year contract extension worth $55 million earlier this month, which includes a seventh-year club option for $21 million — will be one of the youngest Red Sox pitchers to start Opening Day in the last 60 years.

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At 24 years, 316 days old on March 28, Bello joins Aaron Sele in 1995 (24 years, 305 days) and Dennis Eckersley in 1979 (24 years, 184 days) as the youngest to start a season.

“I felt happy, super happy to be told that I was going to be the Opening Day starter,” Bello told reporters on March 19. “From now on, I just need to keep working hard. Yeah, I was surprised.”

After a lackluster offseason by Boston’s front office — Giolito was the only front-line starter added in free agency, despite a desperate need to bulk up the rotation — the Red Sox moved quickly to lock up Bello with an extension.In his first full MLB season in 2023, he finished 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA, 132 strikeouts and 1.34 WHIP. Bello became the first Boston pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1987 to lead the team in starts (28), wins and innings (157.0) in an age-24 season or younger.

“We talk about expectations, not from (the media) or fan base, but our expectations,” Cora said. “This contract, there’s stuff that comes with the territory. The organization made a big commitment, and he did, too. It’s a two-way street.

“People are going to be paying attention to how you conduct yourself in the clubhouse, in the weight room, in the training room, in the dugout. He understands that; he’ll be ready for that. Obviously, he’s very excited to pitch that first game in Seattle, but at the end, it’s one game. You have to keep going.”

Through five spring-training starts this year, Bello was 0-1 with a 3.93 ERA, 18 strikeouts and 1.31 WHIP in 18⅓ innings pitched.

“Now that he’s got that position solidified and he’s going to be with this team for many years, it’s time for him to do what he does best,” said Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire, who splits time behind the plate with starter Connor Wong.

“I think he’s a 20-win pitcher, I think he can definitely pitch deep into games. He gets a lot of swing and miss, gets ground balls. If guys get on, he’s a double-play guy. … He’s going to fill into more of a leadership role now that the contract is there. There’s no reason he can’t be a leader of that pitching staff.”

Barring any late free-agent additions, Boston’s rotation could be the key to a successful season; or conversely, its ultimate downfall. After Bello, the Red Sox plan to use Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck to round out the staff.

But make no mistake, all eyes will be on Bello. If he can progress to anticipated levels, the Red Sox could have a legitimate No. 1 pitcher to build around as the organization tries to reclaim its past glory of a 2018 World Series championship.

“Young stud arm, homegrown,” Boston outfielder Tyler O’Neill said. “Really cool to see that deal get done for both sides. He’s going to be a workhorse for us. Whatever we can do on the defensive side to keep that pitch count down, and anything we can get in terms of run support on the offensive side, that’s the goal.”

Although many Red Sox fans, along with national pundits, may have written the team off with its current rotation, there is a belief within the clubhouse that Boston can be one of the major surprises this season.

“We feel great where we’re at,” McGuire said. “The stuff me and Connor have seen from our guys this spring, certain guys mixing in new pitches, learning new pitches, they’re really coming together. It makes it easier for us to call pitches because these guys are confident in what they have.”

Red Sox reliever Josh Winckowski, who was in contention for a spot in the starting rotation this spring, also believes the staff is being unfairly overlooked.

“All really solid young arms that we’re excited to see step forward in the rotation,” he said. “And I think we have a lot of exciting arms in the bullpen. The pitching could surprise a few people.”