Walker Buehler made his spring training debut on Sunday and while he may be in a new uniform, his stuff looks familiar.
The 30-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $21.05 million deal with the Boston Red Sox this offseason, leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers after spending the first eight years of his career there. He saw his first action with Boston on Sunday and looked right at home.
Buehler threw the first two innings against the New York Mets and looked dominant. In the first inning, he allowed a double to Jeff McNeil to open things up, then got a groundout from Francisco Alvarez before striking out Jesse Winker on three pitches. Buehler hit Jose Siri on his first offering, then struck Alexander Canario out on three pitches.
He was even better in the second inning. He struck out Brett Batty looking, got Jared Young to ground out to first, then struck out Jose Azocar. Buehler pitched two innings, allowed one hit and struck out four
Walker F'n Buehler's 4Ks in 2 innings. pic.twitter.com/olQqEyABdI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 2, 2025
That's an encouraging outing for the Red Sox. After returning from Tommy John surgery, Buehler struggled during the regular season last year. In 16 starts he went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, striking out 64 but walking 28 in 75 1/3 innings pitched. He looked much better in the postseason, as he went 1-1 in four appearances with a 3.60 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 13 strikeouts against five walks in 15 innings. He got the save in Game 5 of the World Series, pitching the final inning as the Dodgers closed out the New York Yankees to win the title.
While it's only a one-year deal, the Red Sox made a steep financial investment in Buehler to add to a rebuilt rotation that now includes Garrett Crochet. They need him to turn things around this season. His first start was a positive step in that direction.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Walker Buehler Looks Dominant in First Start With Red Sox.
