Josh Beckett Stats | Baseball Prospectus

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Josh Beckett PRed Sox

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Career Summary

Years	G	IP	W	L	SV	ERA	WARP
15	335	2051	138	106	0	3.88	46.5

Birth Date	5-15-1980
Height	6' 5"
Weight	230 lbs

Age	43 years, 11 months, 10 days
Bats	R
Throws	R

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	G	GS	IP	W	L	H	BB	SO	HR	PPF	H/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/9	GB%	BABIP	WHIP	FIP	ERA	cFIP	DRA	DRA-	WARP
2001	FLO	MLB	4	4	24.0	2	2	14	11	24	3	98	5.3	4.1	1.1	9.0	0%	.183	1.04	4.13	1.50	94	3.66	75.8	0.6
2002	FLO	MLB	23	21	107.7	6	7	93	44	113	13	99	7.8	3.7	1.1	9.4	0%	.283	1.27	3.59	4.10	86	3.12	66.9	3.0
2003	FLO	MLB	24	23	142.0	9	8	132	56	152	9	96	8.4	3.5	0.6	9.6	0%	.322	1.32	2.88	3.04	71	2.54	53.2	5.0
2004	FLO	MLB	26	26	156.7	9	9	137	54	152	16	92	7.9	3.1	0.9	8.7	0%	.284	1.22	3.48	3.79	80	2.82	58.1	5.1
2005	FLO	MLB	29	29	178.7	15	8	153	58	166	14	93	7.7	2.9	0.7	8.4	0%	.288	1.18	3.23	3.38	77	2.97	63.8	5.1
2006	BOS	MLB	33	33	204.7	16	11	191	74	158	36	106	8.4	3.3	1.6	6.9	0%	.262	1.29	5.16	5.01	98	4.63	94.3	2.6
2007	BOS	MLB	30	30	200.7	20	7	189	40	194	17	102	8.5	1.8	0.8	8.7	0%	.304	1.14	3.14	3.27	68	2.64	54.5	6.8
2008	BOS	MLB	27	27	174.3	12	10	173	34	172	18	108	8.9	1.8	0.9	8.9	0%	.315	1.19	3.26	4.03	79	3.07	65.6	4.8
2009	BOS	MLB	32	32	212.3	17	6	198	55	199	25	112	8.4	2.3	1.1	8.4	0%	.290	1.19	3.66	3.86	84	3.24	69.4	5.5
2010	BOS	MLB	21	21	127.7	6	6	151	45	116	20	114	10.6	3.2	1.4	8.2	0%	.338	1.54	4.51	5.78	96	4.63	104.6	0.9
2011	BOS	MLB	30	30	193.0	13	7	146	52	175	21	107	6.8	2.4	1.0	8.2	0%	.245	1.03	3.60	2.89	86	2.87	66.7	5.0
2012	BOS	0	21	21	127.3	5	11	131	38	94	16	104	9.3	2.7	1.1	6.6	0%	.292	1.33	4.21	5.23	103	4.86	111.3	0.5
2012	LAN	0	7	7	43.0	2	3	43	14	38	5	97	9.0	2.9	1.0	8.0	0%	.302	1.33	3.85	2.93	104	4.57	104.7	0.3
2013	LAN	MLB	8	8	43.3	0	5	50	15	41	8	96	10.4	3.1	1.7	8.5	0%	.323	1.50	4.63	5.19	106	4.19	100.2	0.4
2014	LAN	MLB	20	20	115.7	6	6	96	39	107	17	95	7.5	3.0	1.3	8.3	0%	.257	1.17	4.30	2.88	108	4.22	103.4	0.9
2012	TOT	MLB	28	28	170.3	7	14	174	52	132	21	102	9.2	2.7	1.1	7.0	0%	.000	1.33	4.12	4.65	103	4.78	109.6	0.8
Career		MLB	335	332	2051.0	138	106	1897	629	1901	238	103	8.3	2.8	1.0	8.3	45%	.289	1.23	3.76	3.88	86	3.45	75.4	46.5

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	GS	IP	W	L	H	BB	SO	HR	PPF	H/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/9	GB%	BABIP	WHIP	FIP	ERA	cFIP	DRA	DRA-
2000	KNC	A	MDW	13	12	59.3	2	3	45	15	61	4		6.8	2.3	0.6	9.3	0%	-.513	1.01	2.86	2.12	0	0.00	0.0
2001	FLO	MLB	NL	4	4	24.0	2	2	14	11	24	3	98	5.3	4.1	1.1	9.0	0%	.183	1.04	4.13	1.50	94	3.66	75.8
2001	BRV	A+	FSL	13	12	65.7	6	0	32	15	101	0		4.4	2.1	0.0	13.8	0%	-.276	0.72	0.81	1.23	0	0.00	0.0
2001	PME	AA	EAS	13	13	74.3	8	1	50	19	102	8		6.1	2.3	1.0	12.4	0%	-.326	0.93	2.63	1.82	0	0.00	0.0
2002	FLO	MLB	NL	23	21	107.7	6	7	93	44	113	13	99	7.8	3.7	1.1	9.4	0%	.283	1.27	3.59	4.10	86	3.12	66.9
2002	JUP	A+	FSL	1	1	6.0	1	0	4	1	12	0		6.0	1.5	0.0	18.0	0%	.364	0.83	-0.33	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
2003	FLO	MLB	NL	24	23	142.0	9	8	132	56	152	9	96	8.4	3.5	0.6	9.6	0%	.322	1.32	2.88	3.04	71	2.54	53.2
2003	JUP	A+	FSL	1	1	3.0	0	0	2	0	5	0		6.0	0.0	0.0	15.0	0%	.333	0.67	-0.28	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
2003	CAR	AA	SOU	1	1	4.0	0	0	4	0	7	1		9.0	0.0	2.3	15.8	0%	.429	1.00	2.82	4.50	0	0.00	0.0
2004	FLO	MLB	NL	26	26	156.7	9	9	137	54	152	16	92	7.9	3.1	0.9	8.7	0%	.284	1.22	3.48	3.79	80	2.82	58.1
2005	FLO	MLB	NL	29	29	178.7	15	8	153	58	166	14	93	7.7	2.9	0.7	8.4	0%	.288	1.18	3.23	3.38	77	2.97	63.8
2006	BOS	MLB	AL	33	33	204.7	16	11	191	74	158	36	106	8.4	3.3	1.6	6.9	0%	.262	1.29	5.16	5.01	98	4.63	94.3
2007	BOS	MLB	AL	30	30	200.7	20	7	189	40	194	17	102	8.5	1.8	0.8	8.7	0%	.304	1.14	3.14	3.27	68	2.64	54.5
2008	BOS	MLB	AL	27	27	174.3	12	10	173	34	172	18	108	8.9	1.8	0.9	8.9	0%	.315	1.19	3.26	4.03	79	3.07	65.6
2009	BOS	MLB	AL	32	32	212.3	17	6	198	55	199	25	112	8.4	2.3	1.1	8.4	0%	.290	1.19	3.66	3.86	84	3.24	69.4
2010	BOS	MLB	AL	21	21	127.7	6	6	151	45	116	20	114	10.6	3.2	1.4	8.2	0%	.338	1.54	4.51	5.78	96	4.63	104.6
2010	PAW	AAA	INT	2	2	8.0	0	0	7	1	7	2	98	7.9	1.1	2.3	7.9	0%	.227	1.00	5.16	4.50	0	0.00	0.0
2011	BOS	MLB	AL	30	30	193.0	13	7	146	52	175	21	107	6.8	2.4	1.0	8.2	0%	.245	1.03	3.60	2.89	86	2.87	66.7
2012	BOS	MLB	AL	21	21	127.3	5	11	131	38	94	16	104	9.3	2.7	1.1	6.6	0%	.292	1.33	4.21	5.23	103	4.86	111.3
2012	LAN	MLB	NL	7	7	43.0	2	3	43	14	38	5	97	9.0	2.9	1.0	8.0	0%	.302	1.33	3.85	2.93	104	4.57	104.7
2013	LAN	MLB	NL	8	8	43.3	0	5	50	15	41	8	96	10.4	3.1	1.7	8.5	0%	.323	1.50	4.63	5.19	106	4.19	100.2
2014	LAN	MLB	NL	20	20	115.7	6	6	96	39	107	17	95	7.5	3.0	1.3	8.3	0%	.257	1.17	4.30	2.88	108	4.22	103.4
2014	RCU	A+	CAL	1	1	4.0	0	1	5	3	5	2	91	11.3	6.8	4.5	11.3	0%	.333	2.00	9.98	6.75	122	5.52	116.7

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%
2008	2644	0.5356	0.4584	0.7987	0.6045	0.2899	0.8727	0.6208	0.2013
2009	3351	0.5204	0.4482	0.8009	0.5808	0.3043	0.8667	0.6646	0.1991
2010	2131	0.5087	0.4472	0.7922	0.6024	0.2865	0.8407	0.6867	0.2078
2011	2983	0.5018	0.4730	0.7583	0.6299	0.3149	0.8367	0.6004	0.2417
2012	2614	0.5050	0.4736	0.7973	0.6333	0.3107	0.8720	0.6418	0.2027
2013	732	0.4918	0.4508	0.7333	0.6000	0.3065	0.8056	0.5965	0.2667
2014	1895	0.4881	0.4306	0.7451	0.5968	0.2722	0.8225	0.5833	0.2549
Career	16350	0.5105	0.4564	0.7816	0.6075	0.2990	0.8518	0.6326	0.2184

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2014-08-04	-	60-DL	-	-	Left	Hip	Recovery From Previous Injury	Impingement	-
2014-07-07	2014-07-22	15-DL	15	10	Left	Hip	Impingement	with Labrum Tear	-
2014-03-19	2014-04-09	15-DL	21	9	Right	Thumb	Recovery From Previous Injury	Sprain	-	-
2014-03-15	2014-03-19	Camp	4	0	Right	Thumb	Sprain		-	-
2013-05-14	2013-10-19	60-DL	158	125	Right	Shoulder	Surgery	Thoracic Outlet Syndrome	2013-07-10	-
2013-05-14	2013-05-14	On-Alr	0	0	Left	Groin	Strain		-	-
2013-03-13	2013-03-24	Camp	11	0	-	General Medical	Illness	Flu	-	-
2012-08-01	2012-08-08	DTD	7	7	-	Low Back	Spasms		-	-
2012-07-15	2012-07-15	DTD	0	0	-	General Medical	Illness	Flu	-	-
2012-06-12	2012-06-30	15-DL	18	16	Right	Shoulder	Inflammation		-	-
2012-04-30	2012-05-10	DTD	10	9	Right	Shoulder	Tightness	Latissimus Dorsi	-	-
2011-09-06	2011-09-16	DTD	10	9	Right	Ankle	Sprain		-	-
2011-07-08	2011-07-08	DTD	0	0	Left	Knee	Soreness		-	-
2011-06-16	2011-06-28	DTD	12	10	-	General Medical	Illness		-	-
2011-05-19	2011-05-19	DTD	0	0		Neck	Stiffness		-
2011-04-28	2011-05-04	DTD	6	6	Right	Elbow	Soreness		-	-
2011-02-28	2011-03-08	Camp	8	0		Head	Concussion	Batted Ball Off Batting Cage - 2nd Concussion	-
2010-05-19	2010-07-23	60-DL	65	56		Low Back	Strain		-
2010-05-08	2010-05-18	DTD	10	9		Low Back	Stiffness	From Batting Practice	-
2010-03-09	2010-03-19	Camp	10	0		General Medical	Illness		-
2009-09-28	2009-10-03	DTD	5	5		Upper Back	Spasms		-
2009-03-17	2009-03-17	Camp	0	0		Foot	Avulsion	Callus	-
2008-09-26	2008-10-05	DTD	9	3		Abdomen	Strain	Oblique	-
2008-08-18	2008-09-05	15-DL	18	15	Right	Elbow	Nerve Injury	Ulnar Neuritis	-
2008-06-04	2008-06-04	DTD	0	0		Groin	Soreness		-
2008-04-22	2008-04-27	DTD	5	5		Neck	Spasms		-
2008-03-19	2008-04-06	15-DL	18	6		Low Back	Recovery From Strain		-
2008-03-08	2008-03-19	Camp	11	0		Low Back	Strain		-
2007-05-14	2007-05-29	15-DL	15	14	Right	Fingers	Avulsion	Skin of Middle Finger	-
2006-08-24	2006-08-24	DTD	0	0	Right	Fingers	Blister	Middle Finger	-
2005-10-18	2005-10-18	Off	0	0	Right	Shoulder	Inflammation		-
2005-07-08	2005-07-23	15-DL	15	11	Left	Abdomen	Strain	Oblique	-
2005-06-15	2005-06-30	15-DL	15	13	Right	Fingers	Blister	Middle Finger	-
2004-07-06	2004-07-30	15-DL	24	19	Right	Fingers	Avulsion	Middle Finger	-
2004-06-18	2004-07-05	15-DL	17	16		Low Back	Strain		-
2004-05-31	2004-06-17	15-DL	17	15	Right	Fingers	Blister	Middle Finger	-
2003-07-13	2003-07-21	DTD	8	4	Right	Fingers	Blister	Middle Finger	-
2003-05-08	2003-07-01	15-DL	54	49	Right	Elbow	Strain		-
2002-08-23	2002-09-11	15-DL	19	17	Right	Fingers	Blister	Middle Finger	-
2002-06-05	2002-07-16	15-DL	41	34	Right	Fingers	Blister	Middle Finger	-
2002-04-29	2002-05-14	15-DL	15	13	Right	Fingers	Blister	Middle Finger	-
2000-08-16	2000-09-08	Minors	23	0	Right	Shoulder	Inflammation		-
2000-04-17	2000-05-29	Minors	42	0	Right	Shoulder	Inflammation		-	-

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2014	LAN	$17,000,000
2013	LAN	$17,000,000
2012	BOS	$17,000,000
2011	BOS	$17,000,000
2010	BOS	$12,100,000
2009	BOS	$11,166,667
2008	BOS	$10,166,667
2007	BOS	$6,666,667
2006	BOS	$4,325,000
2005	FLO	$2,400,000
2004	FLO	$1,509,375
2003	FLO	$1,725,000
2002	FLO	$2,156,250

Years	Description	Salary
13 yr	Previous	$120,215,626
13 yr	Total	$120,215,626

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
12 y 30 d	Michael Moye	4 years/$68M (2011-14)

Details

4 years/$68M (2011-14). Signed extension with Boston 4/5/10. $5M signing bonus. 11-14: $15.75M/year. 2010 club option increased $0.1M to $12.1M with 2nd place in 2007 Cy Young vote. Acquired by LA Dodgers in trade from Boston 8/25/12 (waived right to block deal as player with 10 years in majors, 5 with current club). Retired 10/7/14.
3 years/$30M (2007-09), plus 2010 club option. Signed extension with Boston 7/06. $2M signing bonus, 07:$6M, 08:$9.5M, 09:$10.5M, 10:$12M club option, $2M buyout. Option guaranteed with 28 games started in 2009 or 56 games started 2008-09. Award bonuses based on finish in Cy Young vote. $50,000 for All-Star.
1 year/$4.325M (2006). Signed by Boston 2/06 (avoided arbitration, $4.2M-$2.95M).
1 year/$2.4M (2005). Re-signed by Florida 1/05 (avoided arbitration). Acquired by Boston in trade from Florida 11/05.
1 year/$1,509,375 (2004). Contract renewed by Florida 3/04.
4 years/$7M (1999-2003). Signed Major League contract with Florida. $3.625M signing bonus. Contract purchased 9/01.
Drafted by Florida 1999 (1-2) (Spring HS, Texas).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	W	L	SV	G	GS	IP	H	BB	SO	HR	BABIP	WHIP	ERA	DRA	VORP	WARP
Weighted Mean	?	?	?	?	?	0.0	?	0	0	?	.000	0.00	0.00	?	0.0	0.0

Comparable Players (Similarity Index )

Rank	Score	Name	Year	Run Average	Trend

BP Annual Player Comments

Year		Comment
2015		Beckett really threw a wrench into the whole "every other year he's good" theory by struggling in 2013 with his performance and health, then getting off to a fast start in 2014, so fast that at one time he was the Dodgers' second- or third-best active starting pitcher. His season reached its pinnacle on May 25th, when he threw a no-hitter in Philadelphia. Beckett was a legitimate contender for the All-Star team, but he was ultimately passed over. After 11 more starts, a hip injury that he tried to pitch through (what could possibly go wrong?) ended his season and, ultimately, his career. "I just don't see me going through that rehab and coming back to pitch at this point in my life," Beckett said, and who can blame him? He's younger than you might have guessed, a product of an age-21 debut, but he's got 345 big-league starts (counting the playoffs) under his belt and nearly that many stints on the disabled list. With nine figures in career earnings, an aeronautics engineer wife, a couple of rugrats and a 7,000-acre ranch in Texas, what's the point of doing the whole post-rehab audition thing just to get some second-tier contender to consider signing you? You work until you can't work anymore, and then you kick your feet up until you die. Here's to a long, happy retirement. Or a really fun comeback attempt four years from now.
2014		After a five-year run of declining velocity, Beckett was enjoying a slight uptick in the first six weeks of the 2013 season. Pitchers generally heat up further as the season progresses, but Beckett's momentum was halted by injuries in mid-May. The trouble started with a groin strain, followed by numbness in his fingers while he recuperated. Doctors found nerve irritation in his neck, and Beckett eventually underwent surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome to repair the damage. He is expected to be ready for spring training, but Chris Carpenter never really returned from the same procedure.
2013		Beckett, already in the heel role after the fried chicken and beer revelations from 2011, didn't do his reputation any favors when he played golf on an offday in May after being scratched from a start with a stiff latissimus dorsi. Whether or not he really was the problem for Bobby Valentine that many reports suggested, his uneven performance fit into a career-long pattern reminiscent of the oft-injured Bret Saberhagen: healthy and effective during odd-numbered years, less so in even-numbered ones. Relocation from Boston and the AL East to Los Angeles and the NL West appears to have helped his cause, but he's far from the pitcher he was in 2007, having lost 4.2 miles per hour off his average fastball, now at 92. Further reinvention isn't out of the question, but even with the calendar showing another odd-numbered year, the chances of him living up to his contract are slim.
2012		Beckett's seasons all come down to how he is feeling. When he was younger, blisters were what held him back. As he has aged, his back has become the source of his problems. In 2010, back pain kept him from commanding his curveball, forcing him to rely on his fastball. His back felt fine this past year, though, and Beckett—excepting September, when it was physically impossible for any Red Sox starter to pitch well—was the Beckett of old. Won't we all feel silly for getting on our soap boxes when it turns out the key ingredient in the Colonel's recipe has restorative back-healing properties?
2011		Beckett dealt with an on-and-off back injury that kept him from commanding his breaking ball. He stopped throwing as many benders, which made sitting on his fastballs easier, and the result was a mere five fewer homers than he'd allowed in 2009, but in 85 1/3 fewer innings pitched. His peripherals suggest better results than he got, but if he can't locate his pitches and hitters know what to expect, his home-run rate won't regress. After signing the potentially dominant righty to a four-year, $68 million extension, the Sox will need an able-bodied Beckett to get their money's worth.
2010		Postseason stats amount to a short-sample split just like any other "clutch" statistic; the larger the sample, the closer they trend toward a player’s overall performance. Beckett built a reputation as a great postseason pitcher because his first two postseasons followed his two best regular seasons (which was no coincidence): he posted a 1.73 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and a 5.9 K/BB ratio as his teams went 8-2 in his ten appearances in the 2003 and 2007 postseasons. Over the past two Octobers, though, he’s posted a 7.71 ERA and 1.62 WHIP while the Red Sox have gone 1-3 in his four postseason starts. That doesn’t mean he’s lost it. Beckett is still one of the league’s elite starters and is a good bet to remain so in this, his walk year.
2009		Both Beckett and the Red Sox denied that he was injured for much of the season, but it was apparent that something was amiss, as his velocity was often well below past averages; this was noticeable during the playoffs, when Beckett was topping out in the low 90s. He spent time on the DL in August with right elbow inflammation, but except for the velocity issue he was effective upon his return. Despite the health issue, Beckett's season was much like his '07, when he was a legitimate Cy Young candidate, as his peripherals were almost identical; he stranded fewer runners but gave up a few more homers, and saw his ground-ball rate dip, with those balls in play becoming liners. Better luck in 2009 may be all he needs, but that dip in velocity is a bit disconcerting.
2008		Beckett's inflated '06 home run rate proved to be an anomaly, but it was the improvement in his control (1.79 BB/9 in 2007 vs. 3.10 BB/9 from 2004 to 2006) that made him the second-best starter in the AL last year. That dramatic step forward is comparable to those taken by Curt Schilling and Greg Maddux at similar ages, and it foretells a coming period of dominance.
2007		The centerpiece of last winter`s master plan, Beckett was expected to front the Sox`s rotation. While he avoided the blister problems that have disabled him six times so far--enabling his first 200-inning campaign--the solution was a costly one. Beckett covered his middle finger with a Band-Aid between starts, but the remedy prevented him from throwing his curve during bullpen sessions. He then struggled to locate it during games and was forced to over-rely on a very straight fastball. The results were predictable; his 36 homers allowed tied for second in the majors, and his 10 first-pitch homers tied for first. Despite his troubles, the Sox signed him to a three-year, $30-million extension in July, a smart move in light of the winter`s drastic salary inflation. Beckett has the talent to justify that faith, but he`ll need to adjust to succeed in the AL.
2006		In selecting Beckett`s comparables, PECOTA had injuries on its mind; Bradley and Busby were young pitchers who were pushed extremely hard by their managers and burned out in just a few years. Their misfortune was that they had the strength to endure the heavy workload, at least in the short term, whereas Beckett has hit the DL nine times in the last four seasons, buying his arm a respite. That`s looking at the glass as half full. The contrary POV would be that Beckett, who has never pitched 200 innings in a season, lacks the durability to lead the Red Sox`s staff or endure the more grueling games in the DH league. If Beckett survives and prospers, it will be because of his improving control--he`s cut his walk rate in every season of his career--and Terry Francona realizing that he has another Pedro Martinez-style hothouse flower, a pitcher who might do great work for you if you treat him gently.
2005		As aggravating as Beckett's blister problems have been for the right-hander and his team, they may end up as a long-term benefit, as they've kept his workload down during a critical period for a young pitcher. His performance hasn't varied much in three seasons, and he's at an age where he can be expected to add innings and show improvement. He could have the kind of big-step-forward performance that another right-hander, Ben Sheets, had in his fourth season.
2004		Grew up more than any player in baseball last year. Beckett's maturation started after A. J. Burnett had to undergo Tommy John surgery. Beckett, who'd been hiding elbow stiffness for three weeks, wisely told the Marlins he may need to sit a while. While on the DL, Dontrelle Willis mania took hold. Once considered the phenom, Beckett watched Willis get all the accolades, and he wasn't happy about it. After the All-Star break, he caught fire, putting up an ERA a 2.55 ERA and striking out 93 in 88.1 second-half innings. Called on to relieve Mark Redman in Game 7 of the NLCS, Beckett's four innings of one-hit ball pushed the Fish into the World Series. When Jack McKeon tapped him to pitch Game 6 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on three days rest, the debate raged over whether he'd succeed, or if his young arm could even take the burden. Beckett threw gas by Yankee hitters all night, throwing a five-hit shutout to win the Series and a shoulder ride around the mound by delirious teammates. With Torborg's butcherly inclinations gone and Beckett's blister problems apparently behind him, and with a wiser head on his shoulders, the Marlins just have to hope the added load on October has no long-term effect on Beckett's golden right arm. If it doesn't, the sky's the limit.
2003		Beckett’s got scorching heat, but he needs to be able to throw it without the blister problems he experienced in 2002. Two separate trips to the DL and missed turns in the rotation due to blistering on his middle finger put a damper on his season. Beckett doesn’t have a history of blisters, and the injuries kept Torborg from pitching Beckett as hard as he did Burnett, so this could be a blessing in disguise. Look for a full-strength season in 2003, and some enjoyable Beckett-Prior duels down the road.
2002		Stud. He shook off concerns about the shoulder tendinitis that cut short his 2000 season to have one of the great pitching-prospect years of recent times. He'll open 2002 in the Marlins' rotation; hopes are high, but Beckett is still basically a two-pitch pitcher, and he has fewer than 100 innings above A ball. Be realistic in your expectations for 2002.
2001		Josh Beckett began what, contractually, has to be a rapid rise to the big leagues. He showed the ability and poise that caused some scouts to call him the best pitching prospect of his generation, throwing a 95-mph fastball, a big breaking curveball, and a change-up so improved that it became his number-two pitch. He made just 12 starts, twice being shut down with shoulder tendinitis that he says resulted from pumping too much iron. Injury is the only thing that can derail him from assuming a permanent role in The Show by 2004.
2000		The #2 overall pick in the 1999 draft, Beckett demanded and received a major-league contract from the Marlins. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on him and the organization, and almost guarantees that he’ll be asked to do too much before he’s physically ready. Drafting high-school pitchers is risky enough without mandating that they take up valuable space on your 40-man roster. Beckett is a fastball/curveball pitcher, just like Kerry Wood.

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BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2014-07-28 19:00:00 (link to chat)	Assuming Max Scherzer leaves Detroit in the off-season, who is more likely to replace his spot in the rotation, Robbie Ray or somebody who's currently outside of the organization? (Curtis from Michigan)	Ray, or Drew VerHagen and 100/1 odds on Josh Beckett. (Matt Sussman)
2014-04-17 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Which organizations do you admire most (maybe one NL and one AL, or more if you think it's close) when it comes to team-building vision and player development? (Drifter from Long Branch)	That's a good question! I admire the Red Sox for the way they changed course so quickly and so successfully. It's hard to fathom but they got rid of Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez and $300 million or so in future salaries (I used to know the number, but I can't recall off hand at the moment), then fired their manager after his first year. All of this falls under the category of publicly admitting huge mistakes. It probably helped that the GM changed, but still. Then they won the World Series. And now they're integrating one of the game's best farm systems with a WS winning roster. That's admirable. In the NL? I'm very interested to see if the Cubs can develop any pitching prospects to work with the talented hitters they have coming up through their system. But the easy answer there is the Cardinals who just keep winning and plugging in talent from all angles as they go. But those are obvious answers. What do you think? (Matthew Kory)
2013-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Will Josh Beckett turn it around this season? Is he worth keeping on a fantasy roster? (cracker73 from Florida)	Yes, yes. Skills still strong. Really just been an ugly home run spell. (Paul Sporer)
2013-03-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Over-under on Red Sox-Tribe games, 3 1/2 hours. What do you take? (JK345 from NH)	No Josh Beckett so I'll go under. (Matthew Kory)
2013-03-12 13:00:00 (link to chat)	thanks for the chat Paul, what level of production should we expect from Josh Beckett this year? (NoahBraun from San Diego)	I'm one of the higher guys on Beckett. The "change of scenery" trope is thrown out too often, but I think it's applicable here. Going from intense Boston to mellow LA will help and that situation as a whole was just toxic. He looked great in his short time there, just lots of positive factors for me. Oh and he's cheap in drafts. I'm buying. (Paul Sporer)
2013-03-06 20:00:00 (link to chat)	In a 4x4 NL only league where K's don't count, is there anyone in the upper middle class ($10-$14) of SP who you especially bump up or down? Names like Tim Hudson, Jeff Samardzija, Josh Beckett, Homer Bailey, Trevor Cahill? (Scott from LA)	Samardzija gets a lot of his value from his strikeouts, but Cahill and Bailey are two guys I'd give a small bump up to. (Paul Singman)
2012-08-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who is the baseball player with the personality you like the least? Josh Beckett is in a class by himself. (George from East Lansing)	I still can't believe that LoMo took a picture. It's one thing to have a sort of outdated and insensitive opinion. But to take a picture of a stranger, and to post it on the internet, borders on violence. (Sam Miller)
2012-08-14 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Jose Altuve, Adam Dunn, and Josh Beckett walk into a bar. What happens? (Nick K from Michigan)	Dunn does shots. He gets every fourth one into his mouth. Beckett starts indiscriminately punching people though it hurts slightly less than it would have five years ago. Altuve drinks 12 orange juices in the corner and walks out. Later after all the hullabaloo is over you realize that actually he was drinking screw drivers. (Matthew Kory)
2012-07-25 13:30:00 (link to chat)	Do you think the Red Sox would trade Ellsbury seeing as its unlikely he'll resign after the 2013 season because of his agent. And what do you think is wrong with the Sox? They seem to have a lot of great pieces. (Ben from Canada)	This time tomorrow, I'll be in Ben in Canada, as I'm about to make my semi-annual pilgrimage to BC. For now, though, I'm still Ben in Manhattan, so let me try to answer your question. I think the odds are against an Ellsbury trade. He might re-sign, and if he doesn't, he'll get them a comp pick in the 2014 draft. As my old pal Marc Normandin points out, the Sox are probably hoping that Jackie Bradley will be ready to replace him in center in the event that he leaves. As for the Sox' struggles: some answers can be found on the disabled list, but it doesn't help that Josh Beckett and Jon Lester (one of the most consistently good starters in baseball over the past four seasons) have been unexpectedly bad. Whether you want to assign any blame to this season's various clubhouse flare-ups is a decision between you and your god. You're right about the good pieces, though. Despite everything that's gone wrong, the Sox are still at .500 and technically in contention. (Ben Lindbergh)
2012-04-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	We're having a Twitter Debate: Josh Beckett's likely cause of death, when the day finally comes: Hot Chicken Grease or Blisters? Thoughts? (WisconsinRob from Madison)	I'm not a fan of Beckett's, but speculating on the cause of any player's death is too morbid for my tastes. That said, I do think his soulpatch could get caught in a thresher someday, so he may want to reconsider his personal grooming options. (Jay Jaffe)
2012-03-06 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Derek, thanks for chatting! Question for you on drafting Yu Darvish. In Yahoo! mocks, he's dropping into a cluster of SPs the likes of CJ Wilson, Madison Bumgarner, Josh Johnson, Adam Wainwright, Josh Beckett, Michael Pineda, Dan Hudson, and Mat Latos. How would you rank these 9 players on your draft board? (BR from NYC)	Hmm... off the top of my head, I'll go Beckett, Johnson, Wainwright, Bumgarner, Darvish, Hudson, Wilson, Pineda, Latos. (Derek Carty)
2012-01-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	SP keepers! The stats are the usual stats (ERA, K, WHIP, wins, etc.) The guys are: James Shields, Josh Beckett, CJ Wilson, Ervin Santana. Do I have them in the right order? (Might keep 2, but probably only 1 while hoarding young 2Bs like Jemile Weeks & Dustin Ackley.) Thanks! (David R. from Somewhere, USA)	Yes, you do have them in the right order, though I think there's a drop-off from Beckett to Wilson and that Beckett is a bit underrated this year. (Derek Carty)
2011-06-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I have a very strong pitching staff in a long term keeper Strat-O-Matic 16 team league and I only need five starters. Which five of these would you keep? Josh Beckett, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Zack Greinke, CJ Wilson, Jordan Zimmermann, Clayton Kershaw, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando, and Chris Narveson. Keep in mind I can keep them forever. (jhardman from Apex, NC)	Lincecum, Kershaw, Greinke, and Cain seem like obvious choices. I'd probably go with Beckett for the last spot, though Wilson might be safer, given Beckett's age and injury history. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-04-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think that Varitek behind the plate has a legitimate effect on Josh Beckett's pitching, or Tek just happens to be there during his better years and backing up during his worse years? (hannah from bay area, ca)	Beckett's back was a problem last year, which meant he had little command of his curveball (his best pitch). That meant more fastballs, and more fastballs the opposition knew were coming. I don't think it matters who is calling the game when Beckett doesn't have his curveball, because he is screwed either way. (Marc Normandin)
2011-02-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Was Josh Beckett hurt, unlucky or regressing last year? IS he back for this year? (Henry from Austin)	Possibly all of the above, but being hurt probably had the most to do with it. I'm sure there's a bad pun to be made in answer to your second question, since his back was the problem last year, but I'll let that go by. Wait--no, I won't. Whether he's back will depend on his back. How's that? (Ben Lindbergh)
2010-12-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What do you make of Josh Beckett this year? The world's most unpredicatble "ace"... (Blake from Lowell)	Good year. Not great, but good. Will miss 6 starts for back/blister problems. 3.68 ERA, high K%, lower walk rate than last couple of years. (Eric Seidman)
2010-09-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	So is this who John Lackey is now? A slightly above average innings eater? I can't imagine that's what Theo Epstein thought he was getting for his $82 million. (mattymatty2000 from Portland, OR)	It's been a rough season for Lackey, but let's not forget that Josh Beckett put up a 5.01 ERA in his first season in Boston, only to rebound with a Cy Young caliber season the following year. Of course, Beckett didn't have nearly the mileage or the history of recent arm troubles that Lackey's had. The thing I find particularly disconcerting is Lackey's plummeting strikeout rate. He's going to have to miss more bats to be successful in the AL East, and if he doesn't, that contract is going to turn into a real albatross. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-08-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Joe, has Josh Beckett become more of a myth now? (Frank from Lumberton)	All I know is I and a partner got killed for trading him when he was on the DL. We'll end up winning that trade, even with Westbrook traded out of the league. (Joe Sheehan)
2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What do you think we get out of Josh Beckett and what types of SP's would you lump him with for a second half ranking? (Rich Gedman from RI)	If his back is okay, he'll be as good as he always is. He's not Lester, but he's pretty great. If his back isn't okay, well...it may be a long summer of Dice-K in Boston. (Marc Normandin)
2010-06-07 18:30:00 (link to chat)	Rank these big name, big time HS Righthand Pitchers: Josh Beckett, Rick Porcello, Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon. (Cult of Basebaal from Pasadena of Los Angeles)	Beckett, Taillon, Porcello, Cole. Love them all. (Kevin Goldstein)
2010-05-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What's up with Josh Beckett?? Is he still an elite starter or are his back woes to blame? (caseyj15 from Medford, Oregon)	It's got to be the back problems. I can't believe with his ability level and at his age that he would be over the hill. I guess we'll find out more when he comes off the DL. (John Perrotto)
2010-02-11 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How would you rate in order the following pitchers by overall (short and long term) value? Johan Santana, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Randy Wells, Derek Lowe and Josh Johnson. (caseyj15 from Medford, OR)	Short term: Santana, Johnson, Beckett, Lester, Lowe, Wells Long term: Santana, Johnson, Lester, Beckett, Wells, Lowe (Shawn Hoffman)
2009-10-05 16:00:00 (link to chat)	Which Josh Beckett shows up in LA after his cortisone shot, the 07 version or the 08 version? (Franzeim from Wyoming)	I'm envisioning a big post-season for Beckett. (Eric Seidman)
2009-09-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	"I'm beginning to think that Matsuzaka needs out of Boston and into a more "old school" organization. Texas would be perfect, but Seattle might be a better fit." Can you actually see the Red Sox, a team with no fourth starter right now, trading Matsuzaka? (mattymatty2000 from Philly)	Let's look forward: Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Bowden look to be locks for 2010, right? They've shown a willingness to go with "scrapheap" guys like Penny, Smoltz, and Byrd, so I don't think filling that last slot is that hard. Add in more prospects, Wakefield, Tazawa, and the biggest issue is Josh Beckett's contract, which I think they'll fix this off-season. (Will Carroll)
2009-08-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Not to quibble with the idea that Greinke is the clear best pitcher but I'm curious as to your statement that "Just two pitchers have more than that number (of wins) at all, Josh Beckett, who isn’t a candidate, and CC Sabathia, who rates as about the sixth- or seventh-best starter in the league by the value metrics." Beckett and Sabathia are pretty similar across the various Support Neutral metrics and it's not like Sabathia has a massive edge in innings. I'm curious where you see a separation between the two. (Joe from Tewksbury, MA)	Sabathia could lead the league in wins--in fact, be the only 20-game winner--and be perceived as key to the Yankees' season. That will make him a BBWAA candidate in a way that Beckett won't be. I wouldn't vote for either, although either could sneak onto a five-slot IBA ballot. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-08-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm not sure if my question got left off the pre-chat queue, so I'll ask again (paraphrased): If flags fly forever, why are GMs reluctant to part with prospects in return for a difference-maker? As a Red Sox fan I'm perfectly fine with trading Hanley Ramirez, superstar, for Josh Beckett, star, plus a World Series title. I know people still remember Bagwell for Larry Andersen, but it seems like giving up a top prospect for someone like Roy Halladay would be worth it. (Dr. Wayne Pitcher from Castro Valley, CA)	I don't disagree, but I think the market's over-corrected as a result of finance-minded conservatism. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-10-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Will, a three-part question, please. Josh Beckett looks injured to me. What do you know, what do you think, and what do you feel about Beckett's situation? (JayhawkBill from Farmville, VA)	Well since it's acknowledged that he's injured, this isn't much of a question. Oblique strain, affecting his mechanics and I don't "feel" anything about it. (Will Carroll)
2008-10-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	(No need to post this: just FYI) Will, here's why I asked what I did. Josh Beckett has stated clearly that he's not injured. Terry Francona had supported him, saying that the oblique strain was better. Tom Verducci of SI wrote that it was a tear, not a strain. Now Terry Francona says that Beckett is suffering from a strain, contradicting his earlier position supporting Beckett. Pardon that this "isn't much of a question," but I'm getting three different stories from three different sources. I'm happy to hear that you support Terry Francona's latest position--that's important information from this fan's perspective. (JayhawkBill from Farmville, VA)	Well, a tear IS a strain, so I'm guessing Tom is really trying to say "It's a Grade I, not a II or III" in simpler terms. When players say they're "not injured" I seldom believe them. This is analagous to Tony Romo -- if he can play, is he injured? Sure, the hand is broken, but he can play so ... semantics. (Will Carroll)
2008-10-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How absurd is the coverage and rumors around peavy going to get this winter? Brian Roberts absurd? Johan absurd? (Tony from Albuquerque)	Very absurd. Thing is, it's starting early, so maybe they want to get something done quickly to avoid this. Craig Elsten just dropped a great line, saying he expects Josh Beckett to be warming up and start having blood seep from his oblique into his jersey. That's just brilliant. (Will Carroll)
2008-09-12 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Which is scarier, Ike or me in a one game playoff? (Roy Oswalt from Bulldozer)	Ike, followed by Josh Beckett in a one-game anything. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-06-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Here's a fantasy question for you if you're interested. I'd much appreciate it. Someone in my league just traded Ryan Howard, Justin Verlander, Josh Beckett, Curtis Granderson and Manny Ramirez for Cliff Lee, Ervin Santana, Carlos Gomez, Torii Hunter, Erik Bedard and Garrett Atkins. A lot of people are screaming veto, and I have to agree. The trade doesn't have any 'needs-based' or 'long-term' mitigating factors, either. As an important aside, the team getting the first set of players is in third while the other guy is near the bottom. Would you exercise a veto on this deal? Thanks! (havens from bristol, CT)	Are we assuming good faith in this deal? Often a league has someone in it who is the Randy Smith of fantasy GMs and just gets suckered by everybody. I think that guy is fair game -- if he wears diapers, he shouldn't have been allowed in the league in the first place. I'm not for exercising the veto except in really apparent cases of dumping... You know, there was a parallel case in actual baseball, where for awhile Bowie Kuhn was negating trades just because he didn't like the players involved. He was actually sitting there and passing judgment on what the GMs were doing. Imagine if Bud Selig came in and said "Mets, you're overpaying for Johan Santana. No deal." That kind of thing was happening, and the more obvious opposite case as well, where he would have said, "Twins, Carlos Gomez isn't good enough. You need to hold out for a better position player or no deal." Like much of Kuhn's reign it was pathetic and unintentionally comical. (Steven Goldman)
2008-05-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Am I "mis-remembering" or do I recall that a Yankee manager (Martin?) sent up Mike Pagliarulo to bat right-handed in Detroit against a tough lefty...and he struck out swinging. (Arnold Layne from Cambridge)	He did, and it was a bad idea in that it was done in a high-leverage situation, but most tellings of the story make it sound as if Martin tried this completely at random, as if, say, Terry Francona walked up to Josh Beckett this morning and said, "In today's game you're going to throw knuckleballs, left-handed." Martin had seen Pagliarulo switch-hitting in batting practice and thought he looked good enough to try it in a game. Thus it was in some senses a planned experiment, or planned to the extent that Martin was capable of planning... Thinking about that, if Martin was Joba's manager, they wouldn't have had the Joba Rules. They would have needed the Joba Shackles, with Martin bound and held at gunpoint to keep him from breaking them. Similarly, he would have gone from the bullpen to 150 pitches overnight, not been built up over a month. (Steven Goldman)
2008-05-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Gallardo/knee = Josh Beckett/blister? (jafessenden from Worcester, MA)	Torn ACLs don't recur from start to start. I hope. (Will Carroll)
2008-01-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Okay Will, last year you said, on numerous occasions, and in spite of his struggles in '06, that Josh Beckett would be competing for the Cy Young in '07. He very nearly won it. Who's your man in '08? (Ed from Chicago)	Not quite Phil Nevin, but I'll take it. Beckett was an easy one because he had a good-to-dominant team that was going to allow him to put up big win totals. Same with Sabathia. Give me Beckett or Schilling in the AL with a side order of Verlander. The NL is a lot tougher since there's no dominant teams and the easy picks -- Zambrano, Hamels, Sheets - have big questions. I'll take Dan Haren. (Will Carroll)
2008-02-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	How is Chipper looking this season? He has been awfully good in his mid-thirties when hes been able to play. (twayda from Chicago)	Haven't seen him yet. I answer this question bc there's a lot of similar questions. I honestly haven't been checking in with sources yet except on specific cases. In the first week of training camp we get the "best shape of their careers" stories and the "Jack Cust put on 20 lbs of muscle" stories, plus the "damn, what did Josh Beckett eat this off-season, everything?" stories. Chipper's risky and I think he'd be better off in some sort of platoon to reduce his playing time. (Not a R/L platoon, but something where he could just play 4 times a week.) (Will Carroll)

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PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2024, Josh Beckett threw 18,328 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2007 and 2014, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2014, he relied primarily on his Curve (74mph) and Fourseam Fastball (93mph), also mixing in a Cutter (91mph), Change (86mph) and Sinker (93mph). He also rarely threw a Splitter (85mph) and Slider (72mph).