Getting to know Josh Winckowski
CHICAGO - Josh Winckowski is clearly not afraid.
On the mound, the rookie hasn't shied away from the big stage one bit, continuing his memorable introduction to the major leagues by allowing two runs (1 earned) over six innings in the Red Sox' 3-1 loss to the Cubs, Saturday night.
Off the field, Winckowski hasn't acted like a sheepish rookie, either, as was evident when talking about pitching at Wrigley Field.
"A little underwhelming," Winckowski said after the Red Sox' second straight loss to the Cubs. “Fenway kind of has a presence to it. I really didn’t get that here, to be honest. I said to my mom last night, this place is very stock standard, if you ask me. I didn’t really feel anything, to be honest. It kind of just felt like another ballpark.”
Winckowski clearly has confidence in his convictions, which has seemingly served him well since being placed into the Red Sox' starting rotation.
In the four starts, the righty has made since entering into the starting rotation, Winckowski has gone 3-1 with a 1.96 ERA. And according to MLB.com, this most recent start saw the average exit velocity of the 17 balls put in play coming at just 75.8 mph.
The presence of Winckowski - who figures to be remain in the starting rotation for the time being while the likes of Rich Hill and Nathan Eovaldi recover from the respective injuries - is a feather in Chaim Bloom's cap.
While Franchy Cordero has taken a step forward in his production with the Red Sox this season, it is Winckowski who seems to be the true prize in the three-way trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City.
"I’ve said before, the Mets were trying to like me, but they didn’t really love me," he said, referencing his departure from the Mets, who had traded for him from the Blue Jays just a month before the Boston deal. "I think the Red Sox have shown a lot of love to me. I’m really fortunate. Just being in the rotation, I knew that was a possibility this year but you’re not really sure how the year will play out so it’s been pretty awesome to get starts in the big leagues.”
Thanks to MacFarlane Energy where they provide championship quality home heating oil and HVAC services.