Tanner Houck Tosses Another Gem, Remains in Elite Company in Boston Red Sox History

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck owns a 1.91 ERA through his first 13 starts of the 2024 season, slotting him alongside Pedro Martinez, Tim Wakefield and other legends in the franchise history books.

Jun 6, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (89) delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Tanner Houck tossed a gem Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, continuing his historically dominant start to the 2024 season.

The Boston Red Sox righty went 7.0 innings deep, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out nine. Houck's clean outing set the stage for the Red Sox to run away with a 14-2 victory, further burying the last-place White Sox.

And as a credit to how well he has pitched all year long, that performance actually caused Houck's ERA to go up. Still, though, Houck's 1.91 ERA has him in elite company in the franchise record books.

Per Underdog Fantasy's Justin Havens, Houck is now the fifth Red Sox pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA through his first 13 starts of a season since the Wild Card era began in 1994.

Clay Buchholz was the last one to achieve the feat, doing so in 2013. Before that, Derek Lowe did it in 2002, Pedro Martinez did it in 2000 and Tim Wakefield did it in 1995.

Red Sox pitchers with sub-2 ERAs through the first 13 starts of a season, Wild Card Era:

Tanner Houck (2024)
Clay Buchholz (2013)
Derek Lowe (2002)
Pedro Martínez (2000)
Tim Wakefield (1995)

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) June 7, 2024

Houck looked like he would become a core piece of the Red Sox pitching staff when he first broke into the big leagues, and he held onto that reputation for the better part of three seasons. From 2020 to 2022, Houck went 9-9 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.123 WHIP and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen.

The righty didn't fare as well in 2023, when he was a full-time starter and dealing with injuries. He finished the year 6-10 with a 5.10 ERA, 1.368 WHIP and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

Thankfully for the Red Sox, Houck has bounced back so far in 2024. Even though he is only 6-5, his 2.9 WAR is the fourth-highest among AL starting pitchers, while his 1.91 ERA and 0.918 WHIP each rank second.

Houck kept the ball rolling in the series-opener against the White Sox, and he will likely make his next start versus the Philadelphia Phillies next week.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.