Red Sox All-Star Hurler Surprisingly Low In Latest MLB 'Ace Rankings'

Does the Boston ace deserve more respect?

Aug 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (89) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

For much of the 2024 season, the surprising success of the Boston Red Sox starting pitching has been the talk of the town.

Though their numbers have dipped significantly in the second half, several of the unheralded Red Sox starters have had strong seasons. And that starts with the unexpected ace of the staff, who came out of nowhere to earn his first All-Star appearance.

28-year-old Tanner Houck, who may not have even made the Opening Day rotation if not for free-agent signee Lucas Giolitio's preseason elbow injury, has been phenomenal all year. He ranks among the top five in the American League in ERA, WAR, and quality starts among starting pitchers.

By almost any metric, Houck has been among the top 10 starting pitchers in the sport this season. But it appears his success has not yet convinced all evaluators at the national level that he is deserving of a Top-10 ranking among his peers around the game.

In Bleacher Report's "Ace Rankings," Zachary D. Rymer somewhat surprisingly ranked Houck 14th among each of the 30 teams' best starting pitchers. He was placed just behind the Texas Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi and just ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen.

"Houck was firmly in the race for the AL Cy Young Award through the first half... (but) it's been more of a struggle for him since then, in part because the ability to throw strikes that was so on point earlier took a break in July," Rymer said. "Other forms of regression have also hit, including balls going over the fence and other batted balls simply eluding leather."

It's definitely true that Houck's numbers have dipped in the second half, but he's also stabilized of late. He has a 4.54 ERA overall since the All-Star break, but a 2.41 in his last three starts, including an eight-strikeout performance Monday night in Houston.

Some of the names above Houck, such as Cy Young favorites Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale, are hard to take exception with. But some are a lot more questionable.

There were some ranked ahead of Houck who have better career track records, like Gerrit Cole and Framber Valdez, who have far worse stats than the Boston ace on the season. And others, like Tanner Bibee and Dylan Cease, have higher ERAs, but have outpitched Houck in the second half.

Ultimately, how Houck pitches for the rest of the season will far outweigh his subjective ranking in the minds of Red Sox fans. But if Houck needed a little extra motivation to finish strong, perhaps now he can find some.

More MLB: The Numbers Behind The Red Sox Bullpen's Implosion Since The All-Star Break