Pedro Martinez Believes Highly-Touted Red Sox Pitcher Has Cy Young Potential

Pedro Martinez has high hopes for one developing Red Sox pitcher.
Pedro Martinez Believes Highly-Touted Red Sox Pitcher Has Cy Young Potential
Pedro Martinez Believes Highly-Touted Red Sox Pitcher Has Cy Young Potential /
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Although the Boston Red Sox are officially eliminated from playoff contention this season, the future is looking bright.

Thursday night’s loss to the New York Yankees means the Red Sox officially won’t be playing come October, as they fall to 72-77 on the season. 

While this is disappointing news for Red Sox fans, there is a silver lining: The future. There are so many young players that either just arrived at the major league level or are surging up the farm system. One of the players who already has debuted for Boston, Brayan Bello, has received high praise from Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez.

“Brayan Bello is another kid that has the potential to be a Cy Young type of pitcher in the future,” Pedro Martinez said on MLB Network. 

Martinez also saw some of himself in the flamethrowing right-hander.

"It only brings back good memories of who I was, and how I was but (Bello), I think was brought up out of necessity by the Red Sox, a little bit prematurely but he's starting to make the adjustments," Martinez said.

Bello has posted a 1.69 ERA with a 23-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21 1/3 innings pitched across four games in the month of September as he starts to show glimpses of his potential.

As noted by Martinez, Bello was called up prematurely out of necessity but has been drastically better month by month. Bello posted an 8.82 ERA in July, a 4.66 ERA in August, and is amid the aforementioned 1.69 ERA month of September with one more start left to go in the Bronx.

Not only does Martinez believe Bello will be a Cy Young caliber player, but he sees a version of himself in the young star -- a comparison that should exhilarate Red Sox fans. 

More MLB: Red Sox's Alex Cora Says He Is 'Prepared To Bring Xander (Bogaerts) Back'


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Stephen Mottram
STEPHEN MOTTRAM

Stephen Mottram joined Sports Illustrated/FanNation's "Inside The Red Sox" to bring some fun and thoughtful coverage to the site.  The young writer graduated from Merrimack College with a degree in Communication and Media and has been a lifelong Boston sports fan.  Follow him on Twitter: @smottram24