Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello is one of the worst in all of baseball. Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Brayan Bello is one of the best in all of baseball. Yep, just go ahead and read those sentences carefully because two words can make all the difference -- just as one small move has made all the difference for the right-handers incredibly up-and-down season.
Bello, who was signed to a six-year extension two years ago, was expected to become a cornerstone of the starting rotation, but fell out of favor after pitching to a 10.35 ERA across eight starts to begin 2026. The Red Sox, armed with top-of-the-line starting pitching depth, tried everything they could to get him right -- giving him an opener, moving him to the bullpen, and even sending him down to Triple-A Worcester -- and have finally been rewarded after bringing him back to the major leagues on July 12. It's not in the way they'd hoped, though...
Bello is now the club's bulk reliever, and though he isn't starting games every fifth day, he did just move into first place among relief pitchers with an incredible 0.85 ERA after hitting 52.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen during Monday's contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks -- surpassing San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller (0.88 ERA in 51.1 IP). Yes, that means Bello has been better on a game level than Miller. No, no one saw that coming two minutes, two days, two weeks ago, or two months ago.
If you've ever doubted the weirdness of baseball, look no further. Boston quite literally refuses to let him start games, despite the fact that he routinely puts together four- and five-inning shutouts out of the bullpen. Bello initially refused the move before warming up to the idea once he discovered it was the only way he'd be allowed back to the big leagues.
Miller probably has no idea any of this is happening.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
