In baseball, the mental component of the game is almost as important, if not more, than the physical aspects of the game.
Brayan Bello knows that better than most.
The Red Sox pitcher was heading towards a disaster of the year, and rightfully played his way out of the majors earlier this summer when his ERA ballooned over 9.00. This comes off the heels of what was statistically the best season of his career, posting a 3.35 ERA in 29 appearances.
Even after his successful 2025 campaign, Bello had fallen short of expectations that the organization may have had for him when it signed him to a six-year, $55 million deal in 2023. The right-handed starter wasn’t Pedro Martniez reincarnated, but he had proven to be a solid arm for Boston to have in its rotation.
And then his career as a starter just completely fell off the rails in a matter of weeks.
By the end of April, Bello had completely lost the ability to be a competent starter, and seemed to be mentally broken. Boston resorted to using an opener ahead of Bello’s scheduled starts, and it worked for a while. But an early June collapse against Baltimore where Bello gave up eight runs marked the end of his time in Boston — for the time being.
Bello went down to Triple-A Worcester where he didn’t light the world on fire, but did bide his time before he could return to the major league club in the middle of July.
Bello has been the best reliever in baseball.
In his relief appearances, Bello has the lowest ERA (0.64 ERA) with at least 35 innings pitched in all of baseball. On Tuesday, he earned his first career save, tossing three scoreless innings to close out the White Sox.
After reportedly being unhappy with being sent down to Triple-A and his new role in the rotation, Bello’s attitude reportedly turned around for the better. His turnaround was on full display during Boston’s sweep on the two-time defending champions over the weekend.
Last Friday, Bello threw four scoreless innings against the Dodgers as the newly-minted relief pitcher shined bright under the L.A. lights.
“If that’s the opportunity the team is giving me, I’m happy with it,” Bello added. “If that means the team is going to get into the playoffs and even the World Series, I’m happy to be in this role. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
Bello now adds another weapon to what statistically has been the best bullpen in baseball. If Bello can continue to find a rhythm in relief, it should provide opportunities to rest the likes of Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman more often.
“(He was) huge,” manager Chad Tracy said. “Obviously, our bullpen is heavily used and a little beat up right now. When you win that many games over a period of time, those guys have been used a lot.”
Bello’s role could still change with just under two months left in the regular season as Boston shipped out some arms at the deadline, and could be in need of another starter if injuries pop up. Whether or not Bello is fully over whatever mental issue he faced in the spring remains to be seen, but for now, he’s another weapon that the surging Red Sox can utilize.
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