Walker Buehler officially signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox, ending his run with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the only organization he has known.
After being drafted by the Dodgers with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Buehler spent a decade in the organization but did not make his professional debut until 2016 as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Buehler became a top prospect and ended up making his MLB debut on Sept. 7, 2017 before he became a full-time member of the rotation in 2018, establishing himself as one of the premiere young starters in the league.
He went on to pitch in his first World Series that season, throwing seven shutout innings with just two hits allowed against the eventual champion Boston Red Sox.
Two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. Thank you, 21. pic.twitter.com/aSXvPBDqNH
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 28, 2024
From the 2019 through 2021 seasons, Buehler was one of the top starters in MLB as he posted a 2.89 ERA across 426.2 innings.
That run also included him helping the Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988. He made five starts in the postseason in 2020, throwing 25 innings while allowing just five runs.
The 2022 season was the start of a long struggle for Buehler as he posted a 4.02 ERA in 65 innings and had his season cut short by a second career Tommy John surgery.
That kept him out for nearly two years and when he returned in 2024, he was unable to find any success for much of the year. He pitched to a 5.38 ERA in 75.1 innings, only staying in the rotation as a result of multiple injuries.
However, he started to show some improvements down the stretch and ended up pitching in the postseason for the club. Things really turned around for him in October and he became an important piece to the Dodgers winning the 2024 World Series.
That included him closing out Game 5 on just one day of rest against the New York Yankees to clinch the title.
In total, Buehler pitched 94.2 postseason innings for the Dodgers with a 3.04 ERA and three starts in the World Series where he pitched 18 innings with just one run allowed.
With his playoff accomplishments and two World Series titles, Buehler forever etched his name into Dodgers’ lore.
Over his seven seasons pitching for the team, the right-hander was a two-time All-Star and tossed 713.2 innings with a 3.27 ERA.
NL Executive believes Walker Buehler has high upside
Instead of signing a mega-contract he was once predicted to receive, Buehler settled for one-year at $21.05 million to join the Red Sox.
Buehler is betting on himself and the Red Sox are betting he can get back on track. It’s a prototypical low-risk, high reward deal, and at least on National League executive believes it could be the steal of the offseason.
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