If the baseball season ended today, the Sox would finish first in their division and advance to the postseason. Two unlikely heroes of their unexpected success would be John Lackey and Koji Uehara. Much is known about Lackey among fans, but Uehara is still somewhat of a mystery.
Before Lackey signed with the Sox in 2010, he had spent 8 seasons as one of the league's premier pitchers. With the Angels, he sported a 102-77 mark and a fine 3.81 ERA. Some of his accomplishments were a 19-9 performance in 07 (with a league-leading 3.01 earned run average), 13 career complete games, (a rare accomplishment today), and 7 shutouts, and, as a rookie, a victory over the Giants in game 7 of the 02 World Series. The win gave LA their first and only World Championship. His walk-strikeout ratio was excellent, and he had an all-star selection and a number 3 Cy Young performance to his credit. He was also quite durable, four times hurling 200-plus innings.
All that changed in 2010, when he began a two-year slide that resulted in a 6.41 ERA in 2011. His first two Boston years were mired in controversies, and his name became synonymous with high-priced failure. John Farrell, who coached Lackey in '10, has said that he had suffered from injuries, which Sox management apparently refused to reveal. He finally submitted to TJ surgery and missed all of last season.
Uehara, on the other hand, is an unkown quantity to many. He was signed to a one-year contract last December to little fanfare. He had previously pitched in the majors with Baltimore and Texas, and had been a reliever since 2010. Uehara was briefly a closer with the Orioles, with 12 saves. His overall stats were okay, but not great.
What is not well known is his career in Japan. In 11 years with the Yamayuri Giants, he complied a 112-62 mark and 3.01 ERA, mostly as a starter, while fanning over 1300. In international competition, including the Olympics and World Baseball Classic, he was unbeaten with 12 wins and 2 saves. In 06, he led the Japanese team to the WBC championship, topping the tourney in strikeouts. His resume in Japan lists 11 awards, including 8 all-star selections and citations for wins, strikeouts, ERA and even Golden Glove. Many teams, including the Sox and Yankees, showed interest in the righthander, but he chose to stay at home until 09, when he came to the majors at age 34.
No one could have predicted his success in 2013. As both a closer and setup man, he is 2-0 with 5 saves, a 1.93 ERA, only 8 walks and 53 strikeouts. During the last homestand, he picked up saves on three consecutive days without allowing a baserunner. His high-fiving and enthusiasm has made him somewhat of a folk hero at Fenway, something Sox fans have not had for several years.
Despite their success, the jury is still out on Lackey and Uehara. John seems to have done a 180 in his attitude, and apparently is injury-free for the first time in years. With Clay Buchholz hurt and Jon Lester up-and-down, he seems to have emerged a the rotation's top man. His 2.80 ERA ranks him among AL leaders. The question remains, however, if Lackey can continue to carry the staff. That role would be putting too much pressure on him at this point in his career. Lester and Buchholz (when healthy) should be the stoppers, with Lackey in the number 3 spot. Uehara has never gone through a full season as closer. He is also 38 years old, though many relievers have been effective into their 40's. Koji is also known as a "fly ball" pitcher, which could hurt him in small parks like Fenway. I still feel that Andrew Bailey is the best choice as closer, though he has been erratic since his rookie season in 09.
Lackey and Uehara could be on everyone's lips in October, but that is still a long way off.
