Josh Beckett

Joshua (Josh) Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Boston Red Sox.

Biography

A native of Spring, Texas, Beckett has grown to become one of the premier young pitchers in the major leagues. He is a hard-thrower, wielding a 97-mph fastball, a consistently 80 mph changeup, and a 12-to-6 curveball, which he throws in the mid-to-high 70 mph range. His career thus far has been impressive, but injuries (most of the time blister problems) have limited him to only 99 starts (101 appearances) over the past four years. His most productive season came in 2005, when he posted career-highs in wins (15), starts (29), innings (178.2), strikeouts (166) and WHIP (1.18), as he tossed in a sharp 3.38 ERA for good measure. He also hadn't won more than 10 games until the past campaign.

Beckett achieved fame in the 2003 postseason by winning the World Series MVP Award with two great performances on only three days' rest. Teamed up with star catcher Iván Rodríguez, he helped the Marlins win the World Series over the favored Yankees, 4 games to 2.

In a deal that was made official on Thanksgiving Day, 2005, Beckett was traded to the Red Sox along with third baseman Mike Lowell and relief pitcher Guillermo Mota for minor league prospects shortstop Hanley Ramírez and pitchers Aníbal Sánchez, Jesús Delgado and Harvey García.

Josh Beckett became the first Red Sox pitcher to hit a home run in 35 years, since the advent of the designated hitter rule, when he took Phillies' pitcher Brett Myers deep during an interleague game on May 20, 2006

On July 18, 2006, Beckett signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension with a $10 million club option for 2010.

Beckett completed his first season with the Boston Red Sox with a record of 16-11 and a 5.01 ERA. In 204.2 IP, he gave up 191 hits and struck out 158 batters while walking 74. He allowed 36 homeruns, tied for second most in the majors.