Nathan Eovaldi was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Alvin High School in Alvin, TX. He has played for six Major League Baseball teams, appearing in games for the Dodgers, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and the Texas Rangers. In his career, he has made 265 appearances, with 246 of them being starts; he is 79-73 in his career, posting a 4.10 ERA, a 3.83 FIP, a 1.13 WHIP, a 1.0 HR/9, a 2.6 BB/9, and a 7.7 K/9. Eovaldi is a two-time All-Star and finished as high as fourth in the American League Cy Young voting, which came in 2021 with the Boston Red Sox. He has pitched in 13 games in his playoff career, going 6-3 with two holds, a 2.70 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and an 8.9 K/9. He has won one World Series ring and could be on his way to his second this season; here are Nathan Eovaldi’s postseasons.
Nathan Eovaldi October
2018
In 2018, the Boston Red Sox posted the best record across all of baseball, winning 108 games, tied for the tenth most in a season with the 1986 New York Mets, 1975 Cincinnati Reds, and 1970 Baltimore Orioles. In the playoffs, Nathan Eovaldi made six appearances with only two starts. His first start came in Game Three against the New York Yankees in the ALDS; he went seven innings, giving up one earned run on five hits; he didn’t walk anyone and struck out five. His second start came in the ALCS in Game Three, going six innings, giving up two runs on six hits; he walked two and struck out four. He came in in relief in Game Five of the ALCS against the Houston Astros, going 1.1 innings giving up no runs on one hit; he didn’t walk anyone and struck out one. In the World Series against the Dodgers, he was only used in relief pitching in Game One and Game Two; in both outings, he went an inning each and didn’t allow a run, a hit, or a walk, and he struck out one. In Game Three, Eovaldi made a name for himself by coming in in the 12th inning and going six innings, giving up two runs, only one earned, on three hits; he walked one and struck out five; he did give up the walk-off Home Run to Max Muncy in the Bottom of the 18th but what he did going the six innings was he saved the Red Sox bullpen to be fresh for the remaining games of the series and he also kept them in it. He finished that World Series run going 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP, and a 6.4 K/9.
2021
In 2021, Eovaldi got the ball in the American League Wild Card game against the New York Yankees, and he dominated against them, going 5.1 innings, giving up just one run on four hits; he didn’t walk anyone and struck out eight. In the ALDS, he got the ball in Game Three against the Tampa Bay Rays, going five innings and giving up two runs on three hits; he walked one and struck out eight. In the ALCS, he got the start in Game Two Houston Astros, going 5.1 innings and giving up three runs on five hits; he walked one and struck out three. In Game Four, he came in in relief, going 0.2 innings, and he struggled, giving up four runs on two hits; he walked two and struck out two. He got another start in Game Six, going 4.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits; he walked two and struck out two. He finished the 2021 postseason going 2-2 with a 4.79 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 10.9 K/9.
2023
Eovaldi got the ball in Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series against the Rays, and in that game, he went 6.2 innings giving up just one run on six hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out eight, securing a win to allow the Rangers to advance to the American League Division Series. In the ALDS, he got the ball in Game Three with the Rangers leading the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 looking for another sweep, and he went seven innings giving up one run on five hits; he didn’t walk anyone against and struck out seven. So far this postseason, he is 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA, a 0.80 WHIP, and a 9.9 K/9. He will pitch in the ALCS and could help lead the Rangers to their first World Series appearance since 2011.
