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Red Sox's Split With Driveline Founder Confirmed Debate about the Boston Red Sox's involvement with Driveline Baseball has grown in intensity over the last couple of years.
Now, at least on paper, that involve Cincinnati Reds minor-league pitching coordinator Kyle Boddy walks around the bullpen during spring practice, Sunday, Feb.
23, 2020, at the baseball team's spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz.
Cincinnati Reds Spring Training 2 23 2020 | Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLCDriveline founder Kyle Boddy had worked in the Red Sox organization since 2024 as a special advisor to chief baseball officer-- essentially, for Breslow's entire tenure.
In the middle of a horrific season for the Red Sox, debate about Driveline's methodology and how it was rubbing off on the hitters, particularly the young ones, grew in notoriety.a professional relationship.Whether that means the Red Sox still strongly believe in Driveline's principles is too early to state.
Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Six chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa.Mandatory Credit: Mark J.
Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J.
Rebilas-Imagn Images According to Tim Healey's report, Boddy left about a month ago when he and Breslow realized his other advisory roles conflicted with what he was doing in Boston.
Boddy'sIf not for that, Id stay with the org, but had to make a tough choice is all, Boddy said via text toDriveline's philosophy of data-driven performance has drawn the ire of plenty in the baseball community through the years.And while tracking things like exit velocity and spin rate on pitches is far from a problem, the Red Sox have systematically cut down on the amount of scouts they've employed over the past few years, which could easily be taken as a sign of overreliance on the data.
When Boddy was first hired in 2024, however, the main goal seemed to be improving the pitching research and development function of the organization--a goal the Red Sox have definitely accomplished under Breslow.Driveline teachings definitely play a role as well in how Boston develops its young hitters, however.
At the end of the day, Breslow determines how much of a Driveline shop the Red Sox remain, whether Boddy has a job title with the organization or doesn't.
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living.A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey.
He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic.
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