When it comes to pitchers on the Boston Red Sox, few are as infuriating to fans as Jordan Hicks.
Sure, there are the former Los Angeles Dodgers, Dustin May and Walker Buehler, but the former has only been with the team for a matter of weeks, and the latter has already been released after a brutal start to the season. Hicks, by contrast, has an ERA of 6.45, which ranks second on the team behind Liam Hendricks among qualifying relievers with at least 10 innings pitched.
And yet, in the opinion of manager Alex Cora, Hicks isn't some lost cause who has worked his way to the bench, even after a brutal loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates that saw the 28-year-old surrender two hits, a run, and a walk. No, discussing his play after the final out, Cora told reporters like The Boston Globe's Tim Healey that he believes Hicks is close, he just needs to get his stuff under control.
“I hate to say it, but we are close stuff-wise. McCutchen got a hit up the middle, the ball of the wall, a wild pitch,” Cora explained. “After that, he settled down and got people out. He’s here for a reason. We believe in the stuff. We just gotta keep working with him.”
Technically, Hicks has largely been a better pitcher than he's shown in 2025, with the former San Francisco Giant having turned in much better seasons before being traded to Boston. But to say he's magically going to get better now when he simply hasn't shown much in the way of consistent growth has some fans wondering if the Red Sox manager is simply willing to go down with the ship with Hicks on the field, adding even more insult to what has been a disappointing season by Boston baseball standards.
