Justin Hagenman has been near perfect in first Spring Training with Red Sox
It has gone just about as well as you could hope for Justin Hagenman in his first Spring Training with the Red Sox.
After receiving an NRI for big league Spring Training this year, the right-hander has not taken any of his outings for granted.
Hagenman has thrown 7.2 innings over 7 appearances this spring and has only allowed 4 hits and 1 walk. He also is carrying an impressive 0.65 WHIP and a .148 batting average against.
There is always an internal fight most people have on just how much stock one should put into spring training performances. It really should be more about who you do it against than what you do, as the later you get into games, the more minor league level talent that enters games.
That being said, Hagenman has faced his fair share of major league talent over his last two outings.
Against the Orioles, he faced MLB regulars Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander and stud prospects Coby Mayo and Kyle Stowers. He only allowed a bloop fly ball just past second base to Mayo.
Against the Yankees, Hagenman faced Anthony Volpe, DJ LeMahieu, and top prospect Spencer Jones. He didn’t allow a hit.
The strong performance this spring shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, as Hagenman carries a 3.57 career ERA throughout his minor league career over 317 innings pitched. It’s also worth noting that in 2023, he put up a 6-0 record alongside a 2.95 ERA.
We saw WooSox manager Chad Tracy put a ton of confidence into Hagenman last season after he came over from the Dodgers system.
“When we acquired him, the interest level was being in a bulk bullpen role.” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said of Hagenman. “It is more like a multiple inning reliever somewhere in the middle part of the game to carry it to the back end and we have used him primarily that way.”
He rewarded his manager’s confidence in him last season by putting up a stretch of ten scoreless innings for the WooSox.
Hagenman looks to slot into a revamped Triple-A bullpen that Craig Breslow addressed throughout the offseason. Look for the 27-year-old to get chances ranging from multi-inning appearances, all the way to high leverage spots early in the season.
