WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

Like most knuckleballers, Wright doesn’t miss a lot of bats but, at his best, limits hard contact.  This is reflected in the advanced stats; he’s generally had low BABIPs, low exit velocities and xFIPs that were higher than his ERAs.  (Basically, balls-in-play analysis doesn’t work well with knuckleballs.)  Wright throws the knuckleball in the low- to mid-70s and occasionally throws a low-80s fastball.  He was a starter in the majors until the injuries piled up.  The Pirates signed Wright to a minor league contract for 2021.

2007
A:  4-7-0, 4.61 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 66.1 IP, 2.0 BB/9, 10.2 K/9
A+:  3-2-0, 7.13 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 48.0 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 7.3 K/9

Wright wasn’t able to play the year he signed due to mononucleosis.  The Indians sent him the next year to low A for the first half of the season, where he probably pitched better than his ERA.  He was hurt a little by home runs, as he allowed nine.  After a mid-season promotion to high A, he got hit hard.

2008
A+:  2-4-0, 2.99 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 72.1 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 7.6 K/9
AA:  4-3-0, 4.30 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 75.1 IP, 2.0 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

Back at high A, Wright had a good first half, earning a promotion to AA.  He wasn’t as effective there, with home runs (14) being a significant problem.

2009
AA:  10-0-2, 2.32 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 81.1 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 7.1 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 4.76 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

The Indians moved Wright mainly to the bullpen.  He made five starts among 36 appearances in AA.  He was much more effective, among other things allowing just one home run all year.

2010
AA:  2-2-5, 4.31 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 64.2 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 6.7 K/9
AAA:  0-1-0, 7.59 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 8.4 K/9

Wright opened the season in AAA, but after he struggled through nine relief appearances, Cleveland sent him back to AA.  He continued pitching in relief, apart from two starts, and wasn’t nearly as effective as the previous season.

2011
A:  1-2-0, 3.13 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 46.0 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 6.5 K/9
A+:  1-2-0, 4.46 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 38.1 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 6.3 K/9
AA:  2-4-0, 5.98 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 46.2 IP, 5.4 BB/9, 6.8 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

Wright made the transition to knuckleballer and pitched at every full season level, mostly as a starter.  He wasn’t effective at any level, with control being a problem.  The ERA in low A is misleading as nearly half the runs he allowed were unearned.

2012
AA (Cleve):  9-6-0, 2.49 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 115.2 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 7.9 K/9
AA (Bos):  1-0-0, 1.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 3.0 K/9
AAA (Bos):  0-1-0, 3.15 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

The Indians sent Wright to AA and he made considerable progress, still as a starter.  His walk rate was still high, but he was hard enough to make solid contact against that his WHIP was good.  At the trade deadline, the Indians sent him to Boston, which added him to the 40-man roster after the season.

2013
AAA:  8-7-0, 3.46 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 135.1 IP, 4.3 BB/9, 6.6 K/9
MLB:  2-0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 6.1 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

Wright did reasonably well in 24 AAA starts, but walks remained a problem.  The Red Sox called him up three times and he got into four games.  Two went well and two didn’t.

2014
AA:  1-0-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 3.0 K/9
AAA:  5-5-0, 3.41 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 95.0 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 6.4 K/9
MLB:  0-1-0, 2.57 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 9.4 K/9

After missing the first two months due to surgery for a sports hernia, Wright went to AAA and pitched well in 15 starts.  In particular, he cut the walks in half by slowing the knuckler down.  The Red Sox called him up for half a dozen late-season appearances, all but one in relief, and he pitched well in the majors, too.  After the season, Baseball America ranked him 22nd in the Sox’ system.

2015
AAA:  2-5-0, 3.81 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 52.0 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 7.3 K/9
MLB:  5-4-0, 4.09 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 72.2 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

Wright was up and down several times between AAA and the majors.  He didn’t pitch as well in AAA as the previous year, but was reasonably effective in the majors apart from gopher ball problems, as he allowed 12.  He pitched strictly as a starter in AAA, and made nine starts and seven relief appearances with the Red Sox.  Wright’s last five appearances were starts and he appeared to have won a spot in the rotation, but he missed the last month and a half of the season due to a concussion.

2016
MLB:  13-6-0, 3.33 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 156.2 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 7.3 K/9

Wright had a big season, making 24 starts for the Sox and being named to the All-Star team.  He cut his home rate in half and held opponents to a .653 OPS.  He missed the last month of the season with bursitis in his shoulder.

2017
MLB:  1-3-0, 8.25 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 24.0 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 4.9 K/9

Wright got off to a very bad start and then had left knee surgery at the beginning of May.  He missed the rest of the season.

2018
AAA:  0-0-0, 3.78 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 4.9 K/9
MLB:  3-1-1, 2.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 53.2 IP, 4.4 BB/9, 7.0 K/9

Still recovering from the knee surgery, Wright missed April and then served a 15-game suspension for a domestic violence incident.  When he returned to Boston, he pitched in relief at first, then made four starts.  In June, though, he went out for over two months with inflammation in his knee.  After he returned he pitched in relief.  When Wright was able to take the mound for Boston, he was effective.  He allowed just one earned run in ten September relief appearances.

2019
AAA:  1-0-0, 1.86 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 9.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 3.7 K/9
MLB:  0-1-0, 8.53 ERA, 2.37 WHIP, 6.1 IP, 5.7 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

Wright had pretty much a lost season.  He missed the first half due to an 80-game suspension for PEDs.  In mid-July, he went out for season with toe injury.  Boston released him after the season and he had Tommy John surgery in October.

2020
INJURED

Wright didn’t sign with any team and missed the season following the surgery.

It’s not clear how the Pirates see Wright.  For one thing, it’s unknown where he is in his recovery from Tommy John.  He almost certainly needs some time in AAA.  It’s conceivable that, long-term, the team sees him as possible starting depth.