There were few highlights to the 2015 Red Sox season, but Rodriquez unquestionably qualified.
Obtained the previous July in a trade-deadline deal that saw Andrew Miller shipped to Baltimore, Rodriguez began the season at Triple-A Pawtucket before being summoned to make a start for the Red Sox in Texas in late May. The Red Sox maintained that Rodriguez's promotion was to be a one-and-done audition, but when he shut down a powerful Rangers lineup (no runs, three hits allowed in 7 2/3 innings), he earned a permanent spot in the team's rotation. Rodriguez flashed a plus fastball that averaged around 95 mph, an exceptional changeup and a slider that seems to be still improving.
Along the way, there were hiccups to his rookie season -- as might be expected.
He was guilty, early on, of tipping some pitches and falling victim to big innings. But he became more consistent as the year progressed, finishing with a 10-6 record and a 3.85 ERA. He led American League rookies in wins. And in 12 of his 21 starts, the lefty allowed one or no runs. He was especially tough in the final six weeks of the season, yielding just 10 earned runs in his last 7 starts.
Rodriguez figures to be a staple of the Red Sox rotation for years to come. The signing of David Price means the Sox have their No. 1 starter for the foreseeable future, but it's not difficult to imagine Rodriguez becoming the team's No. 2.
FINAL RATING: All-Star