Meet The New Guy: Chase Shugart

Chase Shugart has been in Worcester for almost three full years. Now, he finally gets a chance on the Major League roster.

Who is he and where did he come from?

He’s Chase Shugart. This is apparently pronounced Sugar-t, which helps because by all clubhouse accounts, he’s sweet as can be and a true welcome addition to any locker room. At 27, he was a twelfth round pick by the Red Sox out of Texas (Hook em, Horns?) He was teammates with David Hamilton on that Longhorns squad, as well as with two of Roger Clemens’ sons. He was called up following a James Paxton calf injury in the Sunday that would not end, marking his first Major League stint.

What position does he play?

He’s a righty pitcher, and, although he’s a reliever and will likely not help with starts in the rotation, he is known to eat a couple innings at a time. In 2024, he’s 59 ²⁄₃ innings deep in 28 games, five of which were starts: April 27 (3 innings), May 8 (5 innings), July 13 (3 1/3), July 24 (4 1/3), and July 30 (3 1/3). This durability, while not starter-level, certainly is better than trotting out six relievers in a game. Fun fact: Shugart was on hand for the final outs of the Triple-A club’s first no-hitter in Worcester, a contest a rehabbing Michael Wacha started.

Is he any good?

Here’s where it gets difficult. Shugart tops out at 97 miles per hour on his fastball, and hosts five pitches, though he sticks mostly to four: that fastball, a cutter, a slider, and a curveball, which may be his best pitch. He has been debuting a sweeper that has 24 inches of movement. That isn’t a typo.

Unfortunately, what Shugart has in pitch selection, versatility, friendliness and morale-boosting demeanor, a and the ability to strike batters out (71 in 59 ²⁄₃ this season) he lacks in the ability to evade bats with his fastball; it’s been taken yard 6 times, down from 11 last season in Worcester. His stats leave some to be desired: in 2024, he has a 4.98 ERA and a similar 4.20 FIP.

But, in a realistic tone of voice, I retort: Shugart, who’s actually been on the Worcester roster since the beginning of the 2022 season, is as ready for a call-up as he’s ever going to be This period of time with a thin rotation, a lack of organizational depth, and, thus, the need for more bullpen games is as good of a time as any to evaluate his talent before he’ll be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.

Short answer: Maybe someday, but not yet. But we may be surprised.

Show me a cool highlight.

Here’s his fastball:

And here’s the movement on his breaking balls, which is positively tantalizing. Andrew Bailey is salivating, I am sure of it.

What’s he doing in his picture up there?

Winning the Tanner Houck look-alike contest from afar, though when zoomed in, he looks more like former fan favorite Joe Kelly. It’s an optical illusion!

What’s his role on the 2024 Boston Red Sox?

He might make a spot start some time this week, amidst a hellacious three-week stretch of games where the pitching staff will be stretched, going a few innings as an opener. But ultimately I can’t see Shugart’s role on this team as much more than a mop-up guy. I truly hope he enjoys his time up in Boston and I hope I’m wrong, however. Either way, the next couple of weeks will give a guy who has been grinding in the Red Sox organization a way to play himself into some kind of role for next year. His performance will tell what – and with whom – that role may be.