Matthew Boyd is pitching far better than anyone could have expected

Did anyone actually expect what Matthew Boyd has been able to provide the Cleveland Guardians so far? Alright, all the liars who shot their hands up when the question was asked can put them down now, but seriously, Boyd has outperformed what most people expected.

Through his first two starts in a Guardians uniform, Boyd has allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking four in 10.2 innings. While Boyd's first outing against the Chicago Cubs was better than his most recent one against the New York Yankees (one run allowed on three hits and six strikeouts vs. three runs allowed on four hits with two strikeouts and four walks), it was still a productive outing. The Yankees are a very talented team, and holding them to three runs, two of which came on solo home runs, is no small feat. Not to mention, somewhat of a drop performance-wise should have been expected when going from facing the Cubs to the Yankees. With that being said, not a bad first 10+ innings from a guy making his first major league appearances in over a year.

If Boyd can continue to pitch at or around the level he has shown through his first two starts, it would go a long way for the Guardians moving forward. Cleveland has dealt with so many moving parts this season in their starting rotation that being able to insert some level of stability into this group will pay dividends. Relatively average pitching on a regular basis would be a difference-maker for Cleveland's rotation and should help get this group to October.

Even though Boyd's career numbers suggest that the trajectory of his future performances will continue to decline, it is not like the bar he has to clear to remain in Cleveland's rotation is particularly high at the moment. Due to injuries and poor performances elsewhere on the roster, this is an area where the basic minimum requirement of being able to throw a ball has qualified someone to start a game for the Guardians this season. But if Boyd is able to avoid any sort of major regression, the front office of the Guardians will be somewhat forgiven for their relative inactivity at the trade deadline.