An Open Letter To Nick Pivetta

Dear Nick Pivetta,

It is I, possibly your biggest fan — or at least your biggest fan with a presence on the internet.

Here I am, after watching another of one of your certified Bad Starts. I feel rather unfazed, as I’ve experienced plenty of ups and downs being a fan of yours.

But here’s the thing, I’m in the middle of finals week, and I was really looking forward to sitting down, watching some Red Sox baseball and a Nick Pivetta start while finishing up a project for Media Writing.

And, man, you really killed the vibe.

I’ll still always be on your side because you are my favorite player after all and I’m just loyal like that, but I really would appreciate it if you stopped having a Hard Hit % of over 50 on three out of four of your main pitches.

I can’t tell you how excited I was over the offseason watching you make adjustments and retool that curveball, so let’s put that into action! You haven’t changed its movement either vertically or horizontally much, but I believe in you... Let me rephrase that: I would believe in you more if Dave Bush were not your pitching coach.

Still, you’ve got time! Sure, you have a 6.09 ERA in your last 24 starts, but hey man, I know what you can do.

I’ll never forget Game 162 of 2021, or Game 3 of the 2021 ALDS, or May of 2022— oh, what I would do to go back to that glorious month. I know what you’re capable of!

You still have some delusional people like me in this fan base that believe that those glimpses of greatness are who you truly can be, and I will never quit thinking that.

So don’t listen to the haters out there (you have not been active on social media in months) and remember that I am also not a pitching expert so you should probably seek some advice from one of them, too. Whether your future is in the ‘pen or the rotation, remind yourself that you can make a difference no matter what— and you are a badass when coming out of the bullpen, anyway.

I hope you enjoy this letter of encouragement! Hang it above your locker, why don’t you?

Until we have the pleasure of speaking again,

Avery Hamel

P.S: please make my next letter to you stem from better conditions than this one.