Walker Buehler is officially a Boston Red Sox member as of December 28. He recently took it to X, announcing to Boston fans, “#0 here,” leaving fans with speculations about his jersey number. Ever since, the team’s history with this number has become the talk of the town. Now, the question remains: Will Buehler be able to keep up with the legacy? After all, the jersey number ‘0’ might seem quirky to many.

But baseball history has a different story to tell with this number. It all started in 1978 with Al Oliver; according to Baseball Reference, around 41 players have worn this number so far. With a 47-22 career achievement and a 3.27 ERA, Walker is expected to be the 42nd in this list. So, did he have some strategy in mind while picking up the number?

Why did Walker Buehler pick jersey number zero?

While there is no definite answer to that, wearing the #21 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Buehler pitched in the team’s World Series title’s final inning. But overall, his last season was not up to expectations. Recovering from Tommy John surgery, the 30-year-old pitcher had a 5.38 ERA spanning 16 regular-season starts. With a hope to get back on track with his All-Star pitching skills, ‘Ferris’ has signed the Red Sox for a one-year deal worth $21.05 million. So, can Buehler make a difference with the #0 jersey?

Walker Buehler is only the third player to be wearing the ‘zero’ numbered jersey for the Red Sox if at all the rumors are true. This means he might not have huge pressure; after 7 years of his career with the Dodgers and having the best season in 2021 with a 2.47 ERA, Walker is surely looking forward to starting afresh. Plus, with a 16-4 record in his tenure with the Dodgers, Buehler moved on from his previous #21 jersey—more importantly, he didn’t opt for a number that no other Red Sox player has ever worn since 1996, the season of Roger Clemens. 

Though not an officially-retired jersey number, Boston doesn’t reassign #21 to honor the achievements of Clemens. Among his 7 career Cy Young Awards, ‘The Rocket’ won the first 3 with the club. Evidently, this might be a reason for the team not allowing Walker’s previous jersey number. Moreover, the #0 jersey seems to have a magical effect on the team!

There is still some lineage involved with #0 and the Boston Red Sox

In the 17th and last season of Brandon Phillips’ career, he signed a deal with the Red Sox and asked them about their “weirdest number,” given none of his preferred numbers were available (4, 7, or 44). Enter #0; this was the last year that Boston won the World Series title against the Dodgers, with a 108-54 record. Cut to 2021, veteran reliever Adam Ottavino also donned a zero-numbered jersey and came as a key setup for the team. He assisted the Red Sox to advance in the ALCS and finished the regular season with a 92-70 record.

Thus, while only a handful of players have worn this jersey, they have all made their marks in MLB history. Another icon with the same number, Al Oliver, won the 1982 National League Batting Title and became a 7-time All-Star, followed by a similar magic happening with Oddibe McDowell, who became the first Texas Rangers player to hit for the cycle in 1985. Rey Ordonez was yet another name on this list; he assisted the Mets to reach the postseason in 1999 and 2000.

And now, it’s time to wait and watch what Walker Buehler has in store for the upcoming season. Also, some new numbers are ready to join the Red Sox, with Ceddanne Rafaela going from #43 to #3, David Hamilton switching to #17 from #70, and Nick Sogard choosing to wear #20 instead of #75. So, as Buehler navigates his new jersey and team, do you think the #0 will have an impact on his performance? Share in the comments.