Beckett grows into an ace

BOSTON -- When he was in high school he had “Kid Heat” stitched onto his letterman’s jacket where his name should have been. When he was drafted, he predicted he’d pitch in a major league All-Star game within two years.

And during his first four years in the major leagues, he called his team’s trainer an idiot, hung a stuffed deer head in his locker and, when the Hall of Fame came asking for his jersey and cap, told them they’d be available soon on EBay.

But then nobody ever said maturity was Josh Beckett’s strong suit.

What he did have going for him, however, was a right arm that could throw a baseball through a brick wall and a cockiness that allowed him to knock down Sammy Sosa during a playoff game -- and then charge the batter.

If only, baseball scouts swooned, he could develop a brain to go with that brawn and brashness.

Well, consider that wish granted. Because while Beckett may never be as cerebral as Greg Maddux or as cunning as Tom Glavine, in his second season with the Boston Red Sox he has gone from being a punk pitcher to baseball’s first 20-game winner since 2005. And as a result he’ll get the ball tonight in the American League division series opener with the Angels at Fenway Park.

“We’ve seen a young guy work so hard and mature so much,” Manager Terry Francona said. “He became the guy that we really needed him to become. He’ll respond to a lot of adversity and he competes. He’s got a lot of different weapons.”

Such as big-game experience. As a 23-year-old pitching on short rest, he threw a five-hit shutout at Yankee Stadium to give the Florida Marlins a World Series title and earn himself a most-valuable-player award.

“That showed him that he could really be somebody,” Jack McKeon, his manager at the time, said Tuesday. “He shined in all those playoff games.”

Still, McKeon said it was a different Beckett he saw on the mound for the Red Sox this summer.

“No question he’s matured a whole lot,” he said. “But you could see that coming.”

Beckett has increased his win totals each of the last three seasons, going from 15 in his last season in Florida to 16 and now 20 in Boston. He also has learned to pitch rather than just throw, making adjustments when he has to.

After responding to trouble last season by rearing back and trying to throw harder -- and giving up 36 homers, second-most in baseball, as a result -- Beckett has learned to throw smarter this season, cutting his homers by more than half.

He also struck out a career-high 194 batters and walked a career-low 40. And only six AL pitchers had an earned-run average lower than his 3.27.

“He’s just more developed as a pitcher,” catcher Jason Varitek said. “He’s been able to make all his pitches. It all comes down to executing.”

But it’s more than that, adds third baseman Mike Lowell, a teammate of Beckett’s in Florida and now in Boston.

“I think he understands how to execute a game plan much better. And not let something that doesn’t go according to plan in the first inning or second inning affect the rest of his outing,” he said.

“And I think that comes with experience. That’s not something that you can just tell someone to do. They’ve got to learn how to do that. And after learning that, you can see how he lets his talent take off.”

One indication how far Beckett has come: While at 22 he sometimes acted as if he knew everything, now, with the wisdom of another five seasons, the 27-year-old admits he’s still learning.

“I certainly think you learn a lot through failure,” he said. “As you get older, obviously you’re still learning. I think you learn a lot of crucial things along the way. But I don’t think anybody will ever consider their learning process completed in this game.”

And here’s another indication how far he has come: When the Red Sox called up some young pitchers late this season, Francona pointed them not toward veterans Curt Schilling or Tim Wakefield, but toward Beckett.

“We said ‘Follow him,’ ” Francona said. “He backs up his words with some pretty serious actions. He’s been a monster in his workouts. He’s got a lot of talent, but he’s worked awful hard.

“I think he cares a lot about how he’s perceived in the game and what his goals are. He’s got some pretty lofty goals. He wants to be good for a long time.”

kevin.baxter@latimes.com