We just might be seeing the maturing of a young pitcher before our eyes.

“He still has a ways to go,” said catcher Jason Varitek after Sunday’s 7-3 victory over the Rays. “He’s still learning himself and still taking steps. You can’t all of a sudden expect perfection, but he’s adjusting and working and continuing to work.”

Isn’t that the definition of maturing? Isn’t Varitek saying that Lester is putting into practice the things he knows in theory, that finally the results are starting to meet his promise.