After finishing second in the AL Cy-Young voting just a season ago, Garrett Crochet was expected to anchor a newly revamped starting rotation in 2026. Instead, the left-hander has opened the season as a completely different pitcher, and it's quickly becoming one of the team’s greatest concerns.Â
The Boston Red Sox may have a Garrett Crochet problem. Before the 2025 season, the team signed the 26-year-old to a six-year, $170M contract extension to ensure the potential ace of the staff stayed in Boston long term. And during the 2025 season, Crochet was exactly what the doctor ordered. Last year, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning 18 games for Boston to go along with a 2.59 ERA, finishing second in the AL Cy-Young voting. Most importantly, he helped lead the Red Sox to their first playoff berth in four seasons. Fast forward a year, and Crochet has been a shell of himself, and as a result, Boston has the worst record in the AL East.
Red Sox Have a Garrett Crochet Problem on Their Hands
Through five starts, he has a 2-3 record and a 7.88 ERA. In his last two starts, Crochet has pitched a combined 6 â…” innings and has given up 16 runs, including 11 against the Minnesota Twins. For a team that had playoff aspirations once again this year, and had Crochet penciled in as a Cy-Young candidate once again, these numbers are alarming.
One potential cause for Crochet’s lack of effectiveness is that in the past three seasons, he has seen his innings pitched skyrocket. After pitching a total of 72 innings from 2020 to 2023, Crochet doubled his innings in 2024 (146), his first year as a starter. Then last season, his first with the Red Sox, Crochet pitched 205 innings.Â
Crochet has managed to stay healthy during both seasons, making 32 starts in each. But his performance this season could be an indicator of wear and tear on his arm. But according to manager Alex Cora, his ace is healthy, which is the most important thing.
The Boston Red Sox came into the season with one of the best pitching rotations in baseball, placing an emphasis on run prevention and trusting in their young lineup to manufacture enough runs. While the team can survive a bullpen hiccup or an offensive slump, in the highly competitive AL East, they need their top-of-the-rotation starter to live up to his contract extension.
Last season, Crochet was essentially perfect, and while Boston doesn’t need him to be at the same level, they need him to at least resemble the innings-eater that he was last season. Until that version of him shows up, the team’s ceiling in 2026 will remain in question.
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