After the 5-1 loss in the series finale on Wednesday against the Mets at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox have now fallen to under .500 on the season yet again. Boston did earn the series win as the team trends in the right direction, but are still 4-6 in their last 10 games and 25-26 on the season.
With high expectations heading into this season after the offseason additions of Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox have not quite looked the part of a playoff team as May comes to an end. Crochet and Bregman, however, have been two of Boston's best players to date.
Crochet made his most recent start on Wednesday against the Mets, where he went 5.1 innings, allowing 5 hits, one earned run, and striking out 5 batters, including Juan Soto twice. The 85 pitches thrown are the lowest he's had in a Red Sox uniform, as the southpaw has logged 100+ pitches in five of his eleven starts.
Red Sox fans, and Crochet himself, were surprised by the decision that Alex Cora made, as it was a tie game when Crochet's night ended suddenly.
Garrett Crochet Speaks on Early Exit in Wednesday's Start
It was a cautious move made by Cora, and it was reportedly a predetermined one. Thankfully, the 25-year-old didn't sound too upset, saying that "if that's their call, I'm going to respect that." The Red Sox have aspirations of playing baseball in October, and don't want their ace to be out of gas by then.
Knowing Crochet leads all MLB pitchers in innings this season with 68.1, the Red Sox want to practice caution with their young ace. The team has already put a lot of resources into keeping Crochet around for a while, and wants to maximize his potential.
To acquire Crochet, the Red Sox gave up their best catching prospect in Kyle Teel, paired with outfielder Braden Montgomery, who the team selected with the 12th overall pick in last year's MLB Draft. Both prospects rank inside the Top 40 of MLB.com's top prospect list, as Teel is expected to make his MLB debut this season for the White Sox, with Montgomery expected to get the call in 2027.
The Red Sox used their embarrassment of riches in the farm system to go out and grab an ace-caliber arm in Crochet, and then extended him for six years, $170 million, just four days after his Opening Day start with the team.
It has paid off tremendously for Boston, as Crochet has tallied a 4-3 record, 1.98 ERA (eighth in MLB) and 78 strikeouts (fifth in MLB) in 11 starts. He was a reliever-turned-starter for the White Sox, making 32 starts in the Windy City last season, and has seen a smooth transition into becoming a full-time starter.
Crochet is the Red Sox's best starter and gives the team solid outings every time he takes the mound, but Alex Cora knows that practicing caution will be best for the lefty's future outlook in Boston.