One of MLB’s most underreported stories of the 2025 season was the injury crisis that struck the Boston Red Sox pitching staff. The team planned to enter the season with a rotation of high-profile trade acquisition Garret Crochet, 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck, free agent signing Walker Buehler, four-year veteran Brayan Bello and nine-year veteran Lucas Giolito, a 2024 free agent signing.
Giolito missed all of 2024 with an injury, and just before the postseason in 2025, the 31-year-old was ruled out with another elbow issue after making 26 starts in the regular season.
Of that group, only Crochet made all of his scheduled starts. Houck made only nine, with a disastrous 8.09 ERA before going down with an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery. Crawford did not make any. Bello started the season on the injured list and did not debit until April. Buehler also missed time with an injury and was released on August 29.
Along the way, the Red Sox also suffered season-ending injuries to rookies Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins, as well as trade deadline acquisition Dustin May.
The result, in the most important Red Sox game in four years, the deciding Game Three of their Wild Card series against their hated rival New York Yankees, Boston sent another rookie to the mound, one with only 19 1/3 innings of big league experience across four starts, all in September â 23-year-old left-hander Connelly Early.
Here’s what you need to know about the Red Sox rookie starter.
He is the Youngest Red Sox Postseason Starter Since — Who?
When Early toed the rubber at Yankee Stadium on October 2, he was 23 years and 182 days old. The Red Sox have played in the postseason 27 times, and won the World Series nine times. But they have not started a pitcher as young as Early in a playoff or World Series game since 1916.
That was the year the Red Sox played in, and won, their fourth World Series, this time over the Brooklyn Robins, who would later change their name to the Dodgers. In Game Two, the Red Sox sent to the mound a lefty who was already in his third Major League season, but who was only 21 years and 246 days old. The pitcher’s name was George Herman “Babe” Ruth.
The Red Sox defeated the Robins that day 2-1 as Ruth allowed one run on six hits while pitching a 14-inning complete game â something the Red Sox definitely would not expect from Early 109 years later.
Early is a Former West Point Cadet
Most managers would worry about a rookie’s lack of mental discipline before putting one on the mound in a season-deciding game. But with Early, discipline is much less of a concern. The Midlothian, Virginia, native spent the first two years of his college career at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.
“That school and the military academy just gives you a certain sense of pride being there, it means more than just baseball there.â Early said earlier this year. âIt really builds your character and helps you become a lot more disciplined.
After two years at West Point, however, Early decided to put his focus more squarely on his baseball ambitions, transferring to the University of Virgina, an ACC power.
He Was Not a Highly Anticipated Prospect
The Red Sox did not draft Early until the fifth round in 2023, with the 151st overall pick.
The SoxProsects.com site rated Early as a “fourth/fifth starter. Ceiling of a quality third starter.” In other words, a good pitcher but not a potential star. In three minor league seasons, he posted an overall 3.32 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, which was good enough to get him to the Triple-A level on August 2 of this year, and to to the big league roster just five weeks later.
Early Relies on a Mix of Pitches
Not an overpowering pitcher, Early fits better into the mold of an old-school “crafty southpaw.” According to Baseball Savant, his fastball averages just 93.7 mph.
But he has thrown that fastball on just 29 percent of his Major League pitches, relying on his curve almost as often, 21 percent of the time, and his changeup 19 percent. Early also includes a sinker, slider and sweeper in his arsenal.
Facing lefties, however, Early relies mainly on his sinker, throwing that pitch 30 percent of time to left-handed batters, while holding back his fastball to just 18 percent.
His curve has produced the most swing-and-miss results, however, getting a “whiff” on 38 percent of the 69 he threw to big league batters this season.
He Had Been To Yankee Stadium Once Before
On Early’s first visit to the “House the Ruth Built,” he was all of eight years old.
“I donât remember too much,” Early told Boston radio station WEEI. I know my brother was wearing a Red Sox jersey in the stands, so my family was getting a lot of boos for that. Itâs a little different being a player and being in the stands.”
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