Garrett Crochet on August 5 carried the Boston Red Sox to victory over the Kansas City Royals with a seven-inning, two-run outing. But Crochet was initially slated to face the Houston Astros on August 1.
The Red Sox pushed Crochet's start back as he approached his career-high in innings pitched, which he has now passed. The lefty posted 146 frames in 2024, his first full season as a starting pitcher, and he just reached uncharted territory with the Red Sox, with 148.1 innings pitched this season. Not counting a run in October, Crochet still has two months to rack up starts.
He's shown no signs of exhaustion, though, after dominating the Royals on nine days' rest. Crochet and Red Sox manager Alex Cora are confident he can keep this pace for the rest of the season.
“I think this is the last time we're going to skip a start from now on, obviously if he stays healthy,” Cora said. “We'll use the off-days to our advantage. But I don't think we have to [be cautious anymore]."
Red Sox will not skip another of Garrett Crochet's starts as he racks up career-high innings
BEAST. pic.twitter.com/zNfFVt4B4D
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 6, 2025
Crochet has made his Cy Young-caliber season look easy. His 148.1 innings pitched lead MLB (so do his 13 wins and 183 strikeouts), and he's led Boston as its true ace in just his first year with the team. Cora's announcement that the Red Sox won't skip any more of Crochet's starts shows an ace-level of trust in his abilities and durability.
The gap between the first and second starter in the Sox's rotation is stark. Brayan Bello has been great and taken a huge step, maturity-wise, in the best season of his career so far (3.03 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 42 walks, 116 innings pitched), but the Red Sox get longer starts with much less contact and better command when Crochet is on the mound. Boston's willingness to push Crochet's innings shows the extent of its belief in its young No. 1 (as does the six-year extension it signed with him at the beginning of the season).
Crochet will pitch a full workload for the rest of the season, barring any injuries or other unforeseen circumstances — he doesn't like abbreviated starts because they tax the bullpen. The Red Sox haven't had one since early in Chris Sale's tenure, but they could get used to a bona fide ace in the rotation for the next six seasons as they try to reassert themselves in the American League.