The Boston Red Sox had one of the best offseasons of any MLB team. They aggressively improved their roster via free agency and the trade market.
Their most significant move was acquiring left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. Given the improved situation around him, he has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.
After a dominant Spring Training outing, Crochet is off to a fast start in his Red Sox career.
Garrett Crochet Dominates in Spring Training Outing
In his third Spring Training start, Crochet showed off all the skills that make him one of the favorites for AL Cy Young. He threw 3.0 innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out seven.
Crochet looks as advertised early in Spring Training. He has flown under the radar the last few seasons, playing for one of the worst teams in baseball. But this season will be an excellent opportunity for Crochet to establish himself as one of the best in the league.
Garrett Crochet struck out SEVEN batters across three scoreless innings of work 🐷 #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/3mh6YkWyjl
— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2025
Crochet has drawn comparisons to Chris Sale for being a dominant lefty with a unique arm action. Crochet is also following a similar career path, going from the White Sox to the Red Sox. It will be interesting to see if he can replicate his success.
There is no doubt Fenway Park is a hitter’s park, but Crochet is good enough at missing bats to make it not matter.
Last season, he struck out 209 batters in only 146.0 innings. The only thing that has held Crochet back during his career is injuries; as long as he is healthy, the talent is unquestioned, and the Red Sox will have an ace on their hands.
Is Boston a World Series Darkhorse?
We have not seen the Red Sox make the postseason, let alone compete for a World Series in a few years. They have missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and have not had a record over .500 in any of those years. Boston’s additions this offseason should vault them back into contention. We already discussed Crochet, but the addition of Alex Bregman to the infield is massive.
An infield of Bregman, Rafael Devers, Trevor Story, and Triston Casas is among the best in the American League. Also, they have reigning All-Star game MVP Jarren Duran leading the outfield.
Playing in the AL East makes things difficult as that division is loaded with top teams, but you could argue Boston has as much talent as anybody and should be considered World Series contenders.
