The Boston Red Sox Bold Pitching Gamble Could Pay Off Big in 2026
Though the Red Sox’s second loss of the season was plagued by clumsy early spring mistakes, the highlight of the afternoon was undeniable: young pitcher Connelly Early and his brilliant start. The rookie, through a battle in Cincinnati, demonstrated his strong potential on the mound. It served as great confirmation that Boston was right in their decision to place Early on the roster and third in the rotation, instead of sending him to AAA as many fans and journalists expected.
Connelly Early Shines in First Start of 2026
The 23-year-old dazzled through five and a third innings at Great American Ball Park, striking out six hitters and allowing just five hits. He flexed an improved fastball, with a four-seamer that touched 96 mph. Early would have finished the afternoon with zero earned runs if not for a home run allowed by Greg Weissert immediately after his exit. All the same, the Sox can take solace in the fact that the rookie did everything he could to put his team in a position to succeed.
Building on Last Season’s Momentum
Connelly picked up where he left off in his brief time with the Sox last year. In four late-season starts, he posted a 2.33 ERA and was trusted enough to be awarded the ball in the rubber match of the Wild Card series against the Yankees. His age and lack of experience, however, led many to think he could use more minor league outings to better polish his stuff. This was the fate of Payton Tolle, the other exciting young pitcher the Sox control, but manager Alex Cora liked Early’s Spring Training, especially compared to Tolle and several new acquisitions yet to prove themselves in Boston.
Early Reflects on Strong Opening Performance
Early was proud of the good job he did to open 2026. “They sprayed the ball a little bit here and there”, he said, “overall, I executed pretty well. Happy to get the first one out of the way. I think the Reds are an aggressive team and like to swing the bat. So, I was just trying to keep them off balance, mix pitches, and use the defense behind me. Had a couple of huge double plays.” Deflecting credit is a nice trait for a player, but Connelly’s performance, a 96-pitch outing during the first series of the season, was no small feat. Cora has stated that the current rotation will remain for a few cycles, so the youngster will have at least several further chances at great execution, and maybe a win or two of his own.
