Red Sox Biggest Rotation X-Factor May Not Be Garrett Crochet

The Red Sox have a huge amount of talent right now...

April 13, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of empty seats on opening day at Fenway Park prior to a game between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox are going to kick off the 2025 Major League Baseball season in less than a week against the Texas Rangers.

Garrett Crochet is going to be on the hill for Boston but he may not actually be the team's biggest X-factor in the starting rotation. He certainly should be the team's Opening Day starter -- or Tanner Houck. Crochet has been phenomenal in Spring Training and will give the Red Sox exactly what they need with a hard-throwing lefty with All-Star upside that they missed last year after trading Chris Sale.

He's expected to be the team's ace. He's young, but is coming off a great year with the Chicago White Sox and is widely expected to be a Cy Young Award-caliber pitcher. While this is the case, there is another guy who could play an even larger role.

When thinking about Boston's goals for the season, it's expected that Crochet will shine. One guy who at least doesn't have a high of expectations is Walker Buehler. He's a two-time All-Star himself but hasn't pitched a full season since 2021 so there are more question marks. He's been great in spring, but what are you going to get in the regular season?

The Red Sox can still be a really good team if they even get an average performance out of Buehler. But, if he returns to his All-Star form, they can be a great team. When he last pitched a full, healthy season he had a 2.47 ERA in a league-leading 33 starts.

If Buehler is rusty, the Red Sox will still have a solid rotation led by Crochet and Houck. But, if he gets back to form, the Red Sox could have the best rotation in baseball.

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