Garrett Crochet Bold Prediction Will Get Red Sox Fans Ready for Opening Day

The Boston Red Sox ace is ready to have another big year.

Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the New York Yankees during the third inning of game one of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox certainly have shown that they know how to pivot well.

Before the 2025 season, the Red Sox were one of the teams interested in superstar slugger Juan Soto. Ultimately, he ended up picking the New York Mets. The Red Sox pursued Max Fried afterward but missed out as he opted to join the New York Yankees. That's okay, though. The Red Sox pivoted and traded a package to the Chicago White Sox for left-handed flamethrower Garrett Crochet. The move worked out. The lefty flamethrower finished the 2025 season with a 2.59 ERA in 32 starts and finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting and eighth in the AL Most Valuable Player Award voting.

Crochet is the superstar that Boston needed. ESPN shared a column on Wednesday highlighting the top-100 players in Major League Baseball right now voted on by "two dozen ESPN baseball experts." Crochet came in at No. 8 and Eric Karabell shared a bold prediction that Crochet will stop Tarik Skubal's Cy Young Award-winning streak.

Garrett Crochet has a big season ahead

Feb 26, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

"No. 8. Garrett Crochet, SP, Boston Red Sox," Karabell wrote. "Anyone concerned about Crochet being able to get through a six-month season with a full workload is certainly convinced now. In 2024, he made 32 starts for the cautious Chicago White Sox, throwing only 146 innings. Changing his socks, er, Sox, worked.

"Boston traded for the 6-foot-6 left-hander and then permitted him to be one of only three pitchers to eclipse 200 innings last season. Crochet won 18 games (double his career output) and led MLB with 255 strikeouts. Nobody seems too concerned about his health anymore. Season prediction: It is far from outrageous to project Crochet goes from second in AL Cy Young voting to No. 1. How about 20 wins, too?"

Crochet is the guy. Skubal is viewed by many as the very best pitcher in baseball, but Crochet could be the guy to catch him. If you were wondering, ESPN has Fried at No. 35 and he is six years older than Crochet. The Red Sox made the right call.