How Red Sox's Garrett Crochet Performed in First Spring Training Start

Tragically, because spring training baseball broadcasts have not yet arrived in the 21st century, Boston Red Sox fans did not get to see their ace's spring debut.

Garrett Crochet, last year's runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award, took the mound at JetBlue Park against the Tampa Bay Rays, and predictably, his start was a relatively brief one. But the "Beast," as he's known in Boston's clubhouse, still gave Red Sox fans plenty to be excited about -- if they were able to find out how he fared.

So because Crochet's start was inexplicably so unavailable to consume, let's break down what he did, and what was important to take away from his two innings against the Sox's division rivals.

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What mattered from Crochet's Rays start

Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first 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

It wouldn't be entirely fair to call Crochet's start a "breeze," but he got through two scoreless innings with minimal danger. He allowed a single and a walk in the first inning, but induced a double play to get out of trouble. In the second, he retired the side in order on three week batted balls.

Crochet only generated two whiffs on his 23 pitches, 13 of which elicited swings. But before we start getting panicked about his lack of swing-and-miss, let's remind ourselves that this start was less than a third of the length of what Crochet aims for when he takes the mound for real.

Plus, if you're looking for some real pluses, Crochet's average fastball velocity was 96.1 mph, only 0.3 mph lower than his season average a year ago. In a couple of starts, he could be surpassing that average, and all that really matters is staying in the same ballpark for another full season.

For what it's worth, Crochet was none too pleased with the fact that he couldn't punch any tickets.

“I don’t know the last time I had an outing without a strikeout,” Crochet said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “It’s probably been four or five years. So I’m going to not probably sleep that well tonight.”

Crochet also broke out his new splitter exactly once, and it was taken for a ball. Stay tuned for a start with cameras so we can see what that exciting new offering actually looks like.

It was a strong foundation for Crochet to build at the very outset of his age-27 season, and no matter what the stat sheet looks like from here on out, the only truly important thing is getting him at maximum health and buildup by opening day.