Red Sox's Connelly Early Getting Early Buzz Before Spring Training

The Boston Red Sox have a few of the game's most interesting pitching prospects heading into the 2026 Major League Baseball season.

Both Connelly Early and Payton Tolle made the jump to the big leagues in 2025 based on necessity. The Red Sox's pitchers were dropping like flies due to injuries. Eventually, the Red Sox turned to both Early and Tolle and they both looked good in limited roles. Early impressed to the point where he started a playoff game for the club against the New York Yankees.

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Now, the Red Sox are just about to kick off Spring Training and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra tabbed Early as the organization's most "intriguing prospect" who can make a run at an Opening Day spot.

The Red Sox have a lot of intriguing pitching in the organization

Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws to the plate in the first inning against the New York Yankees during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"Red Sox: Connelly Early, LHP (MLB No. 56)," Mayo, Callis and Dykstra wrote. "Early capped a breakout 2025 season by posting a 2.33 ERA in four regular-season starts with Red Sox and getting the ball for the decisive game of their Wild Card Series, but he's blocked from the rotation after offseason trades for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo and the signing of Ranger Suárez. The 2023 fifth-round pick from Virginia has a six-pitch mix highlighted by a 92-97 mph four-seamer, a low-80s changeup and a slider, along with plenty of polish and deception."

The only issue with this take is the team's volume of starting pitching at the moment. The starting rotation on paper looks like Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello and Johan Oviedo. Beyond these five, the Red Sox have Early, Tolle, Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval and Kyle Harrison.

Early doesn't lack talent, by any means. But on paper, the opportunity isn't quite there, unless injuries pop up or some sort of trade. Oviedo seemingly would be the team's No. 5 starter, but the club acquired him in a deal around Jhostynxon García, so it's hard to believe he won't at least get a shot in Boston's rotation early.

It would be great to see Early, but his most likely landing spot is Triple-A to kick off the 2026 season.

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