Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox's Garrett Crochet Hits 101 MPH, K's 7 In Electric Outing Against Rays

Is it Opening Day yet?
Jackson Roberts|
Feb 23, 2025; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitching in the first inning of their game against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Chris Tilley-Imagn Images
Feb 23, 2025; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitching in the first inning of their game against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Chris Tilley-Imagn Images | Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

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The Boston Red Sox's spring training matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays wasn't on television on Wednesday. But those who were in attendance at JetBlue Park witnessed a masterpiece.

Offseason trade acquisition Garrett Crochet took to the mound for the third time thus far in spring training, scheduled to throw three innings and up to 50 pitches. He sure made those three innings count.

Crochet mowed down the Rays, pitching three scoreless frames while allowing two hits, a walk, and punching out seven Tampa Bay hitters. He's now up to 14 punchouts in just 6 1/3 innings of work so far this spring and still hasn't allowed a run in a Red Sox uniform.

The real highlight of the day, however, came when Crochet touched 101 miles per hour on the in-stadium radar gun, according to a series of posts on Bluesky by Boston Globe reporter Alex Speier.

Though Crochet suspected the TrackMan readings in the ballpark might have been slightly juiced, per Speier, 101 would have been faster than any pitch he threw throughout the 2024 regular season, when he struck out 209 batters in just 146 innings for the Chicago White Sox.

It's not exactly news that Crochet throws hard or strikes out a lot of batters. But seeing him do it against a division rival (or not seeing it, because we somehow don't broadcast every spring training game in 2025) adds to the excitement of how the Red Sox's new ace can change the team's outlook.

On Mar. 27 in Arlington, Tex., Crochet will almost certainly get the ball from manager Alex Cora on Opening Day against the Texas Rangers. Television cameras will be rolling for a change. And Red Sox fans simply hope the big lefty continues to do exactly what he has so far this spring.

More MLB: Ex-Red Sox Prospect Dishes On 2024 Trade Departure: 'It Doesn't Feel Great'

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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