Red Sox positional preview: Crochet leads revamped starting rotation originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Statistically, the Boston Red Sox starting pitching staff was a surprising bright spot during the team’s mediocre 2024 campaign. After bolstering the group in the offseason, Boston could boast one of the best rotations in baseball in 2025.
Red Sox starters ranked seventh among all MLB teams in ERA (3.81), second in WHIP (1.19), and fourth in batting average against (.236). They finished in the middle of the pack in strikeouts (16th with 771 Ks), but their offseason additions should give them a significant boost in that department.
Garrett Crochet, acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago White Sox, has legitimate Cy Young stuff. Walker Buehler has two All-Star nods and World Series titles under his belt, and All-Star righty Lucas Giolito adds even more upside in his return from Tommy John surgery.
The returning starters — Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello — each took the mound in at least 30 games in 2024. Houck broke out as Boston’s de facto ace and earned his first All-Star selection.
More Red Sox positional previews:
If this new-look rotation stays healthy, it has the potential to be special. Below, we’ll continue our Red Sox positional preview series with an in-depth look at the club’s top six starters for the 2025 season.
Garrett Crochet, LHP
2024 stats: 6-12, 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 209 SO, 33 BB, 146 IP (32 starts with Chicago White Sox)
Age: 25
Contract status: Signed one-year, $3.8 million contract to avoid arbitration. Free agent in 2027.
Outlook for 2025: With Crochet in the fold, the Red Sox have finally found a legitimate ace to lead the rotation.
Crochet flirted with Cy Young consideration for a chunk of the 2024 campaign, during which he struck out 209 batters and walked only 33 across 146 innings (32 starts). The southpaw was put on an innings limit in the second half of the season due to his injury history (Tommy John surgery) and lack of previous experience as a starter.
The Red Sox will unleash Crochet in 2025, making him a popular Cy Young pick with Opening Day approaching. As of Tuesday, he has the second-best American League Cy Young odds behind only 2024 Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers).
With elite strikeout stuff, Crochet has often drawn…