Garrett Crochet keeps adding to what’s already been a phenomenal first season with the Red Sox. The ace isn’t just dominating the Cy Young conversation anymore – he’s getting serious MVP consideration too.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly ranked Crochet fourth in the AL MVP race, trailing only Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, and his Cy Young rival Tarik Skubal. Not bad company for a guy who was pitching out of the bullpen just two years ago.
“Crochet leads the AL in wins, innings pitched and batters faced. He’s third or better in K/9, ERA, FIP and WAR, per FanGraphs. He’s pushing Tarik Skubal—more on him in a minute—in the AL Cy Young Award race, and whether he wins it or is runner-up, he has been one of the best players in the sport this year,” Kelly wrote.
The numbers back it up. Crochet’s sitting on a 14-5 record with a 2.40 ERA and 214 strikeouts across 172 innings. His 1.062 WHIP shows just how dominant he’s been when guys do reach base.
What makes this interesting is the connection between the Cy Young and MVP races. If Crochet somehow edges out Skubal for the pitching award, his MVP stock would probably surge. But that’s a big if – Skubal’s been every bit as good, maybe even a tick better.
And even with a Cy Young, Crochet would still need to leap Judge and Raleigh. Judge is going for his third straight MVP, while Raleigh’s having a record-setting season behind the plate. That’s steep competition for any pitcher.
The way I see it, this recognition alone shows how far Crochet’s come since the Red Sox acquired him. He’s transformed their rotation and put himself in elite company across the league.
Maybe this isn’t his MVP year, but he’s got plenty of time left on that long-term deal with Boston. If he keeps pitching like this, that coveted hardware might not be far behind.
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