The Boston Red Sox caught plenty of heat when they traded for Garrett Crochet in December without adding much else to the rotation. Turns out they didn’t need to.
Boston’s Big 3 have been absolutely dealing over the past two months. Since June 10th, Crochet, Brayan Bello, and Lucas Giolito have three of the top five ERAs in the American League. Giolito sits at second with a 2.31 ERA, Crochet’s fourth at 2.41, and Bello rounds out the top five at 2.50.
That’s the kind of depth that wins in October.
Crochet’s been everything the Red Sox hoped for when they sent prospects to Chicago. He’s posting a 14-5 record with a 2.38 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 166.1 innings. His 1.064 WHIP puts him squarely in the Cy Young conversation as the second-place contender behind only the frontrunner.
The southpaw’s become Boston’s clear ace, and at 25, he’s got plenty of years left to anchor this rotation.
Bello’s breakout season has been just as crucial. The 25-year-old right-hander struggled early in his career, but he’s found his groove this year with a 10-6 record and career-low 3.07 ERA. He’s struck out 102 batters with a 1.222 WHIP across 135 innings, finally looking like the pitcher Boston envisioned when they signed him.
Then there’s Giolito, who’s had a bit of a renaissance in his first season with the Red Sox. The veteran’s 9-2 with a 3.47 ERA, adding 99 strikeouts and a 1.223 WHIP in 119.1 innings. After some rough years, he’s looking like the pitcher who finished fourth in Cy Young voting back in 2019.
What makes this even more impressive is how the Sox pitching staff has performed since June 8th. They’ve posted the best overall ERA and starter ERA in baseball during that stretch, plus the third-best reliever ERA – which leads the American League.
That’s postseason-caliber pitching right there.
The Red Sox brass took their lumps for not doing more around Crochet this winter. But when your top three starters are all performing at elite levels simultaneously, it’s hard to argue with the results. Boston’s got the kind of rotation that can cause problems in a short series – exactly what you need when October rolls around.
