The Red Sox should feel comfortable with the current outlook of a playoff rotation.
Game 1: Sonny Gray
Game 2: Ranger Suarez
Game 3: Payton Tolle
Wouldn’t it have been hard to fathom early in the season that the Red Sox could be a real threat in the American League without Garrett Crochet leading the rotation as a healthy, functional starter?
That still won’t be the case for Boston the rest of the way. Even as the 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up continues to ramp up his progression from left shoulder inflammation for a possible return late this year, the best case scenario is far from handing him the ball and letting him eat, as he did to open the 2025 postseason.
Crochet said this week that, at best, he could get up to throwing two innings in live game action if and when he takes the ball again in 2026, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. While that takes him out of the rotation, that’s far from a loss for the Red Sox. Any innings from Crochet in October should be greatly welcomed. A step further? He could be a legitimate weapon.
Would it be wise to deploy him more than twice a series? Perhaps not. But he’ll be ready as a competitor, the stuff will likely play up in shorter intervals and he’s already proved he can effectively handle the role in October.
Remember, Crochet was not a full-time starter with the White Sox until the 2024 season. He previously put together a fantastic campaign out of the bullpen in 2021 with a 2.82 ERA and 10.8 K/9 when Chicago won the AL Central. He also did not allow a run in four total outings in the postseason between 2020 and 2021.
He’ll also become a pretty vital part of the bullpen in this iteration of the roster. Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock will have massive responsibilities in high-leverage spots while Justin Slaten and Tyron Guerrero will have big outs to get themselves.
Assuming he doesn’t make the rotation in a potential later series, Brayan Bello will be a vital long reliever. Crochet’s role is interesting. He can be saved to get out of late inning jams or could end up being the bridge in the middle innings to get to the horses late.
He won’t have the innings potential that David Price had during his bullpen run in 2017 (that will be a separate article eventually, he was spectacular in that role, albeit expensive), but Crochet’s realistic ability to contribute in 2026 is still really intriguing.
Arms are arms in October. The Red Sox could have the best in the American League ready to roll with wins on the line.
