The quietness in Camden Yards said it all. One side observed in frustration as a dominant force took the pyramid, while the other side—well, they had seen entirely what they had paid for. When the dust settled, there was no uncertainty as to why the organization had gone all-in. The man on the mound did not just win a game—he dispatched a performance that had his manager nodding in approval. “That is the reason he is here. That is the reason we committed to him,” Alex Cora said after the match. And if this was just the starting, Boston could have just picked their future ace, Garrett Crochet.

Less than 24 hours after acquiring a six-year, $170 million extension, Boston’s newest frontline starter took the height with expectations sky-high. The stakes? A four-game losing streak. And a division rival looking to complete a sweep. It wasn’t just another start—it was an on-the-spot test of whether the Red Sox had made the right gamble.

And Garrett Crochet responded to every question thrown his way. Eight shutout innings. Eight strikeouts. Just four hits allowed. The Orioles, one of the most candid lineups in baseball, looked lost. Baltimore entered the night averaging over five runs per game in 2025, but against Boston’s lefty, they hardly put a dent in the leaderboard. The performance was not just supreme—it was the kind that shifts momentum and makes an entire team believe again.

Cora couldn’t have been more gratified. “That is the reason he’s here. That is the reason we committed to him, and like, I told him after the Texas, I have to take care of you so you can take care of us,” the Red Sox manager told reporters, via NESN. ‘A little bit aggressive, for me, so early, but the pitch count was in check, the stuff was good and he’s the guy that we wanted out there.”

Crochet, for his part, knew he had just hit a milepost. “My first start in college, I went eight, innings and I have not sniffed it since so it is funny“, he told reporters, per NESN. “But yeah, I felt really good. I like to think that I can fall into that group of a guy that can be a stopper.”

Boston did not just pay for talent—they paid for someone who could take the ball when it mattered most. And if this drive was any indication, they may have just found a long-term answer.

Garrett Crochet: A gamble that could reshape Boston’s future

Big-money agreements for starting pitchers have always been jeopardized. Boston knows this better than everyone. Chris Sale’s extension? Injuries bothered it. David Price? A rollercoaster ride. Nathan Eovaldi? A short-lived but legendary semifinal run. But the difference this time? The Red Sox aren’t paying for past success—they’re gambling on what is to come ahead.

And that bet is looking promising by the day. Through 34 career starts, Crochet has racked up 221 strikeouts, surpassing Chris Sale’s total over the same period. That is the seventh-most by a lefty in MLB history since 1901. The Red Sox miserably needed a new ace, and with Tanner Houck continuing to impress and Brayan Bello showing flashes of brilliance, the team finally looks like a footing rather than a question mark.

Of course, Boston has already seen this story before. Eduardo Rodríguez burst onto the scene in 2015 with three dominant starts, making MLB history by progressing six or more innings while giving no more than one run on three hits in each outing. But the magic disappeared fast—his fourth start saw him cannonade for nine runs against Toronto, and irregularity plagued his early years. Daisuke Matsuzaka’s 2007 debut was equally electric, with a ten-strikeout gem against Kansas City, but he struggled as the season wore on. The Red Sox have learned the hard way that a hot start doesn’t always transcribe to long-term success.

Boston’s pitching struggles in 2024 made their agony for an ace even clearer. The team finished with an 81-81—ranked 3rd in AL East—while the beginning rotation was constantly rearranged because of injuries and inconsistency. Bello showed potential but lacked reliability, Houck had light up of brilliance but battled inefficiency, and veterans like Nick Pivetta and James Paxton failed to provide solidity. The outcome? A team that drifted around .500, unable to keep pace with the division’s powerclubs. Now, with Crochet guiding the charge, the Red Sox could ultimately have a core that can fight for years to come.

However, one start does not define a contract. What happens when the league adjusts? Can the past Astros star manage a full-season workload? Those answers will come in time. For now, though, he has established the bar high. The team needed a spark, and they got a pitcher who could just transform everything.