Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly has ranked Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet as the third-best ace in baseball entering the 2026 season, trailing only Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. The left-hander’s continued excellence has earned him national acclaim after a dominant debut campaign in Boston.
“With no innings limit holding him back, Garrett Crochet turned in a tremendous first season with the Red Sox, leading baseball with 255 strikeouts,” Kelly wrote. “He was an All-Star and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting.”
“Perhaps most impressively, Crochet showed he can be a workhorse despite being arguably the top strikeout pitcher in the sport today,” Kelly continued. “He led the AL in both batters faced (814) and innings pitched (205.1). While the Red Sox would lose Games 2 and 3, he delivered in Yankee Stadium in ALWCS Game 1 last October, striking out 11 batters and allowing just one run across 7.2 innings pitched.”
“The Red Sox inked Crochet to a six-year, $170 million contract extension last April, which already looks very team-friendly considering he’d likely get over $300 million if he hit the open market,” Kelly added.
Crochet has been named the Red Sox Opening Day starter and looks poised to anchor a stellar rotation. His elite strikeout stuff combined with proven durability makes him the clear ace Boston can build around for years to come.
The left-hander finished 18-5 last season with a 2.59 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 205.1 innings in 32 starts. As Kelly noted, Crochet paced the majors with 255 strikeouts and earned his first All-Star selection while placing second in American League Cy Young Award voting.
His durability and strikeout prowess validated Boston’s decision to acquire and extend him, establishing the southpaw as a foundational piece for the franchise’s future success.
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