Crochet was dominant in his first year in Boston
The Boston Red Sox made a bold move to acquire Garrett Crochet last offseason, and it worked out perfectly.
Crochet helped Boston get to the playoffs and was in the running to win the American League Cy Young Award. Yet, that award went to Tarik Skubal, but that could change in 2026.
MLB analyst David Singh of Sportsnet shared his bold predictions for MLB in 2026, and he believes Crochet will be the best pitcher in all of baseball.
“Crochet crowned MLB’s top hurler,” Singh wrote in a piece published on Tuesday. “Skubal has the unofficial title of best pitcher on the planet and Paul Skenes is a worthy challenger, but don’t forget about Crochet. The Boston Red Sox ace has steadily improved in each of the past two seasons and 2026 is when he goes nuclear.
“The six-foot-six left-hander is a throwback starter in the sense that he’s a thoroughbred. Crochet led the AL with 205.1 innings last year and sat atop MLB with 255 strikeouts. Such dominance resulted in a second-place finish to Skubal in AL Cy Young voting.”
Crochet went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 32 starts last season. He also went 7.2 innings, allowing one run in his lone playoff start, which was dominant.
After his dominant playoff outing, Singh expects that it will propel Crochet to be the best pitcher in the MLB in 2026.
“Crochet garnered national attention during Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series when he authored a star-making performance by overpowering the Yankees in the Bronx,” Singh added. “Consider that the appetizer, a tasty Caesar salad. What Crochet accomplishes next season, though, will represent the full steak dinner.”
Crochet is entering the first year of his six-year, $170 million extension.