The Red Sox rotation was once growing, but now it could become potentially the most feared one in the game today. With all the roster spots filled and the drama seemingly gone, it’s time to focus on what’s truly important: winning a World Series championship. While some key wins come from the hitting, others come from the pitching. With the Red Sox, it’s a key aspect of the team now… and it’s gone through a massive turnover since the start of the offseason. Let’s go over the starting pitchers this year, including the ones on the IL to start the season.
Garrett Crochet
To start the rotation with a hot start, nothing’s more fitting to talk about than Garrett Crochet. The newly acquired 25-year-old lefty from the White Sox is looking to have a monstrous 2025 season. On a record-breaking 121-loss White Sox team, he was the only pitcher who dominated everyone in his path. He posted a 3.58 ERA with a 12.3 strikeout rate, better than Chris Sale’s 11.40, who won the NL Cy Young Award that year. This Spring Training was nothing short of striking out 30 in just five starts. He easily throws a fastball for 100+, and he’s used it 53% of the time. He bullies hitters with it, punching them in the mouth relentlessly. Cora also stated that he expects Crochet to play at least 30 games this year. “No problem,” says Crochet…probably.
Tanner Houck
While Houck is the #2 starter in the rotation, he’s an ace in disguise. Although he got no run support last year, that has been his curse since he made his debut in 2020. It proves that win/loss records are subjective and shouldn’t count. As part of the first wave of new faces for the Red Sox back then, everyone was waiting for his breakout moment. Boston finally got it in 2024, and Tanner became an All-Star. He’s one of the lucky recipients of the “Andrew Bailey Pitching Factory,” where he changes pitchers’ careers. From the start of last season up to the All-Star Break, batters hit .215 against him, striking out 112 times. Now, with no pressure on trying to carry the rotation, he’ll fit in nicely under Crochet’s blanket.
Walker Buehler
Buehler is one of the top breakout candidates for the Red Sox this year. Everyone knows who Walker Buehler is, and he is unstoppable in his true self. Under his true self, he was with the Dodgers. From 2018 – 2021 (his four full seasons), he posted a 2.82 ERA, with a strikeout rate of 9.9, and a K/BB of over 4. Under his postseason resume as well, it’s more than proof that he pitches well in the clutch. He struck out 114 with a 10.8 strikeout rate in his 19 games played. While he isn’t what he was just yet, this season is a bargain just by the contract he signed. It’s 1 year, but it’s worth $21 million. As a #3 starter, he won’t be expected to be good right out of the gate. But when he does, this rotation is going to be filthy.
Richard Fitts
Making the major league roster for the first time in his career is Richard Fitts. He’ll be the #4 starter in the Red Sox rotation behind Walker since Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito are on the IL. He has a short sample size as he’s only four games into his major league career, so making projections on him from previous years isn’t going to bode well. Don’t expect anything special just yet. While he’s entering his first full season, it’ll be intriguing to see what happens for him, but he’s still raw. He has promise, he’s the 14th prospect in the Red Sox system and the second-best pitcher. He had an excellent Spring Training, striking out 14 in 5 games with a 2.45 ERA. For now, he’ll be a pitching depth option this season, going up and down from reliever to starter.
Sean Newcomb
As the fifth starter for this Red Sox rotation, Sean Newcomb is hoping to revitalize his career. Newcomb hasn’t had a starting job in seven seasons, bouncing around from team to team. He signed a minor league deal with his hometown team in Boston and had a surprisingly great Spring. He played five games, recorded a 0.64 ERA, and struck out 13 batters. Sean has also been known for having trouble commanding his pitches, but he only recorded three walks. He threw 70% of his pitches for strikes. Desperate for a chance, there was no better way to do it than where his family and friends could watch him live at Fenway. With Crawford, Giolito, and Bello all on the IL, the fifth spot in the rotation was his. If he can translate that promise into the regular season, at least somewhat, he’ll no doubt be a fan favorite in Beantown.
Brayan Bello
Starting the season on the IL, Bello is expected to be back on the mound as early as April. While Bello didn’t have the best season last year, it can seemingly be called a sophomore slump. He still posted 153 strikeouts along with an 8.5 K/9. Over his two full seasons from 2023 – 2024, he posted 340 strikeouts and an 8.1 K/9. That’s all with hitters hitting .260 off him. His biggest problem was his command. He walked 64 batters last year, a regression from where he had it in 2023 with only 45. However, this shoulder injury can give him more time to fix himself, and that’s what everyone wants out of him. He’s one of the better pitchers in the Red Sox rotation when he’s on.
Lucas Giolito
Giolito has not pitched since 2023 because of having an internal brace procedure and is now on the IL due to a hamstring injury. Before the injury, he was a questionable signing to begin with. He had one of the worst seasons of his career, giving up a league-leading 41 home runs while walking 73 batters. But this was all while ironically striking out 204 batters with a 25% strikeout rate. Blatantly put, no matter how many runs he will give up, he’ll also record a ton of strikeouts. He’s recorded over 1,000 of them in his 9-year career. Will the Red Sox get his 2019 form? Probably not, but it’ll be interesting to see him as the fifth or sixth starter, depending on how the men above him do.
Kutter Crawford
As the last starter on the IL, Kutter Crawford will not be starting the season along with the two above him. This stinks because he was one of the better pitchers in that 2024 Red Sox rotation. While giving up a league-leading 34 home runs, he struck out 175 batters while walking only 51. The problem with him is his velocity. He suffered a knee injury in the 2024 season and suffered a setback in December. While there’s hope that he may return sooner rather than later, he’s also been working on his mechanics to add consistency and throwing harder on his fastball. Was this injury a blessing in disguise? It could very well be the case.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The post What To Expect From The Red Sox Rotation appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.