In the grand scheme, Garrett Crochet’s spring debut checked every box that actually matters. For most pitchers in late February, that’s meaningless. For Crochet? It was borderline existential. “I don’t know the last time I had an outing without a strikeout,

Crochet faced division rival the Tampa Bay Rays and tossed two scoreless frames, allowing one hit and no runs while failing to record a strikeout (23 pitches).

Garrett Crochet will not pitch for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and behind that decision there appears to be more than a simple answer, but rather a detailed explanation as to why he will not be available for the national team.

According to the legendary Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox star Garrett Crochet is the real deal and then some.

Dylan Cease fills the void left by Chris Bassitt in Toronto. Still, the Blue Jays’ depth pales in comparison to the Red Sox, who project as FanGraph’s No. 1 rotation in 2026 and are priced at +280 odds for the division.

This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

As reported by MLB.com’s Ian Browne, the Red Sox icon says the lefty’s stuff rivals his own.