Young lefty shows composure and command in encouraging first start.
For a team still searching for early answers, the Boston Red Sox (1-2) may have already found one in Connelly Early.
Boston didn’t get the result it wanted Sunday in a 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds (2-1), but Early’s season debut offered a clear reminder of why the organization believed he could handle a full-time rotation role in 2026.
The 23-year-old left-hander delivered 5.1 innings of one-run baseball, striking out six while navigating traffic in nearly every frame.
It wasn’t flawless.
It didn’t need to be.
What stood out was the poise.
Early didn’t overpower Cincinnati with swing-and-miss stuff - in fact, Reds hitters extended at-bats and forced him to work.
But time and again, he responded.
He got ahead in counts, mixed his pitches effectively, and leaned on his defense when needed, including a pair of key double plays that helped him escape early jams.
That’s been the theme dating back to last season.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The game was scoreless after three innings. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images)Early burst onto the scene in 2025 with a 2.33 ERA across his first four starts, then held his own in a postseason environment at Yankee Stadium. This spring, he carried that momentum into camp and ultimately earned a spot in a crowded rotation that didn’t guarantee him anything.
Sunday was simply the next step in that progression.
And historically, it was notable.
Early became the youngest Red Sox starter to post at least 5 strikeouts while allowing one run or fewer in one of the team’s first three games since a 21-year-old Babe Ruth did it in 1916.
That’s not a comparison anyone is making lightly, but it underscores just how impressive the outing was, even if it came in a loss.
Manager Alex Cora trusted Early enough to push him into the sixth inning at 88 pitches, a reflection of both necessity and confidence.
Boston’s bullpen had been taxed the night before, and Early gave them exactly what they needed:
Length, composure, and a chance to win.
That chance slipped away moments after he exited, when a three-run homer flipped the game.
But that doesn’t change the takeaway.
Through three games, the Red Sox rotation - led by Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, and now Early - has largely held up its end of the bargain.
If Boston’s offense catches up, Early’s debut may look less like a bright spot in a loss and more like the beginning of something sustainable.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The game was scoreless after three innings. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.