Young left-hander dominates in spring outing as Red Sox offense comes up empty in Tampa.
There wasn’t much in the way of star power in Tampa on Wednesday afternoon.
No projected Opening Day regulars.
No full major league coaching staff in the dugout.
Not even much offense to speak of.
But there was one thing worth paying attention to, and he made sure of it.
Connelly Early turned in his most convincing performance of the spring, striking out seven across five scoreless innings in the Boston Red Sox’ 1-0 loss to the New York Yankees.
In a game that otherwise felt like a footnote on the Grapefruit League schedule, the rookie left-hander gave the organization something to think about.
Early allowed just one hit and worked around a pair of walks, showing off a fastball that sat in the mid-90s and a curveball that generated consistent swing-and-miss. He retired eight of the first nine hitters he faced, and navigated his only real jam in the fourth inning - stranding two runners in scoring position with back-to-back strikeouts.
It was the kind of outing that doesn’t just check a box. It lingers. In a good way.
Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the second inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)Through five appearances this spring, Early now owns a 1.59 ERA, with 16 strikeouts over 17 innings, while holding opponents to a .182 batting average.
The numbers are solid. The command and poise might be even more notable.
Whether it’s enough to crack the Opening Day roster remains to be seen, but the case is getting harder to ignore.
Behind him, Tyler Samaniego added two more scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts, continuing a strong showing from Boston’s depth arms.
Tyler Uberstine followed with a hitless eighth, though a pair of walks eventually set the stage for the game’s only run - which came across on a throwing error by catcher Ronald Rosario.
That was all it took.
Boston managed seven hits but couldn’t capitalize, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Jason Delay led the way offensively with a 3-for-3 afternoon, providing most of the lineup’s production in a game largely staffed by players ticketed for the minors.
On the other side, Gerrit Cole made his first game appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, tossing a scoreless inning as he begins his buildup toward a midseason return.
For the Red Sox, though, the headline wasn’t the result.
It was the reminder that even on a quiet day in March, someone can make noise.
Will it be loud enough to grab that No. 5 role?
Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the second inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/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.