Boston Red Sox
“He reminds me a lot of Roman [Anthony].”
Connelly Early’s first pitch delivered in 2025 was during the Spring Breakout Game — a showcase for young prospects during spring training.
Eight months later, the 23-year-old lefty will get the ball in The Bronx — and look to keep the Red Sox’s season alive in October.
No pressure, kid.
Less than 24 hours away from his first postseason start of his big-league career, Early was asked if he ever envisioned his 2025 campaign to potentially conclude with a win-or-go-home battle in Yankee Stadium.
The southpaw didn’t flinch in his retort.
“No, but I’m in that position now,” Early said ahead of his scheduled start in a decisive Game 3 against New York. “So got to go out there and trust my stuff.”
Trusting in his arsenal of pitches is the exact reason why Alex Cora and the Red Sox have turned to him to try and punch Boston’s ticket to the ALDS.
With Lucas Giolito sidelined for potentially all of October with an elbow injury, Early stands as the next man up in Boston’s pitching corps. It’s a group that will be operating on an even slimmer margin for error after Cora utilized six total relievers in Wednesday’s Game 2 loss in the Wild Card round.
It’s not exactly the softest landing for a pitcher in Early to earn his stripes in the playoffs — given both the stakes at play on Thursday and the hostility that awaits him on the mound in The Bronx.
“It’s electric,” Early said of his impressions of October baseball. “Really good game so far, and every pitch matters. So really competitive games and…