The concerning reality behind Connelly Early's dominant spring

March 6, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) pitches during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Connelly Early has been a pitcher that the Boston Red Sox have been excited about for a few years now. They drafted him in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, but he has flown through the minors. 

In September of last season, he was selected to the 40-man roster and made his debut against the Athletics, striking out 11. He would go on to start the deciding Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series, which is quite an accomplishment for a young pitcher. 

He's surely making it hard on the front office to keep him out of the starting rotation with how he has looked in camp. But if he's sent down to start the year, one would have to assume he is the next man up.

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The concerning reality behind Connelly Early's dominant spring

Connelly Early has looked good this spring, pitching in five games, striking out 16, walking five, and compiling a 1.59 ERA. 

However, some are questioning those numbers. Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer has some concerns with what looks like an elite stat line. 

"Early not only broke in with the Red Sox last year, but also ended up starting an elimination game in the playoffs. He's clearly talented, and they're clearly high on him. This said, that ERA against that K/BB ratio doesn't look right. And once you throw in that he's been hit at an average of 91.8 mph, even the 1 mph gain in fastball velocity doesn't do enough heavy lifting for his spring as a whole."

Normally, with a pitcher that has that low of an ERA, strikeouts play more of a factor. It hasn't been for Early, which suggests he may be getting a bit lucky. 

You can't escape in the MLB when you put runners on. Eventually, they will score, and Early may have to work on limiting the loud contact if he really wants to be an elite arm.

More MLB news:

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• Anthony Kay's strong spring performance should fire up White Sox fans
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• High velocity and newfound command could drive Twins' Mick Abel to success
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