Red Sox Ace Having Massive Impact On Tight Playoff Race
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the American League wild card race is going down to the wire. Entering play on Monday, the league’s three wild card teams — the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros — are all within 2.5 games of each other, with the Texas Rangers (two games out of a playoff spot) and Cleveland Guardians (2.5 games back) both hot on their heels.
While the Red Sox are without their best position player (Roman Anthony) due to injury, they still have their best pitcher in Garrett Crochet, who’s doing everything he can to get his team into the playoffs.
Crochet came up big again on Sunday, snapping Boston’s three-game losing streak and beating the Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball. The AL Cy Young candidate matched his season-high with 12 strikeouts, improving to 16-5 with a 2.63 ERA and 5.7 WAR this year.
It goes without saying that Crochet is a huge reason why the Red Sox are still in the playoff race. Not only does he lead the Major Leagues in strikeouts (240) and innings (191 1/3), but he also leads the American League in win probability added (4.4), second only to Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes (4.9) in the Majors. He’s also seventh overall in championship win probability added (2.7).
Crochet has been outstanding for Boston all season, especially down the stretch. The Red Sox have won his last five starts and 15 of his last 18, winning nearly every time he takes the mound.
Overall, they’re 21-9 in his 30 starts this year. Replace him with an average pitcher, and maybe Boston is 15-15 in those 30 starts instead (a fair assumption based on his WAR). That six-game difference would have the Red Sox closer to .500 and essentially out of the playoff race.
The two-time All-Star has also been exceptional against the AL East, particularly New York. Boston has won all four of his starts versus the Yankees this year, as he’s 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings against them.
He’s been even better against the rest of the division, going 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA versus the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays combined. Against opponents .500 or better, he’s 9-4 with a 3.55 ERA.
In short, the 26-year-old lefty has been everything the Red Sox hoped he would be when they acquired him from the Chicago White Sox last offseason. He’s been their ace, their stopper and incredibly clutch down the stretch. All that’s left for him to do is keep pitching well into October.