We were all hoping to see Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox at his best, were we not?

Well, unexpectedly, that didn’t happen. But yes, there were hints of what the Red Sox’s $170 million star could do. Even though he was not playing at his best, he still contributed enough to the team’s success, helping the Red Sox defeat the Chicago White Sox 4–3. But as we always say, “It’s not just about who has more talent; it’s about who is more hungry.” So is Garrett Crochet, who appears dissatisfied despite having a great start to the season. But why is it so?

As evidence of his growing pitch count, Garrett Crochet recorded two walks in his five innings. Crochet has a 1.13 ERA in all of his starts, the lowest of any pitcher with 30 or more innings pitched. Although it is a good sign for the Red Sox, as the team hadn’t seen it from their ace for quite some time, Crochet feels that he hasn’t been up to his own par. Do you think that his frustration is justified?

Maybe not! Ever since the Boston Red Sox signed him by trading a number of young prospects to the Chicago White Sox, Garrett Crochet hasn’t been in the best of form. Nevertheless, he gave it his all by pitching six scoreless innings, which helped the Red Sox defeat the White Sox in just ten innings. Despite a strong start to the season, Crochet doesn’t seem much satisfied with his performance. He said, “I feel like the way I’m throwing the ball isn’t up to my par,” seemingly not happy with his performance.

Crochet managed seven strikeouts without allowing a single run, which is quite impressive. His line stands at 4H, 6.0 IP, 0R, 7K and 2 BB. However, it was evident from the 25-year-old pitcher’s post-game interview that he was not pleased with his performance at all. Crochet wants to dream and work more towards perfection, just as every pitcher and baseball player does. He further added, “But in the sixth inning, he started getting the cutter glove side and threw a couple at 92 and 93. So I’m glad to see that’s trending back.”

It’s definitely something to feel happy about. However, it cannot be denied that in the last season, Boston’s Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford didn’t have such a low ERA when compared to Crochet in his five starts. Alex Cora, the Red Sox’s manager, also voiced his opinion on Crochet’s performance, saying that he gave them a chance to win the game. However, Cora is not very hopeful of Crochet going seven every time. Is there any reason behind that?

Alex Cora shares update on their ace amid blockbuster win

The winning moment hasn’t yet sunk in and Garrett Crochet already seems concerned about not giving his best. Well, he definitely can think like that given the record he had in 2024 – a 3.58 ERA, 32 G, 146.0 IP, and 209 strikeouts at a 1.07 WHIP. Crochet performed quite well against his former team and fans loved every bit of it. However, Alex Cora said, “Having the guy pitching today really helps. There’s no guarantee that he’ll go seven every night, but he can go six. If the rotation starts taking care of their innings, everybody benefits.” Surprising a bit, isn’t it?

Well, it’s not. Alex Cora does not want to put any pressure on him but would rather keep him healthy and active for long. That’s why he feels that Crochet may not carry out pitching for a similar number of innings just as he did against the White Sox. Cora clearly mentioned that once the rotation takes care of the innings, everything will fall in place seamlessly. With a 1.13 ERA over his five starts, it is pretty good for a starter. However, Crochet feels that it’s not up to the standards he holds for himself. Hopefully, he will get better and deliver pitches with perfection.

Are you all satisfied with Garrett Crochet’s performance against the Chicago White Sox? Let us know in the comments.