Prediction season is underway, ahead of the upcoming 2026 season. More importantly, it’s early-season awards prediction time. Regarding Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, 2026 could be the season where he brings home some serious hardware. After finishing second for the American League Cy Young to back-to-back winner Tarik Skubal, some believe “War Pig” is in for another phenomenal season in Boston.
For Crochet, after a career season in 2025, 2026 will be one where he will reach another level.
Garrett Crochet Viewed as AL Cy Young Contender
GettyBoston Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet
When Garrett Crochet is in “War Pig” mode, it’s hard not think of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Especially after the 2025 season he had, his first in Boston with the Red Sox. He finished the season with an 18-5 record in 32 starts and a 2.59 ERA. He was so dominant that he had an MLB-leading 255 strikeouts in an American League-leading 205.1 innings of work. Crochet also finished with an MLB-leading one shutout, on top of having a career-high 6.3 wins above replacement (WAR).
In an article going over a “way-too-early” 2026 award winner predictions, MLB.com writer Anthony Castrovince selected Crochet as his AL Cy Young winner. Castrovince discussed how the discussion for the Cy Young should have been closer between Skubal and Crochet. He went on to say, “Crochet threw 10 more innings than Skubal, and Baseball Prospectus’ WAR model, which considers opponent quality, actually had Crochet at 7.0 vs. Skubal’s 5.9 mark.”
Crochet was an absolute madman on the mound for the Red Sox in 2025, and was just striking guys out like it was going out of style. Castrovince even went as far as saying, “While this isn’t an inventive pick, it’s a sensible one now that Crochet is fully stretched out to a true ace’s workload and in full command of his wipeout stuff. When you strike out roughly one-third of opposing batters as a matter of routine, you’re going to find yourself in the Cy Young conversation.” It only took one tough outing in Cleveland for people to just hand the Cy Young to Skubal. However, Crochet will be on a mission to not let that happen again.
Crochet became a two-time All-Star in 2025, while finishing second in the AL Cy Young voting and eighth in MVP votes. All in all, 2025 was the season of the War Pig for Crochet and the Red Sox. It was his best season by far in his five-year MLB career. He missed the 2022 season due to injury, but in his age-26 season, Crochet made it known that he is the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff.
He’s a Savant, a Baseball Savant
When looking at his Baseball Savant page, it backs up the notion that Crochet was on another level in 2025. His K% rank came out in the 93rd percentile (31.3%), Whiff% at 78th (29.4%), xERA at 91st (2.91), and xBA at 83rd (.212). That’s not even discussing his pitching run value came in at the 99th percentile (34), fastball run value at 95th (17), breaking run value at 99th (15), and his Chase% was at the 90th percentile (32.6%).
When the guys on the Section 10 Podcast call a baseball savant page “bloody,” it means it’s all red and in the extremely great category. Crochet’s five-pitch mix of a four-seam, cutter, sweeper, sinker, and change is a mix of speed, along with swing-and-mix. His four-seam was clocking at 96.4 MPH, the LHP average was 93.1. His cutter was 90.9 MPH (average 88.4), sweeper at 82.7 (average 80.8), sinker at 96 (average 93.2), and chance coming in at 87.7 MPH (average 84.4). Safe to say that Crochet’s offspeed stuff is just as deadly as his four-seam and cutter, along with how he can change speeds when need be.
Plus, his 35-degree arm angle and 79th percentile in extension also make it tough for hitters to figure out how to hit against Crochet. There is otherworldly pitching, and then there is universe-bending stuff from Crochet. Unless Skubal can go supernova again in 2026 to win his third straight AL Cy Young Award, Crochet could be in for a season where he snags his first major hardware in his age-27 season, and his second with the Red Sox.
Will this be another Year of the War Pig in Boston?
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