Sale led Boston to a World Series victory in 2018. It seemed as if the Red Sox had certainly made the right decision by trading for him. Then 2019 happened.

Sale pitched to a lackluster 4.40 ERA across 25 starts. From 2020-2022, the left-handed hurler was limited to a total of 11 big league starts due to injury. In 2023, he struggled over 20 starts, recording a 4.30 ERA. The Red Sox ultimately traded Sale to the Atlanta Braves following the ’23 campaign.

Sale rewarded Atlanta by winning the National League Cy Young, but that’s besides the point.

Sale’s time with the Red Sox, aside from his first season, simply did not go to plan. Injuries unquestionably played a role, but he struggled for the most part as well.

With Crochet, the left-handed pitcher has also started his Red Sox career especially strong. He has pitched to 1.38 ERA up to this point. Additionally, Crochet fell just a couple innings short of no-hitting the White Sox in a recent start.

Will Crochet’s Red Sox career follow a similar trajectory to Sale’s, or will it be different?

Garrett Crochet poised for successful Red Sox career

In a sense, Crochet will get to further establish himself as a star with the Red Sox. Sale had already pitched for seven years before getting traded to Boston. Crochet, however, has technically only pitched in four seasons at the MLB level. The left-handed pitcher has only appeared in 25 or more games on two separate occasions.

In 2020, Crochet made five appearances out of the bullpen. The White Sox continued to use him as a reliever in 2021, as he appeared in 54 games in relief. He ended up missing all of 2022 due to injury. Crochet returned in 2023 as a reliever once again, pitching in 13 games.

It wasn’t until 2024 that Crochet became a full-time MLB starting pitcher. He found no shortage of success, turning in a 3.58 ERA across 32 starts.

Sale also pitched in relief in his first two seasons with the White Sox. Chicago had him begin to start games in 2011, which was his third year in the league.

From 2011-2016 before the trade, Sale started 148 games. Crochet, meanwhile, had started only 32 games before this season.

Crochet is fresh. He should have plenty left in the tank. Sale bounced back in 2024, but he was clearly running out of gas with the Red Sox. Freak injuries unfortunately happen all of the time, but Crochet is going to pitch at a high level as long as he can stay healthy. Running out of energy won’t be a concern.

How much success will Crochet find in Boston?

Crochet was selected to his first All-Star team a season ago. If the 2025 season ended today, Crochet would probably win the American League Cy Young Award. There is plenty of season left to go of course, but Crochet is on the right path.

It would not be surprising to see Garrett Crochet establish himself as a consistent Cy Young candidate in the American League. He features one of the highest ceilings of any pitcher in the sport.

The White Sox unquestionably made the right decision by having him become a starter in 2024. The Red Sox are now receiving the benefits of that decision.

Boston has been looking for its next ace. The search is over now, as Crochet projects to be the ball club’s ace of the future.