For quite some time, the AL Cy Young race had one leading pick. A dominant force, a pitcher who seemed unbeatable. But now, there’s a challenger on the rise—and he’s not backing off. A 25-year-old is throwing a dare to a 28-year-old.
Yeah, it’s true that Tarik Skubal had a strong 2024 campaign, leading the league in ERA, strikeouts, and FIP. The award seemed almost guaranteed for him. But just when the baseball world was set to hail him as the best, things started taking a different turn. A left-hander who returned late from injury rehab in 2023 (Tommy John surgery in 2022) as a reliever rose to the 2024 American League Comeback Player of the Year during his first starter season with the White Sox.
And probably that potential caught the Red Sox’s eyes, and Chicago came to a deal with Boston to trade Garrett Crochet. And right now, he isn’t new to the race anymore. In fact, he’s the center of it all. As per the FanDuel Sportsbook, Crochet is now even with Skubal – the betting co-favorite for the 2025 AL Cy Young Award.
They’re tied at the +380 odds. And well, it does make perfect sense. The spike in the betting odds is a sheer reflection of Crochet’s remarkable efforts. During his first full season as a starter, he recorded a 3.58 ERA along with 209 strikeouts over 146 innings. And not to forget, back in June 2024, Crochet relished 13 strikeouts over 7 innings and became a major cause for the White Sox to win at 3-2 against the Seattle Mariners.
As it turns out, this All-Star ace is one of the most dangerous pitchers in the league.
Garrett Crochet is now the betting co-favorite on @FDSportsbook to win the AL Cy Young Award, along with Tarik Skubal pic.twitter.com/aJAlEaZcOr
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) March 28, 2025
But instead of celebrating, the Red Sox fans are holding their breath. Why? He won’t be in Boston for long. Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer, left no crumbs in making one thing very clear: His extension is unlikely. And the reason? It’s simply because Crochet had established an opening day deadline for contract negotiations. And while that has been passed, he has denied reopening the discussions until after the season, which leaves the Red Sox with an unpredictable future.
Now, it’s a brutal reality for Boston. Crochet’s valuation is multiplying, and for a long-term deal, it could cost $150 million over six years, at minimum. Just in case he hits the free agency, teams could offer $40 million per season. That brings down the Red Sox with two options: Trade him before the July deadline or prepare for a bidding war they might lose.
Red Sox banking on Crochet’s durability in 2025
The Red Sox’s bar has been firmly set. As it seems, Garrett Crochet will be going all out this season—no restrictions implied. Alex Cora makes it clear on WEEI that the clear goal is 30 starts, and while they’ll be “taking care of him” (via Alex Cora), they won’t be holding back.
Keeping in mind that this is his second season as a starter, it’s a big ask. Crochet has established his name as a hard-throwing reliever before transitioning to the rotation. And now, his durability is being tested. Undoubtedly, he has what it takes to rise to the occasion. But only time will tell if he can take the ball every fifth day for a whole season.
And if we look at his record, in 2024, during his first season as a starting pitcher, he made 32 starts for the Chicago White Sox. So, yeah, he has the stamina for a starter’s grind.
But all things aside, it’s fair to mention that the Red Sox are clearly taking a risk here, with a hope that his electric arm holds up well. If Crochet succeeds in proving himself, he can be the ace the Red Sox require at this point.
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