Crochet's Test: Red Sox's Cy Young Hope

0:00It's April 24th, MLB News today starts now, AI powered and always on. Boston Red Sox A-Scare Crochet takes the mound Saturday and this could be his biggest test yet in the 2026 season. The lefty superstar kicked off strong with three solid starts, but his last two outings have been rough, leaving him with the highest ERA in the rotation at 7.88. His nightmare came April 13th against the Minnesota twins, where he gave up 10 earned runs and 11 total. Then April 19th versus the Detroit Tigers, he allowed five earned runs and two homers over five innings. He blamed a predictable pitch mix for the twins' debacle, but the bounce back hasn't fully happened. The Red Sox sit at 9 and 16 overall, desperate for their number one starter to lock it down and turn things around. Lead Buzz is in kind. MLB.com's Mark Feinsan flagged it as a red alert, quoting an anonymous National League exec worried about Crochet's dip in, velocity.

1:01That fastball averaged 96.3 miles per hour last year, a lead at the 82 percentile, but now it's 95.6 in the bus, 68. Advanced stats have tanked two from top percentiles in Whiff rate, hard contact, and run values to bottom tier across the board, sparking talk of, fatigue after his massive 205 in a third innings in 2025. Another day start will show if Crochet can rediscover that Psy Young runner up form, or if the struggles signal deeper issues for Boston's ship to, steady.