Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) makes his way in from the bullpen prior to game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Alex Bregman Hints Red Sox Found Next Star Pitcher Despite Yankees Loss

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 1:00 PM ET

Alex Bregman knows talent, and despite the Boston Red Sox's season ending on Thursday, he thinks there's a reason to be bullish on the team's losing pitcher.

Twenty-three-year-old rookie Connelly Early was tasked with trying to shut down the league's highest-scoring offense in a do-or-die road game on Thursday. He was making just his fifth major league start, but he gamely shut down the New York Yankees through three innings.

However, after a Cody Bellinger bloop double kicked off the fourth inning, things unraveled a bit, as Early issued a walk and gave up some tough-luck singles, giving New York all four of its runs in the 4-0 loss that dashed the Red Sox's championship hopes.

Bregman shouts out Early's effort in loss

Bregman had lots of things to ponder in the wake of the loss, with the knowledge that he might not be back in Boston if he chooses to opt out of his contract for next season. But he was quick to point out his high hopes for Early, who he seems to firmly believe will develop into a star.

"I thought Connelly was awesome tonight," Bregman said, via NESN. "I thought that he attacked the zone. He's gonna have an extremely bright future. He's gonna be a really, really great pitcher in this game.

"There was a blooper that started the inning, and some kind of seeing-eye ground balls after that, but other than that, he threw really, really well. I'm super proud of him, and the moment was definitely not too big for him."

After starting the year in Double-A, Early established himself as an important future arm for the Red Sox. He struck out 132 batters in 100 1/3 minor-league innings, then racked up 35 more in only 23 innings for Boston between September and the postseason.

And with his deep arsenal and propensity for keeping the ball low, Early is likely to get a lot of ground balls to the left side, which would be of great interest to Bregman if he does decide to return to the Red Sox.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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