Red Sox' Connelly Early Makes History in Game 3 Against Yankees

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 7:08 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox season comes down to a Thursday night AL wild card matchup against the New York Yankees, with the winner advancing to the ALDS.

With Lucas Giolito being ruled out for the season, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has decided to go with left-handed rookie Connelly Early to start for the club.

Early has impressed so far, yet his career postseason debut will be just his fifth ever major-league start. The 23-year-old joined the Red Sox organization just two years ago in the 2023 MLB Draft when he was selected in the fifth round out of Virginia. Over his four starts, Early has collected 29 strikeouts in just 19 1/3 innings of work and a 2.33 ERA.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) © Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Early is set to take the ball against another rookie going for New York, Cam Schlittler, with both playing a massive role in each team’s success.

When Early threw his first pitch in the bottom of the first inning, he became the youngest rookie at 23 years and 182 days to start a postseason game for the Red Sox in 108 years, the last being Babe Ruth. (h/t Sarah Langs)

At 23 years and 182 days, Connelly Early will be the youngest Red Sox pitcher to start a postseason game since Babe Ruth in 1916 WS G2 (21y, 246d)
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 2, 2025

Early remains the newest young piece to appear for Boston. The Red Sox core features talent across the pitching staff and starting lineup, setting up the franchise for success for years to come.

Early joins a growing wave of young contributors for Boston, including Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer — all recent high draft picks expected to factor into the club’s long-term plans. On the mound, the emergence and continued development of Brayan Bello and Payton Tolle give the Red Sox a controllable, high-upside rotation core.

After 164 games, it will all come down to Thursday night at Yankee Stadium for both the Red Sox and the Yankees.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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