Aug 23, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Yankees All-Star Makes Bold Statement On Red Sox Ace Garrett Crochet

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees may be archrivals, but the players involved often have trememdous respect for one another.

Case in point: left-handed starting pitchers Carlos Rodón and Garrett Crochet, who were once teammates with the Chicago White Sox. They've each gone on to sign nine-figure contract extensions with these big-market teams, but at the start of the decade, they were both fighting to establish themselves as big-leaguers.

Yankees All-Star Rodón recently opened up about those early days with Crochet, and he shared a tidbit about the Red Sox's new ace that will delight Boston fans.

Carlos Rodón talks early impressions of Garrett Crochet

In an interview with FOX Sports' Deesha Thosar, Rodón said he instantly knew Crochet would be a star when he first saw him throw during a workout at the White Sox's alternate site during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Crochet had just been drafted in June, and he would go on to debut in the majors later that summer.

"After like three pitches, I knew this kid was filthy," Rodón said. "It was a fastball at 101 (mph), and the next pitch was 102. And then a wipeout slider, plus another breaking ball."

Both pitchers were huge prospects coming out of college, Rodón at NC State, Crochet at Tennessee. Both struggled through injuries early in their careers, as Crochet didn't even make a big-league start until 2024. But this year, both made the American League All-Star team.

Now that he starts instead of coming out of the bullpen, Crochet doesn't quite have 101 or 102 miles per hour in the holster. But he gets by just fine with 96 to 97 on most days, and his cutter, sweeper, and sinker have all become plus pitches.

And Rodón's Yankees have seen firsthand how dominant Crochet can be this year, because he's now 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA and 27 strikeouts in his 21 innings against them this season, including eight punchouts of superstar Aaron Judge.

These two lefties will see a lot more of each other in the years to come, so it's intriguing to see how their head-to-head matchups might play out in the future, knowing there's mutual respect there.

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

More must-reads: