Red Sox Analyst Gives Connelly Early Positive Prediction Ahead Of Opening Day
Early won a rotation spot to begin the 2026 MLB season.
Red Sox Analyst Gives Connelly Early Positive Prediction Ahead Of Opening Day originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Connelly Early won the final rotation spot for the Boston Red Sox to begin the 2026 MLB season, beating out Johan Oviedo.
Early is set to start on Sunday as he will be third in the rotation for the Red Sox. However, it’s uncertain how long the left-hander will stay in the rotation, as if he’s in the minor leagues for 35 days throughout the season, Boston gets an extra year of control. However, Red Sox analyst Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic predicts Early will end up making 20 starts this season for Boston.
“If Early spends 35 total days in the minors at any point this season, the Red Sox will gain another year of control,” McCaffrey wrote in an article published on Thursday. “On the flip side, because he’s a top 100 prospect, Early is eligible for the Prospect Promotion Incentive. “If he remains on the active roster the entire season and wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP or Cy Young voting (unlikely but possible), the Red Sox would earn an extra draft pick in 2027.
Here’s predicting the Red Sox give Oviedo a chance in the rotation at some point, option Early to Triple A for a few weeks, and gain an extra year of control. However, he’ll still stick around enough to make 20 starts. ” Early had a 1.