The Boston Red Sox spent the offseason making some massive changes to their rotation. But they still had one more pitching decision to make entering the 2026 campaign.

Connelly Early will be in the rotation to start the season while Johan Oviedo will be in the bullpen, via Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Oviedo will be a piggyback option if any starters don't go deep. Furthermore, Boston will re-evaluate their current setup once seeing their rotation in action for at least a few turns.

Fans were excited to see Early land a spot in the rotation.

“I was hoping Cora would do this because Early has a real chance to pitch to a #2SP CEILING- if i am right, excellent ROY candidate; looking forward to his Sunday start,” Professor Peter Arenella wrote.

“W decision,” Marcos M added.

“Early not losing that spot in the rotation,” ESO opined.

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The fans' reactions are more of an indictment on Early than Oviedo. The latter pitcher came over in the trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He'll have plenty to prove after making just nine starts in 2025. However, Oviedo did look impressive, pitching to a 3.57 ERA and a 42/23 K/BB ratio.

Still, Early is a homegrown talent, selected by the Red Sox in the fifth-round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in 2025, pitching to a 2.33 ERA and a 29/4 K/BB ratio. That success carried over into spring training, where the left-hander holds a 1.59 ERA and a 16/5 K/BB ratio over his five appearances.

Fans are excited to see Early prove he can be a long-term factor in the rotation. The Red Sox clearly believe he is capable. Oviedo will remain lurking as an option if injuries/ineffectiveness pop up. But Early will be in Boston's rotation to start the season.