The Boston Red Sox may have just discovered their postseason X-factor. On Tuesday night at Fenway Park, 23-year-old Connelly Early delivered a historic MLB debut, dominating the Athletics and tying the Red Sox franchise record with 11 strikeouts across five scoreless innings in a 6-0 shutout win in West Sacramento.
Making his debut under the lights, Early carved through the Athletics lineup with a lethal three-pitch mix. His fastball sat in the mid-90s, and his changeup became the primary put away pitch, accounting for seven of his strikeouts. According to The Boston Globe’s Tim Healy, the outing officially stamped the southpaw's name into the team’s record books.
“Connelly Early has tied Don Aase for the Red Sox record for strikeouts in his major league debut: 11.”
The Red Sox last saw a 10-strikeout debut in 2007 with Daisuke Matsuzaka, but Early’s performance surpassed that mark and set a new MLB strikeout record — becoming the first pitcher in league history to record 11 strikeouts in five innings or fewer during a debut.
The victory was Boston’s 81st win of the season and moved the team into a tie for the top wild card slot. More importantly, it gave the rotation a major boost following recent struggles and injuries, particularly with Dustin May on the injured list and younger arms like Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts still adjusting to big-league roles. With just 16 games remaining, the Red Sox pitching staff will be tested, especially in upcoming series against playoff-caliber opponents, but Early’s dominance in his debut provides much-needed optimism for the stretch run.
In 2025, Early had posted a 2.75 ERA and 145 strikeouts in the minors, ranking as the team’s No. 6 prospect. Now, the narrative around the left-handed pitcher may extend into October if the club continues its playoff push. Whether as a starter or long relief arm, Early may be the piece Boston didn’t know it needed—until now.
