Connelly Early Fantasy Stats

Boston Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early has been inconsistent so far this season after getting called up on March 29 to replace Johan Oviedo (elbow), pitching to a 3.79 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 31 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings pitched. He entered the 2026 season as a consensus top-65 MLB prospect, and although his surface stats look acceptable, the underlying metrics do not support them (5.33 xERA, 4.72 xFIP, and 4.64 SIERA). In addition to the expected numbers, his strikeout rate (20.5 percent) and walk rate (11.3 percent) are the worst marks of his career, dating back to his five starts with the Red Sox in 2025 and his career Minor League stats. All that being said, the season is still early, and the young left-hander is still only 24 years old and has the upside to turn it around quickly. At this time, Early remains a must-roster player in deeper formats or points leagues, but not necessarily in shallower category formats.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early is putting together strong numbers on the mound right now. Through the first month of the season, Early owns a 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 28:14 K:BB ratio across six starts. In his most recent outing, Early threw 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in the win over the Baltimore Orioles. The southpaw has only allowed more than three earned runs in a single start once so far this season. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the Houston Astros on Saturday. Fantasy managers who are seeking help in the pitching department should consider Early as a possible streaming option for that one.

Boston Red Sox starting pitching prospect Connelly Early logged five innings of one-run ball in his season debut against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The young left-hander struck out six hitters while allowing just five hits and two free passes. Early was able to claim the final spot in the starting rotation after a strong spring training. In camp, the Virginia product logged 17 innings to the tune of a 1.59 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and a 16:5 K:BB. Early made his MLB debut late last season and enjoyed similar success against the game's top hitters, tossing 19 1/3 innings with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Given his strong debut, managers should look to add Early off the waiver wire ahead of his next outing against the San Diego Padres. He is a viable starting pitcher in all formats.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early will make his first regular-season start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Right-hander Johan Oviedo, who has been battling for the No. 5 starting spot in spring training, will open in the bullpen and will likely be a piggyback option. The Red Sox will re-assess after a couple of turns through the rotation. Early could easily be sent to the bullpen or to the minors in 2026 if he starts to struggle, but the young southpaw has earned a rotation spot after recording a 1.59 ERA with 16 strikeouts and only five walks in 17 innings in the Grapefruit League. The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2023 out of Virginia also looked good in his MLB debut in 2025, posting a 2.33 ERA (0.91 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K:BB in 19 1/3 innings. Early has a versatile repertoire, has a pretty clean injury history, and is good at inducing weak contact. His stock in all fantasy formats is on the rise.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. However, despite a strong showing in spring training, he will be competing with Johan Oviedo for the fifth starting rotation spot early in the 2026 season. It will help the Red Sox provide length to their rotation, with both Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello still building up their pitch counts after pitching in the World Baseball Classic. Boston views Early as a starter, and it's unlikely that he'll be used as a reliever for the first few weeks of the season. Exact plans for Early and Oviedo are "still being ironed out," and the team's decision-makers "do not seem keen" on the idea of a six-man rotation. The 23-year-old prospect could make his first start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. Early had a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K: BB in his first four big-league starts in 2025 before allowing three earned runs in 17 innings with five walks and 16 K's in five Grapefruit League appearances in spring training. He has good control and limits hard contact, making him one of the more intriguing young arms to stash in the big leagues.

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early made his final case for an Opening Day roster spot on Wednesday, tossing five shutout innings against the Yankees in his fifth Grapefruit League appearance, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out seven. He was also charged with a wild pitch and hit a batter in the outing. Despite the latter results of the performance, Boston's third-ranked prospect has impressed this spring, allowing three earned runs in 17 innings of work (1.59 ERA) while recording a 0.94 WHIP and a 16:5 K:BB. The left-hander made his MLB debut in 2025 and saw similar success, posting a 2.33 ERA (2.35 xFIP) and a 1.09 WHIP with a 29:4 K:BB over 19 1/3 innings pitched. The competition for Boston's fifth starter role has been stiff, with LHP Payton Tolle and offseason acquisition RHP Johan Oviedo both showing well this spring, too, and it remains to be seen who will win the job. Oviedo may have the slightest of edges in the race, and may get the nod simply due to his MLB experience compared to the other two, but whether it is on Opening Day or sometime later, Early will be pitching with the big league club this season and is a worthy stash candidate in the meantime. For managers who haven't drafted yet, the 6-foot-3 southpaw can be had at the end of most fantasy drafts with an ADP around 300, but could certainly outproduce that if he gets a chance early on in 2026.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early has looked good so far at spring training as he competes for the final spot in the Boston starting rotation. Across 12 innings, the left-hander has held a 2.25 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP while striking nine hitters. He has allowed just three free passes. Early made his MLB debut in the second half of the 2025 campaign and posted a 2.23 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over his first 19 1/3 innings in the majors. During this impressive debut, he racked up 29 punchouts with a stellar 5.1% BB%. However, despite his high upside, Johan Oviedo is trending towards claiming the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation, which would send Early to Triple-A Worcester. Even though he will likely begin the season in the minor leagues, he should contend for a first-half return to Boston. He is worth stashing in deeper leagues ahead of Opening Day.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly haven't engaged in extension talks with infielder Marcelo Mayer or pitching prospect Connelly Early, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It has become increasingly common for organizations to sign their young prospects to long-term extensions, paying them a little more in the short term to ensure they gain extra years of guaranteed control further down the road. However, it sounds like the Sox don't have any interest in jumping to that step with Mayer or Early yet. Injuries limited Mayer to just 44 MLB games in his rookie season last year, and while he played solid defense, he slashed just .228/.272/.402 with a 30.1% strikeout rate and 80 wRC+ at the dish. He's viewed as a potential long-term third base solution with Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman gone, but currently, Boston is non-committal about giving him a spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster. Early has flashed upside on the mound, albeit over a small sample size. Through four starts as a rookie last year, he posted a 0.91 FIP with 13.50 K/9, 1.86 BB/9, and a 46.7% ground ball rate. The Red Sox have previously signed long-term extensions with other young prospects, including Brayan Bello, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Ceddanne Rafaela. We could see Mayer and Early join that list eventually, but for now, extension talks are non-existent.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early will likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Worcester. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Johan Oviedo is the current favorite to claim the starting position, which will push Early and fellow prospect Payton Tolle to Triple-A. The 23-year-old looked quite comfortable in his first taste of MLB action, logging 19 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 29:4 K:BB. He struck out at least seven batters in all but one of his outings, and even hit the double-digit strikeout mark in his first career start against the Athletics. At Triple-A, the southpaw tossed 28 2/3 innings with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Even if Early were to begin the season in the minors, he is a worthy stash target in deeper formats given the high strikeout upside he flashed in his first taste of MLB action.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early could enjoy a breakout season in 2026. The team's No. 4-ranked prospect (according to MLB Pipeline) made his MLB debut in the second half and looked quite comfortable, logging 19 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.33 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. During this stint, the southpaw struck out an eye-catching 29 hitters while allowing only four free passes. He began the 2025 campaign with Double-A but was able to reach Triple-A Worcester after just 71 2/3 innings. With Double-A, he tallied 96 punchouts with a 2.51 ERA and contended to show similar productivity at Triple-A, logging 28 2/3 innings with a 2.83 ERA. However, managers should closely monitor his status in camp as he may not be guaranteed a spot in the rotation. With the Red Sox bringing in Ranger Suarez and having other budding arms like Payton Tolle, Early may have to earn his spot in spring training. If he can claim the No. 5 spot, he would become a top late-round target in all formats, given his high-end command and elite strikeout upside.