SerpApi.Org
The Red Sox have been the hottest team in baseball this month — without ace Garrett Crochet.
Boston's star starting pitcher has been on the mend since late April with a lat strain. He has not shared a timeline for a return, but whenever he re-enters the lineup it will be to a different team than the one he left. The Red Sox turnaround happened after manager Alex Cora was fired and replaced with interim Chad Tracy.
Crochet has stayed busy while away, though. He's promoting his Sam Adams Crochet Pale Ale, a beer launch that has seen him collaborate with a handful of other Boston sports stars.
Crochet recently spoke with Athlon Sports about Boston's recent success, his rehab process, and his routine.
(This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Athlon Sports: I'm here with two time All-Star, 2025 strikeout leader and 2024 AL Comeback Player of the year, Boston Red Sox ace, Garrett Crochet. Garrett, thank you for joining me today.
Garrett Crochet: Yeah, thanks for having me.
Athlon Sports
It's no secret that Boston has one of, if not the best, fan bases in all of sports. You're two seasons into your Red Sox tenure. What's it been like playing just in front of these passionate supporters and also just a ballpark as legendary as Fenway?
GC: Yeah, it's been great. They want to see us win. And obviously this year that we did get off to the start we would have liked. And they were demanding excellence from us. And I think that it kind of has fueled the streak that we've been on here recently. You can definitely feel their energy when we're in the ballpark and really just walking around the city as well. But it's great getting to call them our fans and getting to call Fenway home.
AS: You've been on the mend for some time now, having not pitched since April. What can you share about your injury recovery as far as the projected timeline to return, and how is your rehab going?
GC: Yeah, trying to stay away from a necessary, I guess, explicit timeline. Just last time that I was able to kind of shoot for something like that was when I had a set back. And so at this moment, I'm just focused on progressing each and every day and the training stuff. And I feel like we're moving in the right direction. It's kind of a complicated injury with it being the shoulder capsule. But we're making progress the way that we hope to.
AS: I know that you said it at one point that your mechanics were a little bit out of whack in a bullpen session. What have you learned about your mechanics during this time out of the lineup?
GC: It's tough not throwing right now and not really getting the field these things out. But I remember when the year started, even going back to spring training, I felt like when I was reviewing video afterwards that my mechanics just looked different. I felt like I was on time and I felt like my body was in a good point at different points of my delivery. But then when I would see it on video, I wasn't receiving the same feedback. So I've kind of been battling it for a little bit of time now and hope to really tackle it when I'm starting my rehab process back up.
AS: I’m sure you'd love to be back out there with the team, but like you said, the Red Sox have really hit their stride tail end of June and into July. What's it been like for you to witness that turnaround and just what the team has been able to do for the last two months?
GC: Yeah, it's been great. And the rotation has been a huge part of it and the youth has been a huge part of it. What [Jake] Bennett's done this year has been nothing short of incredible to watch. I think that when he was traded and was able to kind of get in a new environment and kind of just reestablish himself, I think that was probably the best thing for him. [Connelly] Early and [Payton] Tolle have been phenomenal as well. Obviously, Ranger [Suarez] was an All-Star his first year here in Boston, which is great to see. And of course, Sonny [Gray] has been the work horse we all knew him to be.
AS: Last season, plane problems kind of became a rallying point for the team, and I understand this year there have been more plane issues that have kind of come about during this hot streak. I know no one likes to have any issues traveling. It's hard enough as it is. But have these brought the team closer? How have you kind of been able to use sort of these hindrances as a rallying point?
GC: Yeah, it's funny that it's kind of become a conversational point. Going back to last year, the Minnesota one, it kind of felt like it was a fluke. And now it feels after it's more than once. I think it's more than a coincidence, but it's funny how that seems to work out. And then you go on a streak and can kind of point back to the exact day. I think that this team is just really wanting to respond to the adversity. I think that kind of when you're going through something that you can't control, you're able to kind of release the reins a little bit and just get back to doing your thing.
AS: What's the biggest thing that Chad Tracy has brought to this team?
GC: Yeah, I think it's just a fresh perspective and a fresh set of eyes. It's tough going back to that drastic change in the coaching staff because I think as players, we felt like we were at fault and someone else was kind of paying the crime for it. But ultimately, you can only control what you can control. And that was just moving forward once Tracy came on and the rest of the staff as well. I think that we were in a position where we felt like we needed a fresh start and there's no better one than that.
AS: The salary cap was a topic that came up a lot over the course of the All-Star break, with some players. Curious to hear your thoughts on a proposed salary cap in baseball and where you sort of see negotiations going with the owners during the offseason?
GC: As players, I think we feel like the game is at a really good spot in terms of viewership and just the quality of on field product. That's often the topic in clubhouse is what we do to help grow the game or help to improve the game. But for me, it's right now I'm so focused on my rehab, that's kind of hard to dive into that right now. Once the off season hits and those conversations really pick up the game in terms of negotiations, it'll be something that I dive into a little bit more.
AS: You mentioned your rehab process, just more so on a personal level, could you tell me a little bit about your daily routine. I'm sure that's important to you as a pitcher and as a new dad.
GC: Yeah, yeah. So right now I'm waking up anywhere from 5:30 to 7:30, it's been a little bit closer to 5:30 here lately. I say that begrudgingly, but it is what it is. And then when the team's on the road, lately I've been staying back just to really make sure that I'm getting my work in with the staff that's here. And that's been great for me. I feel like I'm making a ton of progress here as of late. In terms of, like we said, timeline, I'm not sure when throwing will come up. But right now, it's just kind of continuing to get the training working that I'm doing.
AS: Do you have any superstitions routine wise? Things that you like to do on days that you know you're going to make a start or before you take the mound, anything like that?
GC: Nothing. Nothing really. I feel like kind of when I'm going through my warmup routine for the past three years, I've just kind of picked one song that I listened to the whole day. Probably the most superstitious thing that I do, though.
AS: What was the most recent song?
GC: It's Thank You by Dido. Been that one for three years now. Yeah, yeah.
AS: There you go.
GC: I like to be calm.
AS: Would you want to have an at bat?
GC: Yeah. Just to see it. I mean, I was never a good hitter in high school. That's the last time I had in that bat. But now it's like having played catch with major league pitchers and and kind of seeing what good stuff looks like and feeling what it's like to catch like the 90-plus mile an hour fastball. I think that it's, I think that I'm just set up for a little bit more success, but I'll never get to know with the universal D.H.
AS: So it sounds like you could not get a hit off yourself then?
GC: Probably not, no. That's righty, lefty. Doesn't matter. I hit right-handed. So you think that the lefty matchup would help? But I don't know.
AS: So the All-Star Game is behind us, the second half of the season is upon us. It's the middle of July. People are trying to stay cool, either at home in the stands. Sounds like you're helping people do that with the Sam Adams Crochet Pale Ale. Tell me a little bit about the brew and maybe the inspiration behind it.
GC: Yeah, so it's a pale ale, 5.8% alcohol. And I think that you kind of hit on the main point right there when you're in the stands in Fenway here in the summertime, there's nothing better to keep you cool than a nice crochet pale ale. It's citrusy and crisp and really helps to cut the heat.
AS: And I understand you got to collaborate with Derrick White, Julian Edelman and Chara as part of the campaign. Can you just tell me a little bit what it's like to work with Boston legends like that, guys who have won titles in Boston.
GC: Being around these kind of larger than life characters, lke you said, they’ve won titles. Here are guys that I've watched on TV growing up and here in the recent past as well. So it was really great to kind of get to pick their brains about their favorite spots to eat in the city and kinda was blown away by the extent of their careers. But yeah, especially just being around guys that have won championships here kind of makes your hunger for it.
AS: Could you share your top three hardest batters to face? It sounds like, again, not yourself.
GC: Yeah, yeah. It's not myself okay. I mean, the first two are obvious being Shohei [Ohtani] and [Aaron] Judge. I've got decent numbers off of both of them, but they've kind of done some damage off me with the long ball. And then the other one is, it's another Yankee, Amed Rosario. He's got really good numbers off me. Guys I faced the most in the big leagues, it's probably those three guys. Or at least it feels like every time that I'm making the start, I feel like they somehow find their way on the opposing roster, but pretty obvious. Like I said, with Shohei and Judge and Rosario. He's a good average hitter, a good contact hitter, doesn't swing and miss a ton. And I'm typically going for the strikeout more often than not. So it's a little bit harder to get him the swing and miss.
AS: Garrett, thank you again so much for the time. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your day.
GC: Of course. Thank you. You're welcome.
Related: Red Sox Expected to be Aggressive at Trade Deadline
