Photo via @RedSox on X.
Since Tony Vitello took over Tennessee baseball, the Vols have pumped out talent to the MLB. The brighest star so far is pitcher Garrett Crochet. After starting his career with the Chicago White Sox, he has blossomed as a superstar for the Boston Red Sox as their ace.
Now, Crochet is set to make history on Opening Day. When he gets the ball to start for the Red Sox, he’ll become the first pitcher since 1886 to make an Opening Day start in each of his first three seasons as a starter (min. 1 start per season), according to MLB Network.
Crochet’s Opening Day start is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, in Cincinnati, against the Reds.
Garrett Crochet will make history on Opening Day! pic.twitter.com/7nBDcHg1cU
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 21, 2026
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Crochet was dominant for Boston in the 2025 season. He finished with an 18-5 record with a 2.59 ERA, 255 strikeouts and 1.03 WHIP. He went on to finish second in AL Cy Young voting, losing to the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal.
Crochet is from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and was selected in the 34th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He opted to head to Knoxville instead, over Texas and Tulane. As a freshman, he threw in 16 games while starting in 11. He was tied for second on the team with five wins and was second in strikeouts at 62. The strikeout mark ranked fifth in program history for a freshman season at the time.
As a sophomore, he helped Vitello make the postseason, where the Vols lost in the Chapel Hill Regional. Crochet finished with a 4.02 ERA and 5-3 record in 18 appearances and six starts. Opponents hit just .268 off of him that year.
His junior season was cut short due to COVID-19. He started in his only appearance, where he went 3.1 innings while allowing no runs on two hits and striking out six batters. He was drafted with the 11th pick of the following draft by the White Sox.