Red Sox-Reds Opening Day starters: Crochet vs. Abbott

Two of Major League Baseball's more storied franchises, the Red Sox and Reds, have never previously met on Opening Day. But they have multiple connections that touch both fanbases.

For an older generation, thoughts will go back to 1975. That's when Boston and Cincinnati clashed in one of the greatest World Series ever played. While the Reds emerged victorious in Game 7, fans and media still remember Carlton Fisk's iconic Game 6 walk-off home run that forced the deciding game to even be played.

And then there is Terry Francona. Now the Reds manager, Francona is sports royalty in Boston and helmed two World Series title winners there in 2004 and 2007. The '04 championship, in particular, broke the infamous "Curse of the Bambino," and gave the Red Sox its first World Championship since 1918. In his second season with Cincinnati, Francona is trying to lead his current club to its first World Series since 1990.

Both storylines will take a backseat to the players on the field and namely the two left-handed starting pitchers who will get the ball for their first starts of the season.

Red Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet
Previous Opening Days starts: 2024, ‘25
2025 season: 18-5, 2.59 ERA in 32 starts

The 26-year-old lefty appears set to be next in the pantheon of aces that have stood out for the Red Sox over the last several decades, a distinguished group that includes Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, Jon Lester and Chris Sale. Aptly named “Beast” by his teammates, Crochet is a fierce competitor who gained some national attention in Game 1 of last year’s AL Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium when he willed his team to a 3-1 win by walking none and punching out 11 over 7 2/3 innings and 117 pitches.

Crochet’s Baseball Savant page is filled with “red” as he rated in the upper echelon in numerous categories last season. His pitching run value and breaking run value both had him in the 99th percentile. In his second season as a starter, Crochet was pleased to log 205 1/3 innings after his previous year in Chicago when his workload was managed carefully. Even after his breakout season, Crochet is determined to make sure he, at the very least, maintains that level.

“Yeah, consistency, I think you said it best right there,” Crochet said. “The great thing about our sport and the rough side of it is that one year doesn’t make you a good player. I think that you’ve got to come in, earn your stripes every year. The success that I had last year will make teams’ game plan a little bit for me in certain aspects, whether it be pitch usage or specific counts, and I've got to be ready to combat that.”

Reds: LHP Andrew Abbott
Previous Opening Day starts: none
2025 season: 10-7 with a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts

Although 2025 Opening Day starter Hunter Greene is starting this season out on the injured list, the 26-year-old Abbott is every bit as deserving for the honor of getting the ball first in 2026.

A third-year big leaguer last season, Abbott opened on the IL and missed a couple of starts as he finished rehabbing from a 2024 shoulder injury. Once he got going, he delivered consistency for Cincinnati at nearly every turn.

Across his six May starts, Abbott posted a 0.55 ERA, and he kept rolling in June by throwing his first complete-game shutout during a June 10 three-hitter at Cleveland. In July, the lefty was added to the National League All-Star team for the first time.

In 17 of his starts, Abbott surrendered fewer than two earned runs while doing his part to help the Reds get into the postseason for the first time since 2020, and for the first time after a full season since 2013.

“I was hurt during Spring Training, late start, just trying to get through healthy and then I kind of turned it really into my best one so far," Abbott said of last season. "Obviously build on it, learn from it. It’s a new year. Guys are going to have different approaches and be ready for you. We’re changing as they are. I’m super excited to do that again.”