Red Sox Manager Cora Announces Crochet as Opening Day Starter

Cora has a hilarious, NSFW way of revealing the team's 2026 Opening Day starting pitcher.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that Garrett Crochet will be the team's Opening Day starting pitcher for the 2026 season. Cora's announcement was brief and humorous, simply stating "Let's get that (expletive) over with" when revealing Crochet as the starter.

Why it matters

Crochet is the obvious choice to lead the Red Sox's talented starting rotation, which has been bolstered by the offseason additions of Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez. As the team's ace, Crochet is coming off a dominant 2025 season where he earned his second All-Star selection and finished second in AL Cy Young voting.

The details

Last season, Crochet posted a 2.59 ERA in 32 starts, leading the AL in innings pitched (205.1) and strikeouts (255). If not for an even more dominant season from Tarik Skubal, Crochet likely would have won the AL Cy Young award in his first year with the Red Sox. Cora's quick, profanity-laced announcement shows he sees Crochet as the clear-cut ace of this stacked Red Sox rotation.

  • The Red Sox are gearing up for Spring Training ahead of the 2026 MLB season.

The players

Alex Cora

The manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Garrett Crochet

The Red Sox's Opening Day starting pitcher for the 2026 season, coming off a dominant 2025 campaign where he earned his second All-Star selection and finished second in AL Cy Young voting.

Sonny Gray

A new addition to the Red Sox starting rotation this offseason.

Ranger Suarez

Another new addition to the Red Sox starting rotation this offseason.

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What they’re saying

“Let's get that (expletive) over with”

— Alex Cora, Red Sox Manager (Masslive.com)

The takeaway

Crochet's selection as the Red Sox's Opening Day starter is a no-brainer given his standout 2025 season. Cora's humorous announcement underscores the confidence the team has in Crochet to lead their stacked starting rotation in 2026.