NEW YORK – Connelly Early , the No. 6 prospect for the Red Sox per MLB Pipeline, wasn’t in the plans to be in the club’s starting rotation in September, let alone October.

But if nothing else, the 2025 season has been one of unpredictability for Boston.

The latest chapter comes Thursday night when Early, a 23-year-old lefty, makes his fifth career start and first of the postseason in a winner-take-all Game 3 of this AL Wild Card Series against the Yankees.

How rare is this? Very.

Early will become the fifth pitcher in history to make a postseason start within his first five MLB appearances.

Here are the others:

Dylan Lee (ATL) (opener) – 2021 WS G4

Shane Baz (TB) – 2021 ALDS G2

Ryan Merritt (CLE) – 2016 ALCS G5

Matt Moore (TB) – 2011 ALDS G1

Early will be facing fellow rookie

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