The Boston Red Sox are turning to a rookie on one of baseball’s brightest stages. Left-hander Connelly Early , just 23-years-old, has been named the starter for Thursday’s decisive Game 3 of the New York Yankees vs. Red Sox American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium.

This moment is historic. OptaSTATS took to X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting just how unprecedented the assignment is.

“Connelly Early will be the first pitcher ever to start a winner-take-all postseason game within 30 days of his MLB debut.”

Early debuted on September 9, striking out 11 in his first start against the Athletics. Across four regular season outings, he posted a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. Featuring a five-pitch mix with a standout changeup, the southpaw en

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