Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet is staying optimistic after subpar start to 2026 (The Drive)

The WEEI Afternoons podcast opens with a lighthearted banter about the Boston Marathon, with hosts Andy Hart and Nick Fitzy Stevens joking about hosting a radio marathon. The conversation quickly shifts to the Boston Red Sox's rocky start to the 2026 season, with deep concerns about the team's offensive struggles, lineup instability, and lack of star power. The hosts critique the absence of a core identity, the constant lineup shuffling, and the failure to produce runs despite a strong pitching foundation. They highlight the team’s poor performance in key games, the lack of fan engagement (evidenced by few jerseys in the stands), and the growing frustration with manager Alex Cora’s in-game decisions. The central focus then turns to ace Garrett Crochet, whose early-season struggles—marked by poor command, a deteriorating sweeper pitch, and failure to reach six innings—are dissected in detail. Despite a slight uptick in velocity and performance at Fenway, Crochet’s inconsistency and the team’s inability to win games remain alarming. The hosts question the effectiveness of the pitching staff and coaching, particularly the pitching coach’s failure to diagnose mechanical issues like Crochet’s altered arm slot. They debate whether Crochet’s confidence and autonomy make him harder to coach, but stress that even elite players need guidance when performance declines. The episode concludes with a broader philosophical discussion on the value of every game, rejecting the notion that April losses don’t matter, and emphasizing that every loss compounds the team’s uphill battle.