UVA Baseball alum Connelly Early made his MLB debut on Tuesday, starting and striking out 11 in five shutout innings for the Boston Red Sox.
Early, who transferred to UVA from Army in 2023, got the W in Boston’s 6-0 win over the A’s in Sacramento.
Early, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, was called up after Sox starter Dustin May, who was added at the trade deadline, was placed on the injured list with elbow soreness.
Early, a Midlothian native, looked very comfortable on the mound, posting 1-2-3 first and second innings.
The third inning was a bit rough for Early, as he allowed a pair of two-out singles, one to former Cavalier Jake Gelof.
Early regained his composure and got All-Star Brent Rooker to strike out, his sixth of the night.
The debut performance was historic – Early is the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out 11 or more batters within five innings in his MLB debut.
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At UVA, Early seemed to fly under the radar, despite practically winning every time he took the ball.
Early is tied with Danny Hultzen for most wins in one season with 12. Hultzen won 12 in 2011, and Early tied the mark in 2023, when he finished with a 12-3 mark, along with a 3.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, and 100 Ks in 87.1 innings.
In 2025, Early, the #6 prospect in the Boston farm system, per MLB.com, was 10-3 in 21 appearances, including 18 starts, in Double-A and Triple-A, with a 2.60 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 132 Ks in 100.1 innings.
AFP editor Chris Graham contributed to this report.
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