Connelly Early
P | Bats/Throws: L/L | 6' 3" 195LBS | Age: 22
Draft: 2023 | Rd: 5, #151, Boston Red Sox | Virginia
MLB Pipeline Rank
W L ERA G GS SV IP SO WHIP
2024 2 3 4.50 8 8 0 36 48 1.28
Career Minors 3 9 4.00 24 24 0 105.2 142 1.17
G W-L ERA IP SO WHIP
2024 8 2-3 4.50 36 48 1.28
Career Minors 24 3-9 4.00 105.2 142 1.17

Standard Minor League Pitching Statistics

SeasonTmLGLWLERAGGSSVIPHRERHRBBSOWHIP
2023 Salem Red Sox CAR A 0 0 4.50 1 1 0 2.0 1 1 1 1 0 4 0.50
2024 2 Teams Minors 3 9 3.99 23 23 0 103.2 84 57 46 7 39 138 1.19
2024 Greenville Drive SAL A+ 1 6 3.72 15 15 0 67.2 53 33 28 6 24 90 1.14
2024 Portland Sea Dogs EAS AA 2 3 4.50 8 8 0 36.0 31 24 18 1 15 48 1.28

Scouting Report

2024

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Early starred for two seasons at Army, winning Patriot League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2022, before transferring to Virginia. He tied a Cavaliers record with 12 victories and was named most outstanding player of the Charlottesville Regional in 2023 before the Red Sox made him a fifth-round pick. He has led the system in strikeouts for much of his first full pro season, earning a promotion to Double-A in late July.

Early deceives hitters rather than overpowering them, and his best offering is a lively low-80s changeup with sink and fade. He sets it up with a fringy 89-91 mph fastball that tops out at 93 and bores in on right-handers. He also owns a pair of average breaking balls -- a sweeping low-80s slider and an upper-70s curveball with more depth.

Showing good feel for mixing his pitches, Early throws just enough fastballs to keep hitters honest and gets them to chase his secondary offerings out of the strike zone. He's crafty enough to throw consistent strikes without catching too much of the plate. He doesn't have much margin for error or come with a high ceiling, but he could be a back-of-the-rotation starter.


Transactions

Team Date Transaction
07/23/2024 LHP Connelly Early assigned to Portland Sea Dogs from Greenville Drive.
04/02/2024 LHP Connelly Early assigned to Greenville Drive from Salem Red Sox.
08/29/2023 LHP Connelly Early assigned to Salem Red Sox from FCL Red Sox.
08/05/2023 LHP Connelly Early assigned to FCL Red Sox.
07/21/2023 Boston Red Sox signed LHP Connelly Early.
05/24/2023 College Workout activated LHP Connelly Early.
05/20/2023 LHP Connelly Early assigned to Virginia Cavaliers.
05/20/2023 Virginia Cavaliers activated LHP Connelly Early.