Connelly EarlyBOS · WSN · SP

2026 review

Connelly Early moved from Boston's rotation to Washington's, then lost the middle of the summer to an injury. He posted a 3.33 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 94.2 IP, with a 23.5 K% and an 8.5 BB% over 400 BF across 18 starts, going 7-5 for BOS and WSN. Left elbow inflammation put him on the 15-day IL on Jul 1, and BOS traded him to WSN on Jul 26 before the injury worsened into a transfer to the 60-day IL on Aug 22; rehab assignments on Sep 13 and Sep 15 preceded his activation on Sep 26, and in all he missed 87 regular-season days. Drafted at NFBC ADP rank 245, he finished 334th of 1472 overall in the TDK LABS 5x5 value rank, 89 spots below, and 128th of 811 pitchers, 54th of 236 starters. His 3.33 ERA ran 0.94 below his 4.27 xERA over 400 BF, and left-handed batters managed just .196/.252/.333 over 111 PA against him while right-handers hit .246/.337/.417 over 289 PA. The TDK LABS card had him piecing together quality starts against a shakier stretch in early May, then by early Aug it was tracking him as a piece ramping back from the elbow injury with an activation window still weeks off, and by early Sep it still read the ramp as an early-stage, months-away process, before his Sep debut for Washington closed the season on a strict pitch count.