The Red Sox spent 2026 sorting through a wave of new faces, and Jake Bennett ended up being one of the biggest reasons their season turned around after the slow start. The offseason pickup didn’t open the year in Boston, but once he arrived, he wasted no time carving out a real role in the rotation.
That mattered even more after Garrett Crochet went down with an injury. Bennett stepped in and became a steady presence for a staff that needed one, giving the Red Sox another reliable left-handed arm at a time when the rotation was being tested. At 25, he also gave the front office something else to like: proof that the rotation can be a strength heading into 2027.
Boston acquired Bennett from the Nationals in the offseason in exchange for Luis Perales, a move that brought in a pitcher who was much closer to the majors and could help right away. He did exactly that.
Bennett made his major league debut on May 1 against the Astros and picked up the win after giving up just one run in five innings. From there, he settled in and became part of the group that helped stabilize the season.
His best work came during a dominant midseason run. From June 22 to July 17, Bennett gave up only three runs across 33 innings in five straight starts.
That stretch included consecutive outings of seven shutout innings, highlighted by a career-high 7.2 innings against the Angels. He followed that up with an even cleaner performance against the White Sox, throwing seven shutout innings while allowing just four hits and one walk.
That White Sox start landed at the front end of Boston’s 15-game winning streak in July, and Bennett’s outing helped the Red Sox beat the then-AL Central-leading club 5-0. Boston would go on to sweep Chicago on the road, a clear sign the team was hitting its stride.
Bennett’s season did taper off late. He ran into a rookie wall near the end, and by the playoffs he had slipped into more of a background role. Still, the bigger picture was clear: the Red Sox found a starter they can trust.
His numbers back that up. In 20 games, Bennett went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA over 113.1 innings, posting a 1.103 WHIP with 91 strikeouts and 21 walks. He made 19 starts and had just one relief appearance, and his 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings paired with a 1.5 WAR line up with the kind of season Boston needed from him.
The peak came in June and July, when Bennett worked to an ERA under 3.00 and picked up five of his nine wins. September was his roughest month, and his final four outings produced a 5.49 ERA as his workload eased while Boston geared up for the postseason. Even with that late dip, Bennett’s rookie year was a success.
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