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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 16: Connelly Early #71 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after being taken out of a game against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on September 16, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

It has been a rough first two and a half months of the 2026 season for the Boston Red Sox. Just about anything that could go wrong has gone wrong. The front office even tried shaking things up after a 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles in April by firing Alex Cora and a good chunk of his staff.

Talk about bizarre timing. However, that has been par for the course in 2026. Stuck in the basement of the American League East, they are looking for anything to give them some momentum this season. They were close on Sunday night.

After taking the first two games of their three-game series against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park, Boston was looking for the sweep. However, just when you think they are ready to turn a corner, they get stuck in their 2026 ways that they can’t seem to shake. That includes young left-handed pitcher Connelly Early.

Boston Red Sox Left-Hander Can’t Shake Long Ball Troubles

You could make the case that young left-handers, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, have been saviours to the Red Sox in 2026. Sure, all the numbers might not show it, but they could be in deeper trouble without both.

However, if Early is going to fix one issue of late, it’s allowing home runs. According to Tim Healy of the Boston Globe, Early has allowed a whopping 14 home runs in his last 11 starts. Boston pitching coach Andrew Bailey didn’t mince words about his lefty’s troubles that need to be fixed.

“I hope those come back to Earth a little bit,” Bailey said. “But when you look at the grand scheme of things, he does generate some (swings and misses). The batted ball quality is a little bit concerning. . . . We know he has good stuff, and we just got to be able to execute a little bit better.”

That does need to come back to Earth. After not allowing home runs in his first eight starts, it’s been a struggle as of late. Wyatt Langford homered on the first pitch of the game on Sunday night. In the second inning, Kyle Higashioka launched a three-run home run into the Green Monster for a 4-0 lead.

“He’s a very mentally tough kid, and I think everybody knows — even a kid like him knows — you’re not going to just cruise through the big leagues without running into some struggles,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “The key is to get ready for the next one.”

Connelly Early Needs To Fix Home Run Troubles

It’s only mid-June, but it feels like Boston needs Early to fix his troubles as soon as he can. However, it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

“Every pitcher goes through ebbs and flows. What’s important is that we learn from games,” said Bailey. “He has been really good at the major league level over a decent stretch now, but each and every time out, it’s a learning experience. We challenge him to take notes to learn from these, to write down his thoughts. Because it’s not the last time that he’s going to struggle with the major league level either. And we have to recognize that, too.”

It is a learning experience. However, the Red Sox are not in a position to have it be a long learning period. There is no doubt that Early has a bright future in Boston, but fixing his home run problem is a must.