Connelly Early makes long-awaited Nationals debut, figures to be in team’s 2027 rotation plans

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Connelly Early gave a simple point to Brady House as he walked off the mound.

Though he’s shown in his brief time with the Nationals that he can be one of the boys and bust out a laugh or joke, Early is businesslike on the mound. Even at the end of his first start since June 30, coincidentally against the Nationals, the left-hander maintained his steely disposition, which is apropos given Early’s background.

Early comes from a military family and enrolled at West Point. His dream was to continue his family’s lineage and serve his country in the Army. But once baseball went from a hobby to a legitimate career path, and his coach Jim Foster left for Northwestern in 2020, he transferred to the University of Virginia to continue his development after two years at West Point.

But Early’s military background is evident in his demeanor. He’s driven, determined and disciplined. He’s a fastidious worker who adheres to his routine, which has allowed him to maximize his talents.

As the Nationals head into an offseason when finding pitching is the focal point, Early figures to slot into one of the rotation spots. He returned in Saturday’s 7-1 loss to the New York Mets after missing nearly three months with elbow inflammation, throwing three scoreless innings with a strikeout.

“When we got in front of him [in Boston] and told him, ‘Hey, here’s the game plan over the course of the next year,’” said president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, who was with Early in Boston, “he was like, ‘OK, like, not only do I completely understand it but I’m gonna get after it. He’s obviously in the spot now where he’s coming back from his injury. I think he’s still finding himself a little bit, but he treats it no differently. He’s like, ‘OK, like, what’s the next thing I need to tackle? OK, I’m gonna go tackle [it].’”

Drafted in 2023, Early became one of the most devout workers in the Red Sox’s farm system. His development was proof that the revamped pitching infrastructure was working.

Under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, the Red Sox implemented a rigorous post-draft camp and offseason training programs dedicated to increasing strength and velocity. Early and other draftees headed to the club’s facilities in Florida for education and workouts that lasted roughly six weeks. Players learned about nutrition, pitch command and sequencing, and how to maximize the velocity gains.

Toboni said Early latched on to his plan because it provided his pathway to the majors. He compared Early’s disposition to Cade Cavalli’s, lauding Early for being attentive of his sleep quality and nutrition while in Boston.

His adherence to his routine culminated in Early starting a winner-take-all wild-card game against the Yankees last season. Though he allowed four runs (three earned) over 3 2/3 innings, he struck out six and walked one batter in front of a rowdy crowd at Yankee Stadium.

“When you see him on the mound, you’re like, ‘All right, this dude is like a stud competitor,” Toboni said. “You watch him in that Yankees playoff game, right? You’re like, man, people are yelling at him. It’s cold, all this stuff, and he’s going out there and attacking Aaron Judge and standing in all these guys. Like, that’s what everyone sees, but then maybe you don’t see, you know, the smile he brings every day, and just the way he’s just a great dude and fun to be around.”

Early brought that steely disposition Saturday, facing a Mets lineup with formidable hitters. He touched 94.2 mph on his sinker in the first inning and sat at 93.5 mph. For the Nationals to achieve their goal of making a postseason push next season, they’ll need guys to take strides on the pitching side. Entering Saturday, they ranked 26th in total staff ERA (4.68).

The 2027 free-agent crop isn’t deep with veteran starters, so the Nationals will likely have to scour the trade market or bank on improvement from within. Early is one of the pitchers they’re hoping can win one of those spots to bring consistency after Cavalli.

In acquiring Early, the Nationals believe they added a talented, young pitcher who can continue to develop. Under the new regime, the Nationals have placed importance on the types of people they bring into the organization.

Though baseball is as individualized a team game as there is, the team component is important. Toboni referenced third baseman Curtis Mead, whom the Nationals traded to Boston to acquire Early, and the selflessness he displayed with the club. Mead could’ve pouted about his part-time role hitting against left-handers. Instead, he embraced it, earned more opportunities and turned into one of the club’s most valuable hitters.

It’s foolhardy to take away much from Early’s outing Saturday. It’s more salient that he took the mound again. But he’s the type of pitcher and teammate the organization needs to continue adding and developing for the Nationals to take the next step in their rebuilding efforts.

“The more people that we have, that when you look at their work every day, it reflects like this is how [the Nationals are] going to do it, I think the more it feels like for folks that aren’t holding up to that standard, like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to get left behind.’ And I think that that rising tide helps everyone.

“So the combination of [Early] and Cade and so on and so forth, just the more people that have that mindset, the easier it is to build a culture around just really getting good.”