Connelly Early
- Washington’s roster as it stands #3 starter · 115 IP · 1.5 WAR in the role
- Injured list 2026: Left elbow inflammation (Jul 26–Sep 26)
- Trade read Unlikely to be traded: Young and cheap for years (age 25, about $53M of surplus value through 2031): a core piece.
Pitching · 2026 percentiles
vs. MLB pitchers with 500+ pitches · 1,562 pitches
Arsenal & Pitch Lab
Movement normalized to arm side · Keystone Stuff by pitch
| Pitch | Use | Velo | IVB | HB | Stuff | Loc | Whiff | xRV/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-seam35% use | 35% | 94.0 | 16.0 | +10.5 | 104 | 96 | 24% | +0.07 |
| Sinker20% use | 20% | 92.4 | 7.8 | +17.7 | 99 | 88 | 13% | −0.41 |
| Changeup18% use | 18% | 83.7 | −2.4 | +10.8 | 101 | 104 | 23% | −0.40 |
| Curveball11% use | 11% | 80.0 | −9.4 | −9.9 | 102 | 85 | 21% | −2.07 |
| Sweeper8% use | 8% | 82.5 | −1.9 | −13.8 | 114 | 86 | 41% | +3.83 |
| Slider8% use | 8% | 87.1 | 6.1 | −0.3 | 94 | 103 | 29% | −0.06 |
No mix change or new pitch clears its bar. The arsenal is efficient for its shapes.
Most similar pitchers
Pitches like Early: same hand, shape, slot and mix
| Similarity | Player | Stuff | ’26 WAR | ’27 proj | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Kyle Harrison MIL · ’01 | 115 | 1.7 | 1.6 | Pre-arb |
| 49 | Parker Messick CLE · ’00 | 96 | 4.9 | 3.9 | Pre-arb |
| 48 | Steven Matz TB · ’91 | 101 | 0.0 | 0.1 | Signed $7.5M |
| 46 | Anthony Kay CWS · ’95 | 102 | 1.3 | 0.8 | Signed $5.0M |
| 46 | Jake Bennett BOS · ’00 | 95 | 2.3 | 2.1 | Pre-arb |
Same-handed pitchers nearest on fastball velocity and shape, arm angle, extension, pitch mix, secondary shapes, Stuff, whiff rate and workload. 2026 regulars only.
Pitch locations · 2026
Where each pitch finishes, by batter side
Where each pitch finishes, catcher’s view. The bar marks the batter’s side; the box is an average strike zone. Pitches with 40+ thrown to this side.
Contract & projection
Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR
* projected arbitration or minimum salary. Contract Studio →
Minor leagues
MLB Stats API · public box-score data
| SeasonLevel | Level | Team | Age | G | PA / IP | PA / IP ·Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026AAA | AAA | Rochester Red Wings | 24 | 2 | 2.2 IP | 2.2 IP · 10.13 ERA · 23.5% K · 29.4% BB |
| 2025AA | AA | Portland Sea Dogs | 23 | 15 | 71.2 IP | 71.2 IP · 2.51 ERA · 32.3% K · 9.8% BB |
| 2025AAA | AAA | Worcester Red Sox | 23 | 6 | 28.2 IP | 28.2 IP · 2.83 ERA · 30.8% K · 9.4% BB |
FanGraphs: FV 50 · ETA 2026 · #40 overall. Public pitch tracking exists only at Triple-A and some Florida State League parks.