Garrett Crochet wasted no time proving to the Boston Red Sox that their investment in him was well-placed.

Just two days after signing a six-year, $170 million extension, the 25-year-old left-hander delivered the best performance of his career, pitching eight shutout innings in a 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. He gave up only four hits, walked one batter, and struck out eight on 102 pitches—just one shy of his career high.

“My first start in college I went eight innings, and I haven’t come close since,” Crochet said with a smile after the game.

The Red Sox traded for Garrett Crochet in a major December deal with the White Sox, sending top prospects Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery in exchange for a high-potential arm with frontline capabilities. Despite his limited experience as a starter in the majors, the Red Sox were confident in his talent and work ethic, making him the second-highest-paid starting pitcher in the team’s history, behind only David Price’s $217 million contract.

The Red Sox’s decision to extend Garrett Crochet appears to be yielding positive results so far.

Garrett Crochet, who entered the season with only 146 career innings as a starter due to previous injuries and bullpen usage, said that his decision to remain in Boston came quickly.

“Since the trade, we knew Boston was a place we’d love to be long-term,” he told reporters. “Credit to the front office for staying diligent, and my agency as well.”

In a tweet by MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Crochet revealed how close the deal was to not happening before Opening Day: “Crochet had set an Opening Day deadline for extension talks. But the sides were close enough he was willing to extend it. He said it was so close ‘You could smell it.'”

Boston’s front office, led by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, saw the rare opportunity to lock down a 25-year-old ace with elite strikeout potential. Crochet’s 2024 numbers, including a league-leading 35.1% strikeout rate among starters, were on par with Cy Young winners like Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale. He was one of the few bright spots for a 121-loss White Sox team.

“There’s always risk associated with these types of contracts,” Breslow said earlier this week. “But we believe Garrett’s best days are ahead of him.”

Boston’s win over Baltimore also featured other promising signs. Young infielder Kristian Campbell, who signed an eight-year, $60 million deal on Wednesday, doubled twice. Rafael Devers broke out of an 0-for-21 slump to start the season, hitting an RBI double and adding another hit later. But the night truly belonged to Crochet, who made a statement on the mound.

“I can’t think of the last time I played baseball for pride,” Crochet said. “So to have this security and feel like I’m playing to truly just win ballgames, it takes a lot of the riff-raff out of it.”