The day has finally arrived! Boston Red Sox pitchers and catchers made their way to Fort Myers for the first day of spring training.
With a full season as a starting pitcher for the Sox under his belt, former FGCU star Kutter Crawford is back in action and ready for a new year.
"It's exciting," said Crawford. "We definitely have more depth as far as the pitching staff. We got some good arms. Obviously Adam Crochet, Chapman. Wilson, the lefty. Walker Buehler, obviously. I think those are really good additions, and they're going to provide a lot of depth. I think we're going to be pretty good."
For Crawford, the next few weeks is all about maintaining consistency in his pitching to secure a spot in the rotation this season.
"[I need to] just build the strength up and then fine-tune a couple pitches," Crawford added. "Been focusing on the splitter and everything. That's going to be a big focus in camp as well as building lower body strength."
An added plus of being back here in the clubhouse is getting to share the experience with his teammate, Estero grad Josh Winckowski.
"We both moved down here to Fort Myers, so [I've] spent a lot of time with him," said Winckowski. "Him, Whit (Garrett Whitlock) and myself are kind of like the main three that are always down here. So yeah, definitely grown to become good friends. And I think we push each other in a really healthy way."
That feeling is mutual for the former Eagle.
"It's great," said Crawford. "We've spent a lot of time together, and he's a real treat to be around."
The Boston Red Sox official full squad workout is on Monday, Feb. 17 and the first game is on Friday, Feb. 21, hosting Northeastern University.