With the 2026 Florida Complex League regular season ending later this week, the Red Sox promoted teenage pitching prospect Sadbiel Delzine to Low-A Salem on Tuesday.
Delzine is moving up to full-season ball after a strong start to his first campaign stateside. The 18-year-old right-hander posted a 2.72 ERA with 43 strikeouts to 18 walks over 11 outings (seven starts) spanning 39 2/3 innings for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox. Opposing hitters slashed just .170/.282/.199 across 163 plate appearances against him.
Among the 27 pitchers who entered Tuesday having thrown at least 35 innings in the Florida Complex League this season, Delzine ranks first in FIP (3.71), second in batting average against and WHIP (1.06), fifth in ERA, sixth in strikeout rate (26.4%), ninth in walks per nine (4.08), 11th in walk rate (11%), and 13th in strikeouts per nine (9.76) and xFIP (5.07), according to FanGraphs.
Delzine is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 11 prospect, placing fourth among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $500,000 as a highly-touted international free agent in January 2025. He made his professional debut shortly thereafter, but was limited to just three starts and 9 1/3 innings in the Dominican Summer League last season due in part to flexor tightness.
After working to strengthen his shoulder over the offseason, Delzine has experienced an uptick in velocity this year. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound righty features an upper-90s fastball that has topped out at just below 100 mph. He is also capable of mixing in a curveball “with depth,” a slider “that tunnels well off his fastball,” and a changeup “that dives to the arm side,” per his Baseball America scouting report.
Having last pitched on July 17, Delzine — who does not turn 19 until January — could make his Low-A debut as soon as the latter half of Salem’s home series against Augusta this weekend. He joins catcher Franklin Primera and infielder Louis Andujar as notable Red Sox prospects who have joined the RidgeYaks from the Florida Complex League this season.
(Picture of Sadbiel Delzine: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)