Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.
Drohan, 24, got the start for Double-A Portland this past Friday. Going up against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Delta Dental Stadium, the left-hander scattered just three hits and struck out six over six scoreless, walkless innings of work.
Finishing with a final pitch count of 71 (49 strikes), Drohan induced 12 swings-and-misses and ultimately earned the winning decision to improve to 2-0 on the young season.
Through his first two starts of the year for the Sea Dogs, Drohan has yet to allow a run and has posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 11-to-1 in 11 innings. He is holding opposing hitters to a .158 batting average against, which currently ranks seventh among qualified pitchers in the Eastern League.
Originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State, Drohan came into his third full professional season ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 12 prospect (fourth among pitchers) in Boston’s farm system after a strong showing in spring training.
As SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall noted earlier this month, Drohan incorporated a new pitch (a cutter) to his arsenal over the winter while adding velocity to his fastball. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw now sits between 91-94 mph and tops out at 95 mph with his four-seamer after averaging 90.8 mph with the pitch last year. He also throws a curveball.
Drohan, who does not turn 25 until January, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November deadline.
Given the start he has gotten off to in Portland the season , the chances of Drohan being added to the 40-man later this year are likely increasing. It also would not be too surprising if the lefty earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester sooner rather than later.
(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)
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