Top Red Sox pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 18-24, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.
Eyanson fired five scoreless, no-hit innings in his second start for Double-A Portland against Reading at Hadlock Field this past Tuesday. The 21-year-old right-hander issued three walks and struck out four of the 16 batters he faced on 59 pitches (38 strikes). He generated eight whiffs and picked up the first win of his professional career as the Sea Dogs blanked the Fightin Phils, 2-0.
Described as having an “interesting outing” by Baseball America’s Ian Cundall, Eyanson’s “stuff wasn’t as crisp as past looks, but still effective” on Tuesday. He “leaned into” his new cutter and slider while also mixing in a four-seam fastball that topped out at 94 mph, a curveball, and a changeup.
Through his first two starts for Portland, Eyanson has allowed just one earned run on three hits, four walks, and eight strikeouts over nine innings. That comes after he posted a 0.44 ERA with 34 strikeouts to three walks in five starts (20 1/3 innings) for High-A Greenville before being promoted earlier this month.
Between the two levels, Eyanson has forged a minuscule 0.61 ERA with 42 strikeouts to seven walks across seven starts (29 1/3 innings) to begin his first full season in pro ball. Opponents have batted only .108 against him. That includes a .109 average against left-handed hitters and a .106 average against right-handed hitters.
Entering play this week, Eyanson was one of 686 minor leaguers to have thrown at least 25 innings this year. Among those 686, he ranked first in ERA, WHIP (0.58), and xFIP (2.41), third in strikeout rate (41.6%), fourth in batting average against and swinging-strike rate (19.4%), 12th in FIP (2.47), 57th in strikeouts per nine (12.89), 71st in walks per nine (2.15), 110th in groundball rate (52%), and 120th in walk rate (6.9%), per FanGraphs.
Selected with the 87th pick in last summer’s draft out of Louisiana State, Eyanson has seen his stock rise significantly since signing with the Red Sox for an over-slot $1.75 million bonus. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound California native added significant velocity to his arsenal over the course of the offseason and stood out in spring training with an upper-90s fastball that touched triple digits.
Less than eight weeks after breaking camp with Greenville and making his pro debut on April 4, Eyanson finds himself ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 2 prospect — behind only shortstop Franklin Arias — and the No. 43 prospect in baseball.
Eyanson, who does not turn 22 until October, is the third Portland hurler to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season, joining fellow righties Patrick Halligan (May 11-17) and John Holobetz (April 13-19). If he maintains this level of performance, a promotion to Triple-A Worcester and a potential fast track to the big leagues could soon be in his future.
(Picture of Anthony Eyanson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)
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