Like Rivera and Sena, Sansone was slated to reach free agency next month but is now in line to return to the Red Sox organization in 2026. The soon-to-be 26-year-old is not currently ranked among the system’s top pitching prospects.
A Connecticut native, Sansone went undrafted as a senior coming out of Fairfield in 2022 and signed his first professional contract with the Rays that summer. He spent part of the next two seasons in Tampa Bay’s farm system before being released in July 2023.
Last March, Sansone signed with the Yolo High Wheelers of the independent Pioneer League, only for his contract to be purchased by the Red Sox a few weeks later. The lefty then spent all of 2024 with Low-A Salem, compiling a 3.11 ERA (3.25 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to nine walks over 20 appearances (three starts) spanning 72 1/3 innings.
Sansone returned to Salem for the start of the 2025 season and put up a 2.75 ERA (2.81 FIP) with 22 strikeouts to one walk in 10 relief appearances (19 2/3 innings) before being promoted to High-A Greenville in late May. In 16 outings (seven starts) for the Drive, he posted a 3.84 ERA (4.18 FIP) with 50 strikeouts to 13 walks over 65 2/3 innings. He received another promotion to Double-A Portland on September 9 and made the most of his lone outing for the Sea Dogs five days later by striking out a pair in three scoreless, one-hit frames of relief.
Though Sansone was elevated yet again to Triple-A Worcester on September 16, he was subsequently placed on the development list to end his season. So, altogether, he forged a 3.46 ERA (3.80 FIP) with 74 strikeouts to 14 walks across 27 appearances (seven starts) totaling 88 1/3 innings between Salem, Greenville, and Portland in 2025. Opposing hitters batted .249 against him.
Among the 14 Red Sox minor leaguers who, regardless of level, threw at least 85 innings this year, Sansone notably ranked second in walks per nine innings (1.43) and walk rate (3.9 percent), fifth in swinging-strike rate (13.8 percent) and WHIP (1.11), and seventh in ERA (3.46), per FanGraphs.
Standing at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, Sansone throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates some deception into his repeatable delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the compact southpaw features an 86-88 mph fastball while also mixing in a 75-78 mph changeup, an 81-83 mph slider, and a 74-76 mph curveball.
Assuming his name does not come up in either phase of December’s Rule 5 Draft or any other transaction this winter, Sansone is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland as a member of the Sea Dogs’ bullpen to begin the 2026 campaign.
(Picture of Michael Sansone: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)
Like Rivera, Sena was slated to become a free agent next month but is now in line to return to the only organization he has ever known in 2026. The 24-year-old Dominican native originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent in December 2018. He is not currently ranked among the system’s top pitching prospects.
A member of Boston’s 2025 Spring Breakout roster to begin the year, Sena broke camp with Double-A Portland in April. The righty posted a 4.13 ERA (3.29 FIP) with 30 strikeouts to 19 walks through his first 15 outings (one start) and 24 innings for the Sea Dogs before landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement in late June.
Upon returning to the mound in early August, Sena closed out the season by compiling a 2.55 ERA (3.74 FIP) with 19 strikeouts to 11 walks in 10 more appearances (one start) and 17 2/3 innings. Altogether, he forged a 3.46 ERA (3.48 FIP) with 49 strikeouts to 30 walks across 25 outings (two starts) spanning 41 2/3 innings for Portland in 2025. He converted six of his eight save opportunities while opposing hitters in the Eastern League batted just .186 against him.
Among the 144 pitchers who threw at least 40 innings in the Eastern League this year, Sena ranked sixth in groundball rate (54.7 percent), 14th in batting average against, 31st in strikeouts per nine innings (10.58), 34th in strikeout rate (27.4 percent), 38th in swinging-strike rate (13.6 percent), 58th in FIP, 59th in ERA, and 71st in xFIP (3.81). On the flip side, however, he also ranked 140th in walks per nine innings (6.48) and 141st in walk rate (16.8 percent), per FanGraphs.
Presumably larger than his listed height and weight of 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, Sena throws from a vertical arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the undersized hurler features a 94-96 mph fastball that can reach 98 mph and complements it with a 90-92 mph cutter, 85-87 mph curveball, and 89-92 mph changeup.
Sena, who turns 25 in April, is Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason but is unlikely to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster ahead of the November 18 protection deadline. Assuming that happens and he does not get picked in the Rule 5 Draft itself in December, Sena is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland’s bullpen for the start of the 2026 campaign.
In the meantime, Sena was assigned to the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League on October 15 but has yet to appear in a game for the club.
(Picture of Reidis Sena: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Rivera was slated to reach free agency next month, but is now tentatively in line to return to the organization he has spent the better part of the last two seasons with. The 22-year-old is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 43 prospect, which ranks 25th among pitchers in the system.
Originally selected by the Athletics in the 11th round of the 2021 draft out of Colegio Cadest in Puerto Rico, Rivera joined the Red Sox as a minor league free agent shortly after being released by the A’s last May. The San Juan native split the remainder of the 2024 season between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem, then returned home to dominate for the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Indios de Mayaguez of the Puerto Rican Winter League.
After pitching for Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Series in February, Rivera understandably did not see much action in his first spring training with the Red Sox before breaking camp with High-A Greenville. Though he did not make his season debut until April 16, Rivera impressed to the tune of a 1.61 ERA (2.21 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to 16 walks in 10 outings (six starts) spanning 44 2/3 innings for the Drive. Opposing hitters in the South Atlantic League batted just .138 against him.
Alongside fellow lefty Payton Tolle, Rivera was promoted to Double-A Portland in late June. While Tolle was in the process of being fast-tracked to the major leagues, Rivera experienced some growing pains with the Sea Dogs. In 10 appearances (nine starts) for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate, he posted a 3.40 ERA (4.28 FIP) with 40 strikeouts to 30 walks over 42 1/3 innings in which opponents batted .214 against him. He ended the season on a high note by fanning seven and walking only one across six scoreless, one-hit frames against Binghamton on September 9.
Overall, Rivera finished the 2025 campaign having forged a 2.48 ERA (3.22 FIP) with 108 strikeouts to 46 walks in 20 appearances (15 starts) totaling 87 innings between Greenville and Portland. Among the 14 Red Sox minor leaguers who threw at least 85 innings this year, regardless of level, Rivera ranked first in groundball rate (54.5 percent), second in batting average against (.177), ERA, and swinging-strike rate (15 percent), third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.17), fourth in FIP and strikeout rate (29.7 percent), fifth in xFIP (3.33), and seventh in WHIP (1.16), per FanGraphs.
Listed at a physically imposing 6-foot-7 and 237 pounds, Rivera throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a very high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the burly southpaw primarily operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a 93-97 mph fastball that can reach 98 mph, an 87-89 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph slider, an 85-89 mph changeup, and a 78-80 mph curveball.
Even though Rivera is back with the Red Sox on a minor league contract, his status for next season is still technically up in the air since he is Rule 5-eligible this winter. In other words, Rivera could be taken by another club in December’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.
Given his past struggles with command and control, however, Rivera could very well be left unprotected by the Red Sox and then go unselected in the Rule 5 Draft. If that does turn out to be the case and he remains in the organization through the offseason, Rivera — who does not turn 23 until next June — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland in 2026.
(Picture of Eduardo Rivera: Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Behind second-rounder Payton Tolle and fifth-rounder Brandon Clarke, Devin Futrell was the third of four left-handers selected by the Red Sox in the 2024 draft. This article will examine how the 23-year-old pitching prospect fared in his first full professional season.
Selected in the 10th round (297th overall) of last July’s draft out of Vanderbilt, Futrell received an over-slot $250,000 signing bonus from the Red Sox but did not report to a minor league affiliate after putting pen to paper. That was the case because the Pembroke Pines, Fla. native was dealing with a shoulder impingement that resulted in him missing time throughout his junior season with the Commodores.
After getting through his first spring training in Fort Myers, Futrell broke camp with Low-A Salem but did not make his professional debut until April 17. He then made two starts for the Red Sox, allowing three earned runs on five hits, one walk, and three strikeouts over five innings, before landing on the injured list on April 30.
Futrell missed the next month-plus before returning to the mound in early June. With his workload being closely monitored, the young lefty served as an opener of sorts for Salem and did not pitch past the third inning in any of his starts until June 25. His pitch count continued to climb each time through the rotation, and he was producing encouraging results to boot.
On August 1, Futrell picked up his first professional win after scattering one hit and one walk while striking out five over five scoreless frames against Lynchburg. Four days later, Futrell received a promotion to High-A Greenville, bringing with him a 2.37 ERA (3.65 FIP) to go along with 28 strikeouts to 10 walks in 12 starts (38 innings) for Salem. Opposing hitters in the Carolina League batted .234 against him.
Going from the Carolina League to the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League, Futrell did not skip a beat with Greenville. In fact, the southpaw compiled a minuscule 1.09 ERA (3.03 FIP) with 12 strikeouts to just four walks over five starts (24 2/3 innings) for the Drive. He did so while holding opponents to a .213 batting average to end his campaign on the highest of notes.
Altogether, Futrell posted a 1.87 ERA (3.41 FIP) with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 17 total starts (62 2/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville this year. Among the 34 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 60 innings this year, regardless of level, Futrell ranked first in ERA, third in walks per nine innings (2.01), walk rate (5.6 percent), and WHIP (1.07), fifth in line-drive rate (18.6 percent), ninth in groundball rate (48.9 percent), 12th in FIP, and 16th in batting average against (.226), per FanGraphs.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, Futrell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his repeatable delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, he primarily operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball, a 76-78 mph changeup, a 74-77 mph curveball, and a 79-83 mph slider.
Because of the lack of velocity and subsequent lack of strikeouts, Futrell is not viewed as one of Boston’s premier pitching prospects by publications like SoxProspects.com. Still, with a strong command profile, Futrell is not wavering when it comes to his approach to attacking hitters.
“A scout last year described me as a vanilla, old-school pitcher,” Futrell recounted to host Andrew Parker on Beyond the Monster’s ‘To the Show’ podcast in July. “I think I’m more reliant on deception and pitchability. That’s kind of overlooked nowadays, just because of velocity and spin rates and all that. But I give a lot of credit to my dad, just because he was the one who taught me how to pitch. So I’d say my biggest skill is pitchability and knowing how to get hitters out.”
Futrell’s father, Mark, was a 66th-round pick of the Yankees in the 1988 draft and spent six seasons in the minor leagues as a right-handed reliever before calling it a career in 1996.
His son, Devin, meanwhile, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2026 season, albeit as a member of the Drive’s bullpen as opposed to the starting rotation. Perhaps working strictly as a reliever could help him unlock additional velocity.
Red Sox prospect Starlyn Nunez led the organization in triples this season. This article will examine how the recently-turned 20-year-old infielder fared in 2025 overall.
Nunez spent all of 2025 at Low-A Salem and got his first taste of full-season ball in doing so. The young switch-hitter initially got off to a slow start in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League and struggled to produce consistent results through much of the first half. Heading into the MLB All-Star break in mid-July, he had batted just .238/.298/.363 with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 35 RBIs, 32 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 17 walks, and 48 strikeouts in his first 70 games (282 plate appearances) of the year.
After starting to show some signs of life before the break, Nunez picked up where he left off once the second half began on July 18. For the better part of the next month, Nunez proved to be a stabilzing force in Salem’s lineup, slashing .326/.371/.584 with eight doubles, three triples, three home runs, 11 RBIs, 15 runs scored, three stolen bases, seven walks, and 23 strikeouts in 24 games (97 plate appearances) through August 17.
As late August turned into September, though, Nunez seemingly ran out of gas and ended the year in a 11-for-65 (.183) rut. He did, however, fittingly triple and drive in one run as part of a 2-for-4 day in Salem’s regular-season finale against Fayetteville on September 7.
Altogether, Nunez slashed .249/.306/.407 (100 wRC+) with 24 doubles, an organizational-leading eight triples, eight home runs, 52 RBIs, 54 runs scored, a team-leading 21 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 91 strikeouts in 110 games (444 plate appearances) as a 19-year-old for Salem this season. That includes a .221/.303/.407 line from the right side of the plate and a .257/.307/.408 line from the left side.
Among 47 qualified hitters in the Carolina League this year, Nunez notably ranked fourth in isolated power (.158), fifth in slugging percentage, seventh in speed score (7.9), 14th in line-drive rate (24.6 percent), 18th in batting average, OPS (.713), and strikeout rate (20.5 percent), 22nd in wOBA (.343), per FanGraphs.
Defensively, Nunez saw playing time at every infield position besides first base for Salem this season. The 6-foot, 155-pounder logged a team-leading 583 1/3 innings at shortstop, 168 1/3 innings at third base, and 130 1/3 innings at second base, committing 31 errors in 394 total chances. He also made two starts at DH.
Nunez, who celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month, originally signed with the Red Sox for $52,500 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January 2023. The San Pedro de Macoris native earned Dominican Summer League All-Star honors in his professional debut before a non-injury issue limited him to 35 games in the Florida Complex League last season.
As things stand, Nunez is unranked by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline but is considered the No. 37 and No. 39 prospect in Boston’s farm system by SoxProspects.com and FanGraphs, respectively. If he remains in the organization through the winter and into the spring, Nunez is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville in 2026.
Red Sox prospect Enddy Azocar made great strides in 2025. This article will examine how the 18-year-old outfielder fared in his first season stateside.
Originally signed by the Red Sox for just $40,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2024, Azocar entered 2025 with very little fanfare after batting .266/.397/.309 in 31 Dominican Summer League games (116 plate appearances) last year to mark his professional debut. As part of his first spring training in Fort Myers, however, the Puerto La Cruz native impressed many and played in the first-ever “Futures at Fenway South” prospect showcase at JetBlue Park on March 14.
“Enddy has had a great spring so far and has caught some attention,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Azocar shortly thereafter. “His frame will allow for plenty of strength, and he’s already 6-foot-2 at 18 years old. He did a great job in the offseason of getting stronger, and he’s only starting to fill that frame out. So far this spring, we’re seeing a lot of hard contact with multiple [100-plus mph exit velocities]. It will be very interesting to see him develop this year.”
Indeed, Azocar’s development this year was very interesting. Out of the chute, the young right-handed hitter slashed .385/.448/.558 with seven doubles, one triple, five RBIs, six runs scored, four stolen bases, six walks, and 11 strikeouts in 14 games (58 plate appearances) for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox. He leveraged that strong early performance into a promotion to Low-A Salem in late May.
Upon making the jump from the FCL to the pitcher-friendly Carolina League, Azocar had a rough time of things for the most part. In 71 games for Salem, he batted .202/.273/.314 with nine doubles, one triple, six home runs, 26 RBIs, 34 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 67 strikeouts over 287 plate appearances. At the very least, he ended the season on an encouraging note by going 12-for-36 (.333) in his final nine games.
Between the FCL and Salem, Azocar finished the 2025 campaign having hit .232/.302/.355 with 16 doubles, two triples, his first six professional homers, 31 RBIs, 40 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 78 strikeouts over 85 total games (345 plate appearances). That includes a .228/.284/.325 line against righties and a far more favorable .254/.373/.476 line against lefties.
Though the surface-level numbers may not be too appealing, Azocar did manage to stand out with his exit velocity gains this year. As Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes highlighted on Thursday, Azocar raised his 90th percentile exit velocity from 98 mph in 2024 to 105.4 mph in 2025. The 7.4 percent increase represents the largest of any minor league hitter with at least 80 batted-ball events in each of the last two seasons.
“While Azocar struggled with the move to Salem — a notoriously difficult run environment — he still managed to raise his isolated slugging threefold between his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2024 and his 71-game sample in Low-A this year,” Pontes wrote. “A 7-plus mph EV gain in one season for any hitter is impressive, and Azocar’s small sample in the Florida Complex League hints at the validity of those gains when facing age-appropriate competition.”
On the other side of the ball, Azocar saw playing time at all three outfield spots between his stops in the FCL and Salem this season. Altogether, the projectable 6-foot-2, 170-pounder logged 530 2/3 innings in center, 85 1/3 innings in right, and 14 innings in left, committing four errors and recording seven outfield assists in 160 total defensive chances. He also made nine starts at DH.
Azocar, who turns 19 in February, is currently ranked as Boston’s No. 23 prospect by Baseball America, No. 27 by SoxProspects.com, and No. 29 by MLB Pipeline. Barring a trade or other surprise move this winter, Azocar is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem for the start of the 2026 season.
Mullins broke camp and got the Opening Day nod for High-A Greenville this spring. The lefty posted a 1.06 ERA (1.69 FIP) with 27 strikeouts to just three walks in his first four outings (three starts) and 17 innings of the year before receiving a promotion to Portland in late April. He made his Double-A debut against New Hampshire on May 1 and electrified, striking out 10 (to match a career-high) over 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
Unfortunately, Mullins was placed on Portland’s injured list four days later due to shoulder fatigue and did not return to the mound until May 25. He then picked up where he left off by posting a 2.74 ERA (4.33 FIP) with 25 strikeouts to 15 walks in his next six starts (23 innings) for the Sea Dogs through the end of June. On July 1, he threw an immaculate inning against New Hampshire but left the game early with cramps. That led to him making just one more appearance before the MLB All-Star break began on July 14.
Upon returning from the break, Mullins compiled a 2.42 ERA (3.38 FIP) with 53 strikeouts to 26 walks in his final nine starts (44 2/3 innings) of the year. Altogether, he forged a 2.44 ERA (3.79 FIP) with 96 strikeouts to 48 walks over 18 starts (84 2/3 innings) for Portland this season. Opposing hitters in the Eastern League batted .175 against him.
Among 40 pitchers who threw at least 80 innings in the Eastern League this year, Mullins ranked second in batting average against and ERA, third in strikeout rate (27.7 percent), sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.2), seventh in swinging-strike rate (13 percent), ninth in WHIP (1.17), 14th in FIP, 17th in xFIP (3.83), and 19th in groundball rate (40.9 percent), per FanGraphs.
Between Greenville and Portland in 2025, Mullins produced a 2.21 ERA (3.44 FIP) with 123 strikeouts to 51 walks across 22 total appearances (21 starts) spanning a career-high 101 2/3 innings of work. In addition to taking home Pitcher of the Year honors for the Sea Dogs, he was named a SoxProspects.com All-Star for the first time.
Mullins was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 12th round (369th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Auburn. The Tennessee native was recovering from Tommy John surgery at the time he signed for $97,500, which pushed his professional debut back until August 2023. Just over two years later, he is ranked as the No. 18, No. 22, and No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system by MLB Pipeline, SoxProspects.com, and Baseball America, respectively.
Standing at 6-feet and 194 pounds, Mullins throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his deceptive delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the undersized southpaw operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 81-85 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, an 81-83 mph changeup, and a mid-80s cutter.
Mullins, who just turned 25 in September, is a candidate to be added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster next month to prevent him from becoming available to other clubs in December’s Rule 5 Draft. Such a move may be met with criticism since Mullins has yet to pitch above the Double-A level and appears headed for a move to the bullpen given his command and control issues, but his profile could make him an attractive option to a team in need of a bat-missing lefty reliever this winter.
If he remains with the Red Sox through the offseason, Mullins is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Triple-A Worcester in a relief role to open the 2026 campaign.
(Picture of Hayden Mullins: Ella Hannaford/Minor League Baseball)
Leading up to the MLB All-Star break in mid-July, Castro batted .286/.373/.454 with eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 26 RBIs, 23 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 25 walks, and 44 strikeouts in his first 52 games (212 plate appearances) of the year. Upon returning from the break, however, the switch-hitter slashed an underwhelming .245/.330/.365 with 12 doubles, one triple, no home runs, 11 RBIs, 20 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 19 walks, and 35 strikeouts in his next 40 games (176 plate appearances) through September 7. He was placed on the injured list with an undisclosed injury four days later and ended the season there.
Altogether, Castro batted .268/.353/.400 with a team-leading 20 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 37 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 44 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 92 total games (388 plate appearances) for Portland in 2025. That includes a .217/.316/.265 line from the right side of the plate and a far more favorable .284/.365/.444 line from the left side.
Among 48 qualified hitters in the Eastern League this season, Castro ranked ninth in batting average, 10th in line-drive rate (26.5 percent), 11th in on-base percentage, 13th in OPS (.753), wOBA (.350), and wRC+ (119), 14th in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (20.4 percent), 15th in walk rate (11.3 percent), and 18th in swinging-strike rate (10.3 percent), per FanGraphs.
Defensively, Castro saw playing time at all three outfield spots for the Sea Dogs this year. The 6-foot-2, 206-pounder logged a team-leading 556 1/3 innings in center, 123 innings in right, and 12 innings in left, committing four errors and recording 10 assists in 188 total chances. He also made 13 starts at DH.
Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Castro originally signed with Boston for $100,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. An infielder at the time, the Santo Domingo native ultimately transitioned to the outfield and earned Red Sox 2021 Latin Program Position Player of the Year honors in his professional debut. He has gradually worked his way up the organizational ladder since then and has often been identified as a potential sleeper prospect.
Castro, who does not turn 23 until next May, is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 20 prospect. Similarly, MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the Red Sox’ No. 22 prospect, while SoxProspects.com has him at No. 26. He can become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if not added to the club’s 40-man roster in November, but is otherwise projected to make the jump to Triple-A Worcester in 2026 if he remains in the organization.
In exchange for Priester, who put together a strong first season for Milwaukee, Boston acquired outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez, a player to be named later, and a competitive balance Round A pick in the 2025 draft.
This article will focus on the early returns of the trade from the Red Sox’ end, starting with Rodriguez.
Yophery Rodriguez
(Picture of Yophery Rodriguez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)
Rodriguez came over to the Red Sox a little more than two years after originally signing with the Brewers for $1.5 million as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January 2023. The San Pedro de Macorís native earned Dominican Summer League All-Star honors in his professional debut, then advanced straight to the Low-A level, thus skipping the Arizona Complex League, to begin his first season stateside in 2024.
As an 18-year-old, Rodriguez held his own by batting .250/.343/.383 with 23 doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 60 RBIs, 59 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 59 walks, and 115 strikeouts in 110 games (484 plate appearances) for Low-A Carolina last season. The left-handed-hitting teenager took another step forward by breaking camp with Milwaukee’s High-A affiliate this spring before being traded to Boston just three games (in which he went 5-for-12 with a double and triple) into his 2025 campaign.
Remaining at the same level upon switching organizations for the first time in his young career, Rodriguez debuted with High-A Greenville on April 8. As part of an up-and-down season, the 19-year-old outfielder batted .214/.312/.331 with 17 doubles, six triples, five home runs, 48 RBIs, 44 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 52 walks, and 81 strikeouts in 101 games (433 plate appearances) for the Drive. He particularly stood out in July by slashing .342/.375/.539 in 19 games (77 plate appearances) en route to receiving South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors, but struggled to a .159/.239/.232 line over 23 games (92 plate appearances) between August and September to end things on a rather disappointing note.
Among 46 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League this season, Rodriguez — lauded for his advanced feel of the strike zone — notably ranked fifth in strikeout rate (18.7 percent), sixth in fly-ball rate (43.9 percent), 12th in walk rate (12 percent), and 13th in opposite-field rate (32.2 percent) and swinging-strike rate (9.9 percent), per FanGraphs.
Defensively, Rodriguez saw playing time at all three outfield positions with Greenville this year. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder logged a team-leading 488 1/3 innings in left, 177 innings in right, and 117 innings in center, recording 13 outfield assists and committing just three errors in 165 total chances. He also made nine starts at DH.
Rodriguez, who turns 20 in December, is not currently regarded among Boston’s top prospects by Baseball America. At the same time, he is ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 21 Red Sox prospect and SoxProspects.com’s No. 36 prospect. Barring his inclusion in a trade or other surprise move this winter, Rodriguez is projected to make the jump to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2026 season.
John Holobetz
(Picture of John Holobetz: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)
Holobetz was selected by the Brewers in the fifth round (156th overall) of the 2024 draft out of Old Dominion. The Pennsylvania native signed with Milwaukee for $322,500 last summer, but did not make his professional debut until this past April. He made five appearances (three starts) at the Low-A level to begin the 2025 season, posting a 3.00 ERA (2.28 FIP) with 31 strikeouts to five walks in 24 innings, before joining the Red Sox organization on May 5.
Four days and one promotion later, Holobetz debuted with Greenville on May 9. The 23-year-old righty proceeded to pitch to a 3.43 ERA with 62 strikeouts to 10 walks in 12 outings (11 starts) for the Drive. Though he gave up his fair share of hits, as evidenced by the fact that opponents batted .276 against him in that time, Holobetz was elevated to Portland in early August.
From there, Holobetz compiled a 2.39 ERA (2.60 FIP) with 27 strikeouts to just five walks over six outings (five starts) spanning 37 2/3 innings for the Sea Dogs. Opposing hitters in the Eastern League batted .205 against him as he finished his first full season in pro ball with a 3.03 ERA (3.04 FIP) in 23 appearances (19 starts) totaling 124 2/3 innings across Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. That includes a 3.04 ERA (3.23 FIP) with 89 strikeouts to 15 walks in 100 2/3 innings between Greenville and Portland.
One of seven Red Sox minor leaguers to surpass the century mark in innings pitched this year, Holobetz was named a 2025 SoxProspects.com All-Star. Among those seven, he ranked first in walks per nine innings (1.34) and walk rate (3.8 percent), second in WHIP (1.11) and xFIP (3.17), and third in ERA and FIP, according to FanGraphs.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Holobetz throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lanky hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a whiff-inducing 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 83-87 mph slider, a 79-82 mph curveball, and 84-87 mph changeup.
Holobetz, who does not turn 24 until next July, is not regarded among Boston’s top prospects by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline but is ranked as SoxProspects.com’s No. 25 overall prospect and No. 13 pitching prospect. Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Holobetz is projected to open the 2026 season in Portland’s starting rotation.
Marcus Phillips
(Picture of Marcus Phillips courtesy of the Boston Red Sox)
In addition to Rodriguez and a player to be named later (Holobetz), the Red Sox acquired the 33rd overall selection in the 2025 draft from the Brewers for Priester in April. They used that pick to take Tennessee right-hander Marcus Phillips in July.
Days before celebrating his 21st birthday, Phillips signed with Boston for a below-slot $2.5 million on July 20, but did not pitch for an affiliate after putting pen to paper. The South Dakota native spent the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Tennessee after transferring from Iowa Western Community College. He posted a 3.90 ERA with 98 strikeouts to 34 walks in 17 starts (83 innings) for the Volunteers as a junior this past spring.
Listed at an imposing 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, Phillips has featured a three-pitch mix that includes a 96-99 mph fastball that can reach triple digits, an 84-88 mph slider, and a 90-94 mph changeup. The burly righty is currently ranked as Boston’s No. 12 prospect by MLB Pipeline, No. 14 by SoxProspects.com, and No. 16 by Baseball America.
Phillips is projected by SoxProspects.com to open the 2026 campaign in Greenville alongside fellow 2025 draftees Kyson Witherspoon and Anthony Eyanson. All three could move through the system very quickly, depending on how aggressive the Red Sox are with their development.
Both Vogatsky, a James Madison product, and McShane, a St. Joseph’s product, were selected by the Pirates in the 19th and 13th rounds of the 2024 draft, respectively. But neither hurler had pitched for a Pittsburgh minor league affiliate after signing in late July, so they were still waiting to make their professional debuts as they switched organizations and joined Boston’s ranks.
Vogatsky, 23, and McShane, 22, broke camp this spring with Low-A Salem for the start of their first full pro seasons. They debuted within three days of each other during the first week of April, though the former would end up spending much more time with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate than the latter.
Vogatsky spent the first four months of the 2025 campaign at Salem, posting a 4.87 ERA with 65 strikeouts to 32 walks over 30 relief appearances (57 1/3 innings) in which opponents batted .253 against him. McShane, on the other hand, compiled a 0.63 ERA with 20 strikeouts to four walks across seven relief appearances (14 1/3 innings) in which he held opponents to a .185 batting average before receiving a promotion to High-A Greenville in late April.
McShane picked up where he left off by pitching to a 3.54 ERA with 36 strikeouts to seven walks in his first 14 relief outings (28 innings) for Greenville. He recorded his first two professional saves and limited opponents to a .224 batting average in that time, but appeared in just one game after the calendar flipped from June to July due to a low back strain that ultimately shut him down for the remainder of the season.
Vogatsky, meanwhile, was promoted from Salem to Greenville in early August. He then closed out the season by producing a 2.92 ERA with 14 strikeouts to three walks in seven relief appearances (12 1/3 innings) for the Drive. Opposing hitters in the South Atlantic League batted .260 against him.
Overall, Vogatsky forged a 4.52 ERA with 79 strikeouts to 35 walks in 37 total relief appearances (69 2/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville in 2025. McShane, likewise, put up a 2.55 ERA with 56 strikeouts to 11 walks in 21 total relief appearances (42 1/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville before his season was cut short by injury.
Vogatsky and McShane were among the 62 Red Sox minor leaguers, regardless of level, who threw at least 40 innings this year. Of those 62, Vogatsky notably ranked 27th in strikeout rate (25.5 percent), 28th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.21), 30th in swinging-strike rate (12.4 percent), and 31st in xFIP (3.91). McShane appeared more often in the top half of the leaderboards, as he ranked first in FIP (1.96) and xFIP (2.33), fourth in WHIP (1.06), sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.91), strikeout rate (31.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (17.2 percent), and walk rate (6.2 percent), seventh in walks per nine innings (2.34), eighth in ERA, 17th in batting average against (.211), and 21st in groundball rate (46.1 percent), per FanGraphs.
Vogatsky, who turns 24 in December, is not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, which describes him as an “undersized righty with a pure relief profile and intriguing pitch characteristics.” The 6-foot, 215-pounder features a 91-93 mph fastball that has reportedly touched 96 mph in the past, a 79-82 mph sweeper, and an 83-84 mph changeup.
Assuming they remain with the Red Sox through the winter and into the spring, Vogatsky is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2026 season. McShane (if healthy), on the other hand, is projected to make the jump to Double-A Portland.
Blogging the Red Sox 