Tag: 2025 season

Red Sox to promote OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Garcia is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The 22-year-old was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster last November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. As a result, he took part in his first major league spring training before breaking camp with Portland (where he appeared in 30 games in 2024) last month.

To open the 2025 season, the right-handed hitting Garcia batted .256/.355/.393 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 18 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 33 games (138 plate appearances) for Portland. His 13 percent walk rate ranks 18th among qualified hitters in the Eastern League, while his 21 percent strikeout rate ranks 23rd, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia saw the lion’s share of his playing time with Portland this season come in center field. The 6-foot, 215-pounder made 31 starts and logged 258 2/3 innings in center for the Sea Dogs, committing just one error and recording three assists in 52 defensive chances. He also made one start in right field and one start at DH.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his hard-to-spell first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The San Fernando de Apure native steadily climbed the organizational ladder to begin his professional career before breaking out and rising through three minor-league levels last season to earn a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster. He is the older brother of catching prospect Johanfran Garcia.

Garcia, who does not turn 23 until December, told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith (through interpreter Daveson Perez) earlier this spring that one of his goals for this season was “to have at least a couple of games toward the end of the year in the big leagues.”

With his Triple-A debut likely to come in Worcester’s series opener against Durham at Polar Park on Tuesday, Garcia is one step closer to reaching that goal.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Uberstine, who turns 26 next month, opened the 2025 season in Portland’s starting rotation. The right-hander posted a 3.64 ERA (2.60 FIP) with a staff-leading 35 strikeouts to just four walks in six starts (29 2/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs. Opposing hitters batted .241 against him.

Among 30 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League coming into play on Thursday, Uberstine ranked second in walk rate (3.3 percent), third in walks per nine innings (1.21) and FIP, sixth in xFIP (2.90), seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (10.62) and WHIP (1.04), eighth in strikeout rate (29.2 percent), 11th in swinging-strike rate (12.6 percent), 12th in line-drive rate (20.8 percent), and 13th in groundball rate (42.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

A southern California native, Uberstine did not receive any scholarship offers out of Chaminade Prep in 2017, leading him to join the club baseball team after enrolling at USC. He attempted to walk on with the Trojans as a sophomore but was cut before the start of the season. That prompted him to seek out assistance from ex-big-leaguer Joe Biemel, who helped Uberstine refine his mechanics and add velocity to his repertoire.

Uberstine transferred to Northwestern for the final two seasons of his collegiate career and pitched for the Williamsport Crosscutters in the 2021 MLB Draft League. The righty was then selected by the Red Sox in the 19th round (556th overall) of that summer’s draft and signed for an under-slot $97,500 before making his professional debut in the Florida Complex League. He split the 2022 campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville but suffered an elbow injury the following spring that ultimately required June Tommy John surgery. As such, he missed all of 2023 and did not return to the mound until last August.

After making three short starts for Greenville, in which he allowed one earned run in 4 2/3 innings, Uberstine received an invite to pitch in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. He then forged a 3.12 ERA with seven strikeouts to six walks in seven appearances (8 2/3 innings) for the Mesa Solar Sox to end his year on an encouraging note.

“It was pretty surreal,” Uberstine told MLB.com’s Jesse Borek in Arizona last November. “They threw me out in Greenville again, where I played in ‘22, and then I was like, ‘Hopefully I can get a couple more innings. The quality would be great.’ [The Fall League] is where the best players come, and when they called me in the office and mentioned it, it was just a huge moment.

“I was like, ‘Dang, I went from not playing baseball to playing in the Draft League and here I am now playing in the Fall League,’” Uberstine added. “Just having these opportunities to learn from so many people, players, coaches, it’s just a huge honor.”

Fast forward to the present, and Uberstine is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 56 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 30th among pitchers in the organization. To this point in the season, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound hurler has sat between 91-94 mph and reached 95 mph with his fastball. He has also featured an 86-89 mph cutter, an 81-84 mph slider, and an 84-86 mph changeup, according to SoxProspects.com director of scouting Ian Cundall.

Having last pitched on May 10, Uberstine is expected to make his Triple-A debut by getting the start for the WooSox in the penultimate game of their series on the road against the Buffalo Bisons this coming Saturday. He is another minor-leaguer who can become Rule 5-eligible this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline, so that could be something to keep in mind when evaluating his performance moving forward.

(Picture of Tyler Uberstine: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox OF prospect Zach Ehrhard goes 5-for-5, hits first professional homer

Red Sox outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard checked off a pair of career firsts in High-A Greenville’s 9-6 victory over Hub City at Fluor Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Ehrhard went 5-for-5 out of the five-hole for the Drive. While recording the first five-hit game of his pro career, the 22-year-old crushed a 373-foot three-run shot over Greenville’s Green Monster off Spartanburgers starter Aidan Curry in the first inning for his first professional home run. He reached base four more times to finish the contest with five RBIs and two runs scored.

After getting his first full season in the professional ranks off to a relatively slow start, Ehrhard has heated up as of late. Following Wednesday’s strong showing, the right-handed hitter is now batting a stout .340/.464/.450 with eight doubles, one home run, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 23 walks, and 26 strikeouts through 28 games (125 plate appearances) for Greenville this year.

Among 85 qualified South Atlantic League hitters coming into play on Thursday, Ehrhard ranks first in line-drive rate (37 percent), second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, fifth in wRC+ (164), sixth in wOBA (.435), seventh in swinging-strike rate (7.4 percent), eighth in walk rate (18.4 percent), ninth in OPS (.914), and 19th in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (20.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Ehrhard has seen playing time at all three outfield positions for Greenville this season. The athletic 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has logged a team-leading 87 innings in left field, 77 1/3 innings in right field, and 52 innings in center field, committing no errors and recording one assist in 35 total chances. He has also made three starts at DH.

A Florida native, Ehrhard was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2021 draft out of Wharton High School in Tampa. He turned down the opportunity to go pro at that time and instead played collegiately at Oklahoma State for three seasons, only to be drafted by the Red Sox again in the fourth round (115th overall) following his junior year last summer.

This time around, Ehhard signed with Boston for an under-slot $500,000 in late July and made the jump straight to Greenville for his professional debut shortly after putting pen to paper. Though he struggled some in his first stint with the Drive last year (.459 OPS in 22 games), he is currently showing why Baseball America tabbed him as the “best pure hitter” in Boston’s 2024 draft class.

Ehrhard, who does not turn 23 until January, is not currently regarded among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. He is, however, ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which is up four spots from where he was at this time a little more than a month ago.

Given how he has fared at the High-A level to this point, one would think a promotion to Double-A Portland could be on the horizon for Ehrhard. Such a move would reunite Zach with his older brother Drew, who plays for the Sea Dogs and is in his third season with the Red Sox organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tampa in July 2023.

“I would love that,” Zach said of potentially playing with Drew in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “ We’ve already talked about it a bunch because we got to be on the same team in spring training a couple of times, and that was a lot of fun. So hopefully we get to do it again.”

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Dalton Rogers to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Dalton Rogers from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Rogers had spent parts of the last three seasons with Greenville since initially being elevated from Low-A Salem in May 2023, so one could say this was a well-earned promotion. To open the 2025 campaign, the 24-year-old left-hander posted a 1.31 ERA (3.21 FIP) with 28 strikeouts to 10 walks in five outings (one start) spanning 20 2/3 innings for the Drive. Opposing hitters batted just .173 against him.

Among the 55 South Atlantic League pitchers who entered Tuesday having thrown at least 20 innings thus far in 2025, Rogers ranked second in groundball rate (56.5 percent), third in ERA, fourth in line-drive rate (10.9 percent), 10th in strikeout rate (32.6 percent) and batting average against, 12th in strikeouts per nine innings (12.19) and swinging-strike rate (15 percent), 13th in xFIP (3.45), 16th in FIP, and 20th in WHIP (1.11), per FanGraphs.

Rogers was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (99th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Southern Mississippi. The Flowood, Miss. native received an under-slot $447,500 signing bonus that July and made his professional debut shortly thereafter. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 58 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 32nd among pitchers in the organization.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, Rogers throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the diminutive lefty operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph this season, an 87-89 mph cutter, an 85-87 mph changeup, an 82-85 mph slider, and a 72-75 mph curveball.

Rogers, who does not turn 25 until next January, will join fellow recently-promoted southpaw Jeremy Wu-Yelland in an otherwise right-handed heavy Portland bullpen. Like Wu-Yelland, Rogers can become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. How he fares in his first test against upper-minors hitting could go a long way in determining his status within the organization moving forward.

In addition to promoting Rogers to Portland, the Red Sox elevated right-handers Alex Hoppe and Wyatt Olds to Triple-A Worcester ahead of the WooSox’ series opener on the road against the Buffalo Bisons.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Former Red Sox OF prospect Braden Montgomery (part of Garrett Crochet trade) named South Atlantic League Player of the Week

Former Red Sox prospect Braden Montgomery has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of May 5-11, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

One of four prospects traded to the White Sox for ace left-hander Garrett Crochet in December, Montgomery was a man on a mission in High-A Winston-Salem’s series against Bowling Green this past week. Appearing in all six games, the switch-hitting outfielder went 10-for-21 (.476) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, five runs scored, two walks, and one strikeout.

Montgomery went deep twice on Tuesday, crushed a walk-off three-run homer on Wednesday, stroked two hits on Thursday, drove in a pair of runs on Friday, drew a walk on Saturday, and doubled as part of another two-hit effort on Sunday. The 22-year-old is now batting a stout .405/.480/.762 with six doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, six walks, and eight strikeouts in 12 games (50 plate appearances) for Winston-Salem since being promoted from Low-A Kannapolis in late April. He received that promotion after slashing .304/.393/.493 with four doubles, three homers, 19 RBIs, 14 runs scored, six stolen bases, 10 walks, and 19 strikeouts over 18 games (84 plate appearances) to open his first full professional season.

Altogether, Montgomery has batted .342/.425/.595 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 31 RBIs, 22 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 16 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 30 games (134 plate appearances) thus far in 2025. That includes a .318/.423/.506 line in 104 plate appearances swinging from the left side of the plate and a .423/.433/.885 line in 30 plate appearances swinging from the right side.

Among 33 qualified White Sox minor-leaguers to this point in the year, Montgomery most notably ranks third in batting average, wOBA (.465), and wRC+ (178), fourth in slugging percentage and OPS (1.020), fifth in isolated power (.252), seventh in on-base percentage, 11th in strikeout rate (20.1 percent), and 13th in walk rate (11.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Montgomery has seen playing time at all three outfield spots this season. Between his stops at Kannapolis and Winston-Salem, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has logged 135 innings in center, 58 innings in right, and 27 innings in left without committing an error or recording an assist. He has also made five starts at DH.

Montgomery was selected by the Red Sox with the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Texas A&M by way of Stanford (where he played two seasons before transferring as a junior). The 2021 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year signed for an under-slot $5 million in July but was still recovering from a fractured right ankle he suffered during the NCAA Super Regionals a month prior. As such, he did not appear in a game for one of Boston’s minor-league affiliates and make his professional debut before being dealt to Chicago alongside catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez in the blockbuster trade for Crochet at December’s Winter Meetings.

Montgomery, who just turned 22 last month, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Chicago’s farm system and the No. 60 prospect in the sport. With plus power and arm strength, he profiles “as a three true outcomes corner outfielder” who could break in at the big league level for the White Sox as soon as next year, according to his Baseball America scouting report.

In the more immediate future, one would think Montgomery has a strong chance to earn another promotion from Winston-Salem to Double-A Birmingham for his first test in the upper minors at some point this summer.

(Picture of Braden Montgomery: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

After pitching for China in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in March, Wu-Yelland opened the 2025 season in Greenville’s bullpen. The 25-year-old left-hander posted a 3.09 ERA (1.96 FIP) with 20 strikeouts to five walks over seven relief appearances (11 2/3 innings) for the Drive. He went 2-for-2 in save opportunities and held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average.

Among 133 South Atlantic League pitchers who came into play Thursday having thrown at least 11 innings, Wu-Yelland ranked fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (15.43), sixth in swinging-strike rate (18.3 percent), seventh in FIP, 10th in strikeout rate (39.2 percent), 13th in xFIP (2.60), 50th in ERA, 64th in groundball rate (43.5 percent), 65th in walk rate (9.8 percent) and batting average against, and 66th in walks per nine innings (3.86), per FanGraphs.

Wu-Yelland was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (118th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Hawaii. The Spokane, Wash. native signed for $200,000 and made his professional debut in May 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery the following April. He then missed the entirety of the 2022 campaign and was limited to just three outings in the Florida Complex League as a result of being shut down in 2023. He returned to the mound in May 2024 and finished with a 5.67 ERA (3.77 FIP) in 23 appearances (33 1/3 innings) for Greenville last year.

With 54 career innings at the High-A level to his name, the Red Sox likely figured it was time to present Wu-Yelland with a new challenge in the form of a promotion to Portland. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw has been up to 98 mph with his upper-90s fastball this season and has also featured a cutter and slider. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 57 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 31st among pitchers in the organization.

Wu-Yelland, who turns 26 next month, will join a right-handed heavy bullpen mix in Portland that includes the likes of Jack Anderson, Jonathan Brand, Zach Bryant, Yovanny Cruz, Alex Hoppe, Gabriel Jackson, Reidis Sena, and Christopher Troye. It should be interesting to see if he makes his Double-A debut at Hadlock Field before the end of the weekend.

(Picture of Jeremy Wu-Yelland: Patrick Mulligan/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Antonio Anderson to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Antonio Anderson from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Anderson, 19, is enjoying a bounce-back season after struggling mightily in his first full season of pro ball last year. To kick off the 2025 campaign, the switch-hitter batted a stout .345/.436/.488 with six doubles, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 18 runs scored, one stolen base, 15 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 22 games (101 plate appearances) for Salem. That includes a .276/.382/.397 slash line from the left side of the plate and a .500/.546/.692 slash line from the right side.

Among qualified Carolina League hitters coming into play on Tuesday, Anderson ranked fourth in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, OPS (.924), wOBA (.443), and line-drive rate (30.2 percent), seventh in wRC+ (154), 12th in slugging percentage, 28th in walk rate (14.9 percent), 30th in isolated power (.143) and swinging-strike rate (10.1 percent), and 31st in strikeout rate (21.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anderson saw the majority of his playing time to begin the season come at third base. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder logged 145 1/3 innings at the hot corner for Salem, committing two errors in 42 chances. He also made one start at first base (a career first) and four starts at DH after splitting time between third base and shortstop last year.

A Georgia native, Anderson was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2023 draft out of North Atlanta High School. He forwent his commitment to Georgia Tech by signing with Boston for an over-slot $1.5 million and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League shortly thereafter.

Anderson, who turns 20 next month, is not currently regarded by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Still, as recently highlighted by Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes, he has improved in several areas across the board this season and appears to have turned a corner developmentally.

With that being said, it should be interesting to see how Anderson handles the jump from Low-A to High-A and the adjustment period that comes with it. In Greenville, he figures to join a corner infield mix that — at present — includes the likes of Albert Feliz, Andy Lugo, Brooks Brannon, Juan Montero, and Marvin Alcantara, among others.

(Picture of Antonio Anderson: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire pitching prospect John Holobetz from Brewers to complete Quinn Priester trade

Exactly four weeks after dealing right-hander Quinn Priester to the Brewers, the Red Sox completed their April 7 trade with Milwaukee by adding some minor-league pitching depth on Monday.

Having already obtained outfielder Yophery Rodriguez and a competitive balance draft pick (33rd overall in this year’s draft) last month, Boston acquired minor-league righty John Holobetz from Milwaukee as the player to be named later (as opposed to cash considerations) in the deal to officially complete the swap.

Holobetz, 22, was selected by the Brewers in the fifth round (156th overall) of last summer’s draft out of Old Dominion (where he primarily pitched out of the bullpen) by way of Radford. The Pennsylvania native signed with Milwaukee for an under-slot $322,500 but did not make his professional debut until this April. He posted a 3.00 ERA (2.48 FIP) with 31 strikeouts to five walks in five outings (three starts) spanning 24 innings for Low-A Carolina to begin the 2025 season. Opposing hitters batted just .180 against him.

Among 15 qualified Carolina League pitchers, Holobetz currently leads the pack in strikeout rate (31.3 percent), batting average against, WHIP (0.88), FIP, and xFIP (2.71). He also ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.63), walks per nine innings (1.88), and walk rate (5.1 percent), and seventh in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Holobetz throws from a three-quarters arm slot and puts a lot of effort into his delivery. At present, he features a 92-94 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph this season, an 83-86 mph slider, and a high-80s changeup. According to Holobetz’s Baseball America pre-draft scouting report, “scouts believe the changeup is his best pitch, a potential weapon, but his breaking ball is more of a work in progress. Despite his reliever history, he throws enough strikes to potentially start in pro ball.”

Holobetz, who turns 23 in late July, was initially assigned to Low-A Salem but will instead report to High-A Greenville to begin his career as a member of the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of John Holobetz: Old Dominion University Athletics)

Red Sox’ Blake Aita named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for second time this season

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Aita has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 28-May 4, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

This marks the second time this season that Aita has earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors. The 21-year-old first took home the award last month after striking out four and walking only one over five scoreless, no-hit innings in his professional debut for Low-A Salem on April 4.

Aita was arguably even more impressive in his most recent outing for Salem at home last Thursday. Going up against the Fredericksburg Nationals at Carilion Clinic Field, the young right-hander gave up just one hit and no walks while fanning seven across six shutout frames. He took a perfect game into the top of the sixth before giving up a leadoff single, which was nullified two batters later when he induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end his night.

Finishing with 67 pitches (45 strikes), Aita induced a game-high 14 swings and misses as the Red Sox ultimately held on to defeat the Nationals by a final score of 5-4.

Through five starts for Salem to begin his first full professional season, Aita has posted a 3.28 ERA (3.24 FIP) with 22 strikeouts to six walks over a staff-leading 24 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters have batted .220 against him. Among 15 qualified Caroline League pitchers, he ranks third in WHIP (1.05) and xFIP (3.47), fourth in walks per nine innings (2.19), walk rate (6.1 percent), and FIP, and seventh in groundball rate (45.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Aita is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 40 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 20th among pitchers in the organization. The Tennessee native was selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round (177th overall) of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State, where he was named 2024 First Team All-Atlantic Sun. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he signed for $300,000 but waited until this spring to make his pro debut.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Aita throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the intriguing righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph fastball (velocity increased in spring training), an 80-82 mph sweeper, an 86-89 mph cutter, and an 85-89 mph changeup.

“He’s been great so far,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said of Aita. “Has worked hard all offseason and spring training to set him up for success throughout the year. He added velo to his fastball along with his secondaries and continues to pound the zone. His sweeper has been a big weapon, used for strikes and chase against both sides.”

Aita, who turns 22 next month, is seemingly a prime candidate to receive a promotion to High-A Greenville in the not-so-distant future. He can continue to strengthen his case for that move by stringing together more dominant outings for Salem in the meantime.

“Very pleased with the consistency and constant improvement daily,” said Abraham.

(Picture of Blake Aita: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign former Seton Hall righty Jay Allmer to minor-league deal

The Red Sox purchased the contract of right-hander Jay Allmer from the Lake Country DockHounds of the independent American Association on Wednesday, per the league’s transactions log.

Allmer signed with Lake Country back in November but did not appear in a game for the club, as the 2025 American Association season does not get underway until next week. The 22-year-old went undrafted out of Seton Hall last summer after posting a 2.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts to 19 walks over 25 relief appearances (29 1/3 innings) for the Pirates as a senior.

Though he did not get picked in the draft, Allmer spent the remainder of his summer pitching for the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League and the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League. In 37 outings between the two summer ball teams, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound righty posted a 3.05 ERA with 48 strikeouts to 11 walks across 44 1/3 total innings of relief.

A native of North Carolina, Allmer originally committed to UNC Asheville out of high school. He spent the first two seasons (2021-2022) of his collegiate career with the Bulldogs, compiling a 14.95 ERA in 19 appearances (18 2/3 innings) before transferring to Seton Hall ahead of his junior season in 2023.

According to Mason Feole of Connected Performance, Allmer initially received little to no interest as a free agent in 2024 but “embraced the adversity” that came with that and worked diligently “to ensure that he was ready for the opportunity and locked in on making the necessary changes in order to make it happen.”

Allmer, as Feole noted in an Instagram post on Wednesday, increased the peak velocity of his fastball from 91 to 97 mph. In addition to a mid-90s heater, Allmer also features a lower-90s sinker, a mid-80s sweeper, an upper-80s changeup, and a 78-80 mph slider.

“At the end of the day, Jay is a Red Sox because he is simply good enough to be,” Feole wrote. “He has changed who he is as a player to be good enough, and now he’s achieved it. Incredibly proud of his mindset and approach to this progression and change.”

Allmer, who turns 23 in June, has been assigned to Low-A Salem and is active for Wednesday’s contest against Fredericksburg. He will presumably provide Boston’s Carolina League affiliate with right-handed bullpen depth behind the likes of Austin Ehrlicher, Joe Vogatsky, Nicholas Judice, Eybersson Polanco, and Nicolas De La Cruz.

(Picture of Jay Allmer: Seton Hall University Athletics)