Tag: blake wehunt

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Blake Wehunt to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Blake Wehunt from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Tommy Cassell of The Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

After missing most of April with a left hamstring strain, Wehunt emerged as one of Portland’s top starters this season. In 13 starts for the Sea Dogs, the 25-year-old right-hander posted a 3.52 ERA with 72 strikeouts to 16 walks over 53 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted .235 against him.

Twice recognized as the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week (June 22-28 and June 29-July 5), Wehunt is one of 52 pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings in the league this year. Among that group, he ranks second in xFIP (3.27), third in strikeout rate (33%), fourth in strikeouts per nine (12.07), seventh in FIP (3.61) and WHIP (1.17), ninth in walks per nine (2.68), 10th in ERA and walk rate (7.3%), 11th in groundball rate (49.2%), and 15th in batting average against, according to FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a diverse pitch mix. In addition to a 93-96 mph power fastball that tops out at 97 mph, the hard-throwing righty features an 89-91 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph sweeper, and an 85-87 mph splitter. He is capable of mixing in a changeup and curveball as well.

Wehunt is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 25 prospect, placing 12th among pitchers in the organization. The Georgia-born chicken farmer was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (268th overall) of the 2023 draft out of Kennesaw State. He received a $100,000 signing bonus and quickly worked his way up the system in his first full professional season before a lat strain limited him to 63 1/3 innings with Portland last year.

Wehunt, who turns 26 in November, is slated to join Worcester’s starting rotation ahead of its upcoming series against Jacksonville at Polar Park. With his Triple-A debut on the horizon, it is worth noting that Wehunt is reaching the minors’ highest level at a significant time, as he will become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft after the season if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by this winter’s protection deadline.

Taking that into consideration, this promotion should help the Red Sox determine Wehunt’s role in the organization as they continue to evaluate his future.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs)

Red Sox prospect Blake Wehunt earns second consecutive Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honor

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt has once again been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Wehunt, who took home the honor last week, turned in another award-winning performance for Double-A Portland on Sunday afternoon. Despite issuing four walks and hitting one batter in his start against Altoona, the 25-year-old right-hander struck out nine and allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings at Hadlock Field.

Finishing with 89 pitches (47 strikes), Wehunt generated 11 whiffs and topped out at 96.2 mph with his fastball. He also earned the win as the Sea Dogs blanked the Curve, 10-0, behind four additional scoreless, one-hit frames of relief from fellow righty Jedixson Paez, who fanned eight to record his first professional save.

Following Sunday’s outing, Wehunt is now 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA and a 66-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 12 starts (48 innings) for Portland this season. After missing time in April with a left hamstring strain, he has limited Eastern League opponents to a .230 batting average. That includes a .267 clip against left-handed hitters and a .196 clip against right-handed hitters.

Among the 49 pitchers who have thrown at least 45 innings in the Eastern League this year, Wehunt ranks third in strikeouts per nine (12.38), strikeout rate (33.7%), and xFIP (3.37), sixth in WHIP (1.19), seventh in ERA, eighth in FIP (3.59), 10th in batting average against, 15th in walks per nine (3.00), 16th in groundball rate (45.5%), and 17th in walk rate (8.2%), according to FanGraphs.

Wehunt is regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 22 prospect, ranking 13th among the system’s pitchers. The Georgia-born chicken farmer was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (268th overall) of the 2023 draft out of Kennesaw State. He signed for just $100,000 that July and quickly climbed the organizational ladder during his first full professional season in 2024 before a lat strain limited him to 63 1/3 innings with Portland last year.

In addition to a mid-90s fastball that can reach 97 mph, the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Wehunt features a wide-ranging group of secondary offerings, including an 89-91 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph sweeper, and an 85-87 mph splitter. His other secondaries are considered by Baseball America to be “more change-of-pace pitches that can be effective in sequence.”

Wehunt, who turns 26 in November, is the first player in Portland franchise history to earn Eastern League Player/Pitcher of the Week honors in consecutive weeks. Given his recent success — along with the fact that he will become Rule 5-eligible after the season if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster — a promotion to Triple-A Worcester would appear to be a logical next step in his development.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs)

Red Sox prospect Blake Wehunt named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the week for the week of June 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Wehunt dazzled for Double-A Portland in Sunday’s series finale against Hartford on the road. Pitching for the first time in 12 days, the 25-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out eight over six scoreless innings at Dunkin’ Park. He retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced on 71 pitches (50 strikes), generating seven whiffs and topping out at 95.5 mph with his fastball as the Sea Dogs blanked the Yard Goats, 6-0.

Following a rough 2026 debut in which he was tagged for three runs in one-third of an inning, Wehunt went on the 7-day injured list with a left hamstring strain on April 4. Since returning to the mound on April 22, the righty has forged a 3.16 ERA with 57 strikeouts to 11 walks over his last 10 starts (42 2/3 innings) for Portland.

Altogether, Wehunt owns a 3.77 ERA with 57 strikeouts to 12 walks through 11 starts (43 innings) for the Sea Dogs this season. He has held opponents to a .245/.301/.387 clip. That consists of a .295/.368/.436 line against left-handed hitters and a .200/.236/.341 line against right-handed hitters.

Among the 55 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings in the Eastern League this year, Wehunt ranks fourth in strikeouts per nine (11.93), strikeout rate (32.4%), and xFIP (3.27), 10th in FIP (3.65), walks per nine (2.51) and WHIP (1.21), 11th in walk rate (6.8%), 13th in ERA, and 20th in groundball rate (45.2%), according to FanGraphs.

A Georgia native who grew up working on his family’s chicken farm, Wehunt was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (268th overall) of the 2023 draft out of Kennesaw State. He received a below-slot $100,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut that August before moving up from Low-A to High-A to Double-A as part of a strong 2024 campaign. Last season, he was tested and limited to just 63 1/3 innings with Portland due to a lat strain.

Wehunt is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 26 prospect, placing 14th among pitchers in the organization. In addition to a mid-90s fastball that can reach 97 mph, the 6-foot-7, 240-pound hurler features an 89-91 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph sweeper, and an 85-87 mph splitter.

Given how he has fared with Portland as of late, it would not be surprising to see Wehunt — who turns 26 in November — earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future. That possibility is worth noting since he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt fare in 2024?

Blake Wehunt was the fifth of 11 college pitchers selected by the Red Sox in the 2023 draft. How did the former ninth-rounder out of Kennesaw State fare in his first full professional season this year?

Signed for an under-slot $100,000 after being drafted with the 268th overall pick, Wehunt marked his pro debut by making one scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League last August. The right-hander then opened the 2024 campaign at Low-A Salem and posted a 2.16 ERA (2.77 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to 15 walks in eight starts (33 1/3 innings) before receiving a promotion to High-A Greenville in early June.

Upon making the jump from Salem, Wehunt went through an adjustment period of sorts but still held his own in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League by producing a 4.42 ERA (3.58 FIP) with 65 strikeouts to 19 walks in 13 starts (59 innings) for Greenville. The righty was promoted for a second time to Double-A Portland on September 11 to make one more start before the minor-league season. He allowed five earned runs over five innings as part of an 8-4 loss to Binghamton at Hadlock Field.

Altogether, Wehunt forged a 3.88 ERA and 3.40 FIP with 110 strikeouts to 34 walks in 22 starts spanning 97 1/3 total innings of work between Salem, Greenville, and Portland this past season. Opposing hitters across the three levels he pitched at batted just .207 against him.

Among the 374 minor-leaguers who threw at least 95 innings in 2024, Wehunt ranked 38th in batting average against, 45th in WHIP (1.11), 52nd in xFIP (3.43), 62nd in strikeout rate (27.5 percent) and FIP, 65th in line-drive rate (20.1 percent), 66th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.17), 68th in groundball rate (47.8 percent), 172nd in walks per nine innings (3.14), 179th in ERA, and 180th in walk rate (8.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Wehunt, who turned 24 in November, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 15th among pitchers. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Georgia native throws from a three-quarters arm slot and can make for an uncomfortable at-bat given his imposing stature. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Wehunt operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph fastball, an 87-89 mph cutter, an 81-86 mph sweeper, and an 84-86 mph splitter.

Though the possibility remains that he could be moved by the Red Sox as part of a larger trade this winter, Wehunt is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season in April. If that does end up happening, it should be worthwhile to see how he handles the upper minors after getting a brief taste in September.

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

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Blake Wehunt to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Blake Wehunt from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Wehunt, 23, is on the move for the second time this year. The right-hander opened his first full professional season at Low-A Salem, forging a 2.16 ERA (2.76 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to 15 walks in eight starts (33 1/3 innings) for the Red Sox before receiving a promotion to Greenville in early June.

In 13 starts for the Drive, Wehunt posted a 4.42 ERA and 3.57 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 19 walks over 59 innings. That includes a 2.37 ERA (2.82 FIP) in his last four outings (19 innings) dating back to August 16. Opposing hitters batted just .143 against him in that stretch.

Among the 84 pitchers who came into play Sunday having thrown at least 55 innings in the South Atlantic League this season, Wehunt ranks 19th in WHIP (1.10), 23rd in batting average against (.213), 26th in walks per nine innings (2.90) and xFIP (3.66), 27th in FIP, 28th in walk rate (7.8 percent), 38th in strikeout rate (26.7 percent), 39th in groundball rate (41.8 percent), and 41st in strikeouts per nine innings (9.92), per FanGraphs.

Wehunt, who turns 24 in November, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State. The Georgia native signed for $100,000 and marked his pro debut by making a scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, who saw Wehunt pitch in Greenville on August 22, the burly righty sits between 93-94 mph and reaches 96 mph with his fastball. He can also mix in an 87-89 mph cutter, an 81-86 mph sweeping slider, and an 84-86 mph splitter.

Wehunt is slated to join a rotation mix in Portland that includes the likes of Wikelman Gonzalez, Juan Encarnacion, Connelly Early, David Sandlin, and Isaac Coffey. While Greenville’s season ended on Sunday, the Sea Dogs have six games remaining on their schedule and currently hold a 1 1/2-game lead in their division.

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

Red Sox’ Blake Wehunt named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 12-18, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Wehunt was superb in his last start for High-A Greenville this past Friday. Going up against the Aberdeen IronBirds on the road, the 23-year-old right-hander struck out six and walked only one over five scoreless, no-hit innings in which he faced the minimum. He threw 65 pitches (38 strikes) and induced a game-high nine swings-and-misses.

In 10 starts for the Drive, Wehunt has posted a 4.80 ERA and 3.70 FIP with 49 strikeouts to 11 walks over 45 innings pitched. That comes after he forged a 2.16 ERA (2.76 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to 11 walks in eight starts (33 1/3 innings) for Low-A Salem to open his first full professional season before receiving a promotion to Greenville in early June. Between the two stops, opposing hitters have batted just .199 against him.

Among the 113 South Atlantic League pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings to this point in the year, Wehunt ranks 10th in walks per nine innings (2.20), 11th in walk rate (6 percent), 16th in WHIP (1.07), 30th in xFIP (3.58), 39th in FIP, 43rd in batting average against (.222), 50th in strikeout rate (26.6 percent), and 53rd in groundball rate (41.2 percent), per FanGraphs.

Wehunt, who turns 24 in November, was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State. The Georgia native signed for $100,000 and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 33 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, he operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph this season, an 82-86 mph slider, and an 84-85 mph splitter.

Wehunt becomes the third Greenville hurler to earn South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week honors this season, joining fellow righties Juan Daniel Encarnacion (May 6-12) and Yordanny Monegro (July 29-August 4). He was also recognized as the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 29-May 5 while still with Salem.

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

Red Sox promote ‘imposing’ pitching prospect Blake Wehunt to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Blake Wehunt from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to SoxProspects.com’s executive editor Chris Hatfield.

Much like fellow 2023 draftee Kristian Campbell, who is slated to make the jump to Double-A Portland from Greenville, Wehunt is also enjoying a strong start to his first full season in professional baseball. In eight starts for Salem, the 23-year-old right-hander posted a 2.16 ERA and 2.88 FIP with 44 strikeouts to 15 walks over 33 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted just .167 against him.

Among 62 Carolina League pitchers who had thrown at least 30 innings coming into play on Sunday, Wehunt ranked ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.88) and ERA, sixth in strikeout rate (32.4 percent), fourth in batting average against and groundball rate (56.6 percent), 14th in WHIP (1.05), 10th in FIP, and 11th in xFIP (3.10), per FanGraphs.

After spending the first three years of his collegiate career (2020-2022) at Southern Mississippi, Wehunt was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last summer’s draft out of Kennesaw State. The Georgia native signed for $100,000 and made one scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League to mark his professional debut.

Listed at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and has an imposing presence on the mound. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the burly righty operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that can reach 96 mph, an 82-85 mph sweeping slider, and an 84-85 mph splitter.

Wehunt, who does not turn 24 until November, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 18th among pitchers in the organization. That positioning, as noted by Hatfield, is likely to improve when the site updates its rankings later this week.

In the interim, Wehunt is slated to join a crowded rotation mix in Greenville that includes Yordanny Monegro, Jedixson Paez, Dalton Rogers, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, Cooper Adams, Connelly Early, and Hayden Mullins. It also seems that David Sandlin, who has been on the injured list with right forearm tightness since May 14 but recently threw a bullpen, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (3.82 ERA in Salem) are not far behind from being included in that group.

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

Red Sox’ Blake Wehunt named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 29-May 5, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Wehunt picked up the first win of his professional career for Low-A Salem in its 3-1 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Carilion Clinic Field on Sunday afternoon. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and zero walks with one hit batsman and a season-high eight strikeouts over five scoreless innings of work.

After cruising through the first four innings of Sunday’s series finale, Wehunt ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth by plunking Miguel Pabon with two outs. One passed ball and balk later, Pabon advanced all the way to third base, but Wehunt left him there by punching out Christopher Paciolla on four pitches to retire the side.

Finishing with 75 pitches (48 strikes), Wehunt induced 14 swings-and-misses en route to improving to 1-0 on the young season. In four starts for Salem now, the righty has posted a 1.15 ERA and 2.84 FIP with 20 strikeouts to eight walks over 15 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .148 batting average against.

Wehunt is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 18th among pitchers in the organization. The Georgia native was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Kennesaw State. He signed with the club for $100,000 and debuted in the Florida Complex League, making one scoreless appearance there as a reliever.

Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. He operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 82-85 mph sweeping slider, and an 84-85 mph splitter, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Wehunt, who does not turn 24 until November, could be a candidate for a promotion to High-A Greenville later this year if he shows his strong start to the 2024 campaign is no fluke. He projects as a multi-inning reliever in the long term but is currently part of an intriguing six-man rotation in Salem that is comprised of lefty Noah Dean and fellow righties Matt Duffy, Elmer Rodriguez, Luis Cohen, and Jedixson Paez.

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

Red Sox select Kennesaw State righty Blake Wehunt with ninth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Kennesaw State right-hander Blake Wehunt with their ninth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 268 overall.

Wehunt, 22, began and spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Southern Mississippi — where he was briefly teammates with Dalton Rogers — before transferring to Kennesaw State for his junior season.

In 14 starts for the Owls this spring, Wehunt posted a 4.83 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with 80 strikeouts to 23 walks over 76 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .279 against him.

A native of Georgia, Wehunt stands at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds. According to SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall, the righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with a low-90s sinker that is complemented by a low-80s changeup. With those two offerings, he regularly throws strikes and induces ground balls.

Wehunt, who turns 23 in November, is the fifth pitcher drafted by Boston within the club’s first 11 selections. The 268th overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a recommended slot value of $178,600.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kennesaw State University Athletics)