Tag: dalton rogers

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)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Dalton Rogers fare in first full pro season?

Dalton Rogers was the first pitcher the Red Sox took in the 2022 amateur draft. How did the Southern Mississippi product fare in his first full professional season last year?

Selected with the 99th overall pick and signed for $447,500 that July , Rogers debuted in the rookie-level Florida Complex League but made just two relief appearances before the 2022 season drew to a close. The left-hander then broke camp with Low-A Salem last spring.

Making his full-season debut as a 22-year-old in the Carolina League, Rogers got his 2023 campaign off to an impressive starts. In six starts for the Red Sox out of the gate, he posted a 2.49 ERA and 1.99 FIP with 38 strikeouts to 13 walks over 21 2/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .139 batting average against.

Before the calendar flipped from May to June, Rogers received a promotion to High-A Greenville. The lefty carried with him a 2.75 ERA through his first four outings with the Drive. After tossing six no-hit innings and recording the first double-digit strikeout game of his career on June 14, however, he experienced some struggles that really plagued him for the rest of the season.

From June 21 through the end of the regular season, Rogers went 1-6 with a 6.51 ERA and 75 strikeouts to 35 walks over 13 starts (55 1/3 innings). Despite those difficulties, Rogers got the start for Greenville in the second and final game of the South Atlantic League Championship Series against the Hudson Valley Renegades at Fluor Field on September 19. He went the first three innings, allowing just one run on two hits, two walks, and five strikeouts as the Drive went on to take home their second SAL title in franchise history.

All told, Rogers produced a 5.52 ERA (but a much more respectable 4.23 FIP) to go along with 102 punchouts and 48 walks in 17 starts (75 innings) for Greenville last season. Among those in the South Atlantic League who also eclipsed the 70-inning threshold in 2023, Rogers ranked fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.24), sixth in strikeout rate (30.9 percent), 16th in batting average against (.238), 21st in groundball rate (42.3 percent), 20th in swinging-strike rate (13.4 percent), 21st in FIP, and 14th in xFIP (4.19), per FanGraphs.

Between Salem and Greenville, Rogers went 2-7 with a 4.84 ERA (3.73 FIP) and 140 strikeouts t0 61 walks across 23 total starts spanning 96 2/3 innings pitched. He was one of 11 Red Sox minor-leaguers to reach the century mark in strikeouts last season and was named an MiLB.com organizational All-Star alongside the likes of right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and reliever Luis Guerrero.

Rogers, who turned 23 last month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks second among lefties in the organization behind only Brandon Walter. The Mississippi native stands at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds and throws from a three-quarters arm slot. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, he operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 91-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 81-83 mph changeup, and a 79-82 mph slider that features horizontal break.

As he prepares for his third pro season, which will likely begin in Greenville, it remains to be seen if Rogers’ future lies in being used as a starter or reliever. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who also compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, wrote last February that the club “will develop Rogers as a starter, hoping that his control will improve to the point where his tantalizing mix can play to its fullest potential. If everything coalesces, he has the pitches to emerge as a No. 4 starter. If control remains elusive, Rogers could become a middle-innings lefty with high strikeout and walk rates.”

Either way, Rogers could benefit from the new pitching infrastructure that Red Sox chief baseball officer has been putting in place since his hiring. With that, it would not too surprising if Rogers continues to put up big strikeout numbers while improving in other areas and ultimately makes his way to Double-A Portland at some point in 2024.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Dalton Rogers tosses 6 scoreless, no-hit innings for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Dalton Rogers put together one of the best starts of his young career for High-A Greenville on Wednesday night.

Going up against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field, Rogers struck out 11 and walked only one over six scoreless, no-hit innings. The right-hander took a perfect game bid into the fourth before issuing a two-out walk to Will Matthiessen. He then retired seven of the last eight batters he faced.

Finishing with 78 pitches (50 strikes), Rogers induced 17 swings-and-misses, the third-most for any pitcher at the High-A level on Wednesday. The 22-year-old also earned his first winning decision with Greenville as the Drive went on to defeat the Grasshoppers by a final score of 5-2.

In four starts for the Drive now, Rogers has posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.07 WHP with 27 strikeouts to 13 walks across 19 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .121 batting average against. This comes after he forged a 2.49 ERA in six starts (21 2/3 innings) to start the season with Low-A Salem and was promoted to Greenville in late May.

Rogers was selected by the Red Sox in the third round (99th overall pick) of last year’s amateur draft out of Southern Mississippi. A native of the Magnolia state himself, Rogers signed with the club for $447,500. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, Rogers throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 81-83 mph changeup, and an 82-84 mph slider. As indicated in his Baseball America scouting report, Rogers’ command of the strike zone remains a work in progress, so that will be something to monitor moving forward.

Rogers, who does not turn 23 until next January, is one of five members of the Red Sox’ 2022 draft class on Greenville’s active roster. Fellow lefty Nathan Landry, right-handers Isaac Coffey and Alex Hoppe, and recently-promoted outfielder Roman Anthony are the others.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers via the Greenville Drive)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Dalton Rogers to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Dalton Rogers from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

In six starts for Salem to begin the 2023 season, Rogers posted a 2.49 ERA and 2.18 FIP with 38 strikeouts to 13 walks over 21 2/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .139 batting average against.

Among 84 Carolina League pitchers who have accrued at least 20 innings coming into play on Wednesday, Rogers ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (15.78), first in strikeout rate (41.3 percent), third in opponents’ batting average, 22nd in WHIP (1.11), 30th in swinging-strike rate (13.6 percent), 20th in ERA, second in FIP, and seventh in xFIP (2.83), per FanGraphs.

As is the case with most young hurlers, though, Rogers has proven to be vulnerable to ball four at times. The 22-year-old averaged more than five walks per nine innings in his six starts with Salem, which is certainly suboptimal. Still, he managed to avoid any serious damage thanks to his ability to miss bats.

Rogers is in the midst of his first full professional season after being selected by Boston in the third round (99th overall pick) of last year’s draft out of Southern Mississippi. The Brandon, Miss. native, who spent part of his summer pitching for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, signed with the club for $447,500 and made two relief appearances for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox in his pro debut.

Coming into the 2023 campaign, Rogers was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The publication noted that the 5-foot-11, 172-pound lefty “hides the ball well while driving down the mound to create good extension and a low release height. That combination, along with the ride and arm-side run on his 93-94 mph fastball (which tops out at 96), has given hitters fits at the top of the zone. He’s leaned heavily on his fastball to this point, though he has two secondaries — a low-80s changeup and low-80s slider — with the shape to develop into weapons if he can control them.”

As things stand now, Rogers is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the Red Sox’ No. 37 prospect, which ranks 11th among pitchers in the organization. Like Baseball America, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall notes that the southpaw possesses a deceptive delivery and operates with a three-pitch mix that is headlined by a mid-90s heater that has the potential to be a “plus pitch.”

Both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com are relatively high on Rogers, which likely reflects how the Red Sox feel about him. With that being said, though, Rogers will need to continue improving his control and command if he intends on developing as a starter. If not, he could eventually head to the bullpen as a multi-inning threat.

Rogers, who does not turn 23 until next January, becomes the second member of Boston’s 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this season. Fellow lefty Nathan Landry, who was taken in the 15th round out of Missouri, was promoted earlier this month.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox outfield prospect hits first home run of season for Low-A Salem

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis hit his first home run of the season for Low-A Salem on Tuesday afternoon.

It came in the eighth inning of Salem’s 5-0 road win over Delmarva at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. With no outs and nobody on, Bleis led off the top half of the frame by taking Shorebirds reliever Edgar Portes deep to left field for his first big fly of the year.

That was Bleis’ lone hit of the day, as Salem’s starting designated hitter went 1-for-4 with one walk and two strikeouts. Following Tuesday’s performance, the right-handed hitting Bleis is now batting .277/.324/.385 with two doubles, one triple, the one homer, eight RBIs, 13 runs scored, four walks, and 20 strikeouts in 15 games (71 plate appearances) with the Red Sox. He is also 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.

On the other side of the ball, Tuesday marked Bleis’ fourth start of the year at designated hitter. The 6-foot, 170-pounder has also logged 44 innings in center and 52 innings in right field for Salem. He has yet to commit an error at either position and has registered two outfield assists (both in center) thus far.

Bleis, 19, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 81 prospect in all of baseball. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.5 million as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in January 2021.

With only 91 games of pro ball (and just 15 for a full-season affiliate) under his belt, Bleis has already been tabbed by publications such as MLB Pipeline as the top international prospect Boston has had since Rafael Devers. SoxProspects, on the other hand, identifies Bleis as having “the highest upside of any Latin American prospect in the system.”

Considering the fact that he only turned 19 in March, the Red Sox will likely exhibit patience when it comes to Bleis’ development path. In other words, it would not be all that surprising if Bleis spent the entirety of the 2023 campaign with Salem as opposed to him making the jump to High-A Greenville at some point this summer.

Rogers impresses in latest start

Dalton Rogers made his third start of the season for Salem on Tuesday. The 22-year-old left-hander allowed just one hit and two walks to go along with eight strikeouts over five scoreless innings of work. Of the 90 pitches he threw, 54 went for strikes.

Though he did not factor into Tuesday’s decision, Rogers did lower his ERA on the year down to 2.79 across 9 2/3 innings pitched. The Southern Mississippi product was selected by the Red Sox with the 99th overall pick in last year’s amateur draft. He signed with the club for $447,500 and is currently ranked by SoxProspects as the No. 42 prospect in the organization.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox select Southern Mississippi left-hander Dalton Rogers with third-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 99th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected University of Southern Mississippi left-hander Dalton Rogers.

Rogers, 21, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 361 prospect in this year’s draft class. The Flowood, Miss. native began his collegiate career at Southeastern Louisiana but spent the 2022 season at Southern Mississippi, posting a 1.95 ERA and 0.63 WHIP with 57 strikeouts to 23 walks over 23 relief appearances (37 innings) for the Golden Eagles. He also made a brief cameo for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer.

Listed at just 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, Rogers “overwhelmingly pitches off his fastball —a 92-93 mph heater that touches 96 at peak and comes with solid carry and around 18 inches of induced vertical break,” per his Baseball America scouting report.

To complement his fastball, Rogers also mixes in a low-80s slider and a low-80s changeup that can generate plenty of swing-and-miss. All of these pitches are thrown from a three-quarters arm slot.

Rogers, who turns 22 in January, becomes the first pitcher taken by Boston in this year’s draft. The Red Sox used their first three selections on high school position players in Mikey Romero, Cutter Coffey, and Roman Anthony on Sunday night.

The recommended slot value attached to the 79th overall pick in the 2022 draft is $617,200. The Sox will have until August 1 to sign Rogers, as well as the rest of their draft selections.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers: Southern Miss. Athletics)