Tag: greenville drive

Red Sox promote Newton native, power-hitting prospect Jack Winnay to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted corner infield prospect Jack Winnay from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com.

Winnay, who turned 23 earlier this month, is in his first full professional season. The Newton, Mass. native (and Belmont Hill alumnus) was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round (388th overall) of the 2025 draft out of Wake Forest. He received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus and debuted at Low-A Salem last August, batting .321/.393/.434 with one home run and 11 RBIs in a limited 15-game sample.

After integrating himself with the Red Sox player development program over the winter, Winnay entered his first spring training with little fanfare and broke camp with Greenville as an unranked prospect. The right-handed hitter struggled out of the gate, slashing just .184/.382/.250 with one home run and nine RBIs in his first 23 games (102 plate appearances) for the Drive through May 3. From there, however, he began to turn a corner offensively — particularly in the power department — and hit .304/.470/.598 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs across his next 33 games (149 plate appearances) before being promoted late Sunday.

Overall, Winnay batted a respectable .255/.434/.457 with five doubles, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 53 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 56 games (251 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the 2026 season. He posted a .364/.475/.788 clip in 40 plate appearances against lefties and a .232/.427/.387 clip in 211 plate appearances against righties.

Among the 80 qualified hitters in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League, Winnay ranks second in walk rate (21.1%), fourth in on-base percentage, sixth in wOBA (.413), ninth in wRC+ (136), 12th in swinging-strike rate (8.9%), 14th in OPS (.891), 22nd in strikeout rate (20.3%), 27th in isolated power (.202), 28th in slugging percentage, and 35th in batting average, according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Winnay primarily split his playing time with Greenville between the two corner infield positions. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder made a team-leading 40 starts at third base, committing 12 errors in 94 chances, and 14 error-free starts at first base. He also made one start at DH and has prior experience in the outfield.

Thanks to his recent hot stretch at the plate, Winnay is now regarded as Boston’s No. 40 prospect by SoxProspects.com. He is not yet ranked by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, but that may not be too far behind, given the amount of attention he has received as of late.

Winnay joins third-round right-hander Anthony Eyanson as the second member of the Red Sox’ 2025 draft class to reach the upper minors this season. As was the case for Eyanson — who has forged a 1.46 ERA through his first six Double-A starts (24 2/3 innings) — the jump to Portland represents a new challenge for Winnay in the form of more advanced competition.

The Sea Dogs hit the road and open a six-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Jack Winnay: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox add former Mississippi State lefty, Royals draft pick Tyler Davis from Frontier League

The Red Sox have purchased the contract of left-hander Tyler Davis from the Washington Wild Things, the independent Frontier League club announced on Tuesday.

Not to be confused with the White Sox right-hander of the same name, this Tyler Davis is also no stranger to affiliated ball. The 24-year-old lefty was selected by the Royals in the 15th round of the 2024 draft out of Mississippi State after previously attending VCU. He received a $100,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut last season, appearing in 28 games between Kansas City’s Low-A and High-A affiliates.

In 26 outings (one start) for High-A Quad Cities, Davis posted a 3.98 ERA (3.76 FIP) with 43 strikeouts to 24 walks over 43 innings in which opponents batted .247 against him. He was released by the Royals in September and signed with the Wild Things in February.

Davis made nine relief appearances for Washington to begin the 2026 campaign, recording four saves while forging a 0.87 ERA with 12 strikeouts to two walks across 10 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw held opposing hitters in the Frontier League to a .211 batting average.

“Well, the kid that came to Washington because he felt like this was his best situation for him to get another chance with [an] affiliated organization has been proven right,” Wild Things manager Tom Vaeth said in a statement released by the team. “We are very happy to have helped Tyler achieve his goal. TD did a great job in the closer role in his short time with us… he showcased his velocity and ability to land his off-speed pitches. The sky is the limit for Tyler. Lefties with the ability to sit 93-95 like he can usually go pretty far in this game. We enjoyed having him in our family and can’t wait to see where he goes from here.”

A Virginia native, Davis is the second Wild Things player to have his contract purchased by the Red Sox and the first since Nate Striz in 2012. He has been assigned to High-A Greenville and will likely serve as a bullpen option upon passing his physical and officially joining Boston’s South Atlantic League affiliate in the coming days.

(Picture of Tyler Davis: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

How did Red Sox LHP prospect Devin Futrell fare in 2025 pro debut?

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.

(Picture of Devin Futrell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Henry Godbout, top position player drafted by Red Sox this summer, fare in professional debut?

Henry Godbout was the first of six position players drafted by the Red Sox over the summer. This article will examine how the 21-year-old infielder fared in his professional debut this season.

Godbout was taken out of Virginia with the 75th overall pick in the 2025 draft, which the Red Sox had received as compensation for losing qualified free agent Nick Pivetta to the Padres in free agency last winter. Fresh off earning Second Team All-ACC honors in his junior season with the Cavaliers, the New York native signed with Boston for an at-slot $1.0938 million on July 22.

“Really good instincts, really good action,” Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson said of Godbout when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) following the draft. “They shift a lot at Virginia, but he’s able to cover a lot of ground and has worked both sides of the [second base] bag. We’re betting on the athlete here to be able to do both.

“Makes a ton of contact,” Pearson continued, “super athletic and fits our development strengths in terms of being able to tap into some more power.

After putting pen to paper in Fort Myers, Fla., and spending the remainder of July at the Red Sox’ Fenway South complex, Godbout reported straight to High-A Greenville (as opposed to Low-A Salem) and made his pro debut at Fluor Field on August 6. The right-handed hitter then went 6-for-17 (.353) with three doubles, two RBIs, four runs scored, six walks, and three strikeouts in his first six games with the Drive before suffering a hamstring injury in Greensboro on August 14.

Following an 11-day stint on the injured list, Godbout returned to action on August 28 and closed out the season by going 9-for-27 (.333) with three doubles, three RBIs, two runs scored, one stolen base, three walks, and three strikeouts in his final seven games of the 2025 campaign as Greenville came up just short of qualifying for a spot in the South Atlantic League playoffs.

Overall, Godbout batted .341/.473/.477 with six doubles, five RBIs, six runs scored, one stolen base, nine walks, and six strikeouts in 13 games (55 plate appearances) for the Drive. That includes a .333/.455/.667 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .343/.477/.429 slash line against right-handed pitching.

It is a small sample size, but Godbout was one of 261 hitters to accrue at least 55 plate appearances in the South Atlantic League this year. Among those 261, he ranked third in batting average and on-base percentage, fourth in strikeout rate (10.9 percent), fifth in OPS (.950), wOBA (.452), and wRC+ (182), sixth in swinging-strike rate (5.6 percent), 14th in slugging percentage, 21st in walk rate (16.4 percent), 76th in isolated power (.136), and 85th in line-drive rate (23.7 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Godbout unsurprisingly split his playing time with Greenville between second base and shortstop. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder logged 55 innings at second and 22 innings at short without committing a single error in 19 total chances. He also made three starts at DH.

On the heels of making a positive first impression in his pro debut, Godbout is already regarded among the top prospects in Boston’s farm system by numerous outlets. He is ranked No. 19 by MLB Pipeline, No. 21 by Baseball America, and No. 23 by SoxProspects.com, respectively.

Godbout, who turns 22 in November, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2026 season. With a full offseason of developmental opportunities ahead of him, he could emerge as an even more intriguing prospect as well as a quick riser within the organization next year.

(Picture of Henry Godbout: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote top prospect Franklin Arias to Double-A Portland

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

Arias is moving up a level for the second time this season. The 19-year-old infielder opened the 2025 campaign at Low-A Salem and batted .346/.407/.397 (134 wRC+) with four doubles, nine RBIs, 15 runs scored, four stolen bases, six walks, and 12 strikeouts in 19 games (86 plate appearances) before receiving a promotion to Greenville in late April.

After getting off to a blistering start with Greenville that saw him net South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors for May, Arias began to cool off as spring turned to summer. The right-handed hitter continued to struggle offensively out of the All-Star break in July, but has fared relatively better as of late to bring his line up to .265/.329/.380 (107 wRC+) with 21 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 49 RBIs, 43 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 32 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 87 games (392 plate appearances) for the Drive.

Overall, Arias is slashing .279/.343/.383 (112 wRC+) with 25 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 58 RBIs, 58 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 106 games (478 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville this season. That includes a .214/.296/.282 line against lefties and a .300/.358/.415 line against righties.

Between his stops in Salem and Greenville, Arias primarily split his playing time between shortstop and second base, logging 780 2/3 innings at the former and 44 innings at the latter. The rangy 5-foot-11, 170-pounder (listed height and weight) committed six errors (all at shortstop) in 364 total defensive chances. He also made 10 starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Caracas in January 2023. Lauded for his ability to make contact and fielding prowess, he made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter. He impressed there before truly breaking out last season. As part of a standout 2024 campaign, he was recognized as a Baseball America Rookie and Florida Complex League All-Star, the Florida Complex League’s Top MLB Prospect and MVP, and Boston’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year.

Unsurprisingly, Arias was included in multiple top 100 prospects lists to begin the 2025 season. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 3 prospect and the game’s No. 50 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him ranked as Boston’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 24 prospect in the sport. SoxProspects.com has him at No. 2 on its top 60 list behind only rookie left-hander Payton Tolle.

Arias, who turns 20 in November, is leading off and starting at shortstop in Portland’s series opener against Erie at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night. The Sea Dogs have 12 regular-season games remaining and currently trail Somerset by just 1 1/2 games for a spot in the Eastern League playoffs.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote OF prospect Justin Gonzales to High-A Greenville

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

Gonzales, 18, is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 12 prospect. At the same time, MLB Pipeline has him ranked at No. 7 and SoxProspects.com has him ranked at No. 13. The Dominican Republic native is enjoying a productive first season in the United States after originally signing with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Bani last January.

On the heels of earning 2024 Dominican Summer League All-Star honors and being named the organization’s Minor League Latin Program Position Player of the Year in his professional debut, Gonzales impressed in his first stateside spring training down in Fort Myers and received a promotion to Salem on May 6 after appearing in just one game in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Given his general lack of experience, it’s not terribly surprising that Gonzales struggled somewhat out of the gate in his first taste of full-season ball. The right-handed hitter was batting .246/.398/.277 in his first 18 games (83 plate appearances) with Salem through the end of May. He began to turn a corner in June, however, and has been steadily on the rise since then. Overall, he slashed .298/.381/.423 with 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 27 RBIs, 45 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 52 strikeouts over 81 games (357 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. That includes a .317/.431/.533 line against lefties and a .294/.368/.397 line against righties.

Among 54 qualified Carolina League hitters entering play Tuesday, Gonzales ranked first in batting average, third in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (14.6 percent), fourth in OPS (.804), wOBA (.393), and wRC+ (131), ninth in on-base percentage, 18th in swinging-strike rate (10.3 percent), and 20th in isolated power (.125), per FanGraphs.

“This kid is more physical than any player I’ve been around,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this year. “He’s a monster. I think he’s still kind of learning what he can do physically, learning his body. And for a guy who’s so big and has so much power, his ability to control the bat is incredibly impressive. He’s been a much better hitter than maybe we had expected. That’s been really exciting.”

Defensively, Gonzales saw playing time at all three outfield spots with Salem. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder logged 226 1/3 innings in center, 192 innings in right, and 127 2/3 innings in left, recording two assists and committing four errors in 127 total chances. He also made 16 starts at DH and has previous experience at first base.

Gonzales, who does not turn 19 until December, surpasses recently-activated right-hander Juan Valera as the youngest player on Greenville’s roster. He is batting second and starting in right field for the Drive in their series opener against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fluor Field on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Justin Gonzales: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF/OF prospect Justin Riemer (.423 OBP) to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted infield/outfield prospect Justin Riemer from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Riemer is not currently regarded among Boston’s top prospects by publications like Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com. The 23-year-old has not hit for much power this season, though he has gotten on base at an exceptional rate thus far.

After breaking camp with Greenville earlier this spring, Riemer suffered a shoulder injury on April 15 and was sidelined for a month as a result. The right-handed hitter returned to action on May 15 and batted .243/.423/.287 with five doubles, one home run, 16 RBIs, 26 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 54 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 66 games (241 plate appearances) for the Drive overall. That includes a .238/.365/.286 slash line against lefties and a .245/.439/.288 slash line against righties.

Among the 95 hitters who entered play Friday having made at least 240 trips to the plate in the South Atlantic League this year, Riemer ranked first in walk rate (22.4 percent) and swinging-strike rate (2.8 percent), second in on-base percentage, 14th in wOBA (.364), 15th in strikeout rate (18.7 percent), 16th in wRC+ (127), and 34th in batting average and OPS (.710), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Riemer has seen playing time at five different positions so far this season. In addition to making 34 starts at second base, nine starts at third base, and two starts at shortstop, the versatile 5-foot-10, 170-pounder was introduced to the outfield in early June and has since logged 125 error-free innings between the two corner spots. He has also made three starts at DH.

Riemer was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 133rd overall pick (which the club received as compensation for qualified free agent Nathan Eovaldi signing with the Rangers in December 2022) in the 2023 draft out of Wright State. The Virginia native signed with Boston for an over-slot $500,000 shortly thereafter, but was still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered that spring, which pushed his professional debut back until last July.

In the time since officially entering the pro ranks, Riemer has drawn praise for his disciplined approach, pitch recognition, and bat-to-ball skills. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, though, Riemer’s ability to draw walks at a high rate could be put to the test as he moves from the lower minors to the upper minors, where he is sure to be challenged more by tougher opposing pitchers.

Having said that, Riemer is not in the starting lineup for Portland’s game against Binghamton at Hadlock Field on Friday night.

(Picture of Justin Riemer: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox LHP prospect Brandon Clarke ‘unlikely to pitch again this year’ due to recurrence of blisters

Red Sox pitching prospect Brandon Clarke was placed on High-A Greenville’s 7-day injured list on Friday due to a recurrence of blisters and is unlikely to pitch again this year as a result, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Clarke is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 7 prospect, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. The 22-year-old left-hander was selected in the fifth round (148th overall) of last summer’s draft out of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. He forwent his commitment to transfer to South Carolina by signing with the Red Sox for an under-slot $400,000, but did not make his professional debut until April.

On the heels of an impressive spring training, Clarke broke camp with Low-A Salem and dominated Carolina League hitters to the tune of a 0.93 ERA (0.94 FIP) with 17 strikeouts to two walks in three starts (9 2/3 innings) to open the season. He received a promotion to Greenville in late April and produced solid results through the end of May, resulting in his vaulting into the back end of Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list. After tossing 4 1/3 scoreless frames against Bowling Green on May 24, however, he missed the next month-plus due to a blister caused by a hangnail.

Upon returning to the mound on June 26, Clarke struggled to a 7.71 ERA (5.42 FIP) in seven starts (14 innings) before being placed on Greenville’s injured list. Overall, he has posted a 5.08 ERA (4.20 FIP) with 43 strikeouts to 25 walks across 11 outings (28 1/3 innings) for the Drive. Opposing South Atlantic League hitters have batted .150 against him.

If Clarke is indeed done for the year, he will wrap up his first pro season having forged a 4.03 ERA (3.37 FIP) with 60 strikeouts to 27 walks in 14 starts (38 innings) between Salem and Greenville. That translates to a 34.5 percent strikeout rate, a 15.5 percent walk rate for the 6-foot-4, 220-pound southpaw, who regularly reached 98-99 mph with his upper-90s fastball while incorporating an 87-90 mph slider, 81-85 mph sweeper, and an 87-89 mph changeup into his arsenal.

(Picture of Brandon Clarke: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote OF prospect Miguel Bleis to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted outfield prospect and former top international signing Miguel Bleis from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Bleis, 21, is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 20 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him at No. 12 and SoxProspects.com has him at No. 13 in the system. The right-handed hitter got his season off to a somewhat late start due to a quad injury, but batted .226/.314/.422 with 15 doubles, one triple, a team-leading 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 75 strikeouts in 77 games (325 plate appearances) for Greenville. That includes a .247/.327/.466 slash line against right-handed pitching and a .156/.270/.266 slash line against left-handed pitching.

Among 71 qualified South Atlantic League hitters entering play Friday, Bleis notably ranks first in pull rate (62.6 percent), second in fly ball rate (46.3 percent), ninth in isolated power (.195), 14th in slugging percentage, 23rd in OPS (.736), 24th in wOBA (.343), and 29th in strikeout rate (23.1 percent) and wRC+ (113), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Bleis saw playing time at all three outfield spots with Greenville this season. The athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder made 37 starts in right field, 30 starts in center field, and four starts in left field, recording five assists (all from center) and committing two errors in 137 total chances. He also made six starts at DH.

Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Bleis received the largest bonus ($1.5 million) of any international free agent the Red Sox signed in 2021. The San Pedro de Macorís native was once viewed as a consensus top-100 prospect after dominating the rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2022. Since undergoing season-ending left shoulder surgery in June 2023, however, he has struggled to produce consistent results, despite occasionally showing flashes of his five-tool potential.

In Portland, Bleis figures to provide the Sea Dogs with additional outfield help after the Red Sox traded James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard to the Dodgers for right-hander Dustin May on Thursday. This promotion is also noteworthy because Bleis can become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft, so how he fares in his first stint at the Double-A level could go a long way in determining if he is worthy of being added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Austin Ehrlicher to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Austin Ehrlicher from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Ehrlicher enjoyed a strong start to his 2025 season in Salem. The 22-year-old right-hander posted a 3.22 ERA (2.96 FIP) with 53 strikeouts to 25 walks over 15 outings (eight starts) spanning 44 2/3 innings in which he held opponents to a .195 batting average. He struck out seven across four scoreless, two-hit frames against Augusta in his last appearance before the All-Star break on July 11.

Among the 87 pitchers who came into play Tuesday having thrown at least 40 innings in the Carolina League this year, Ehrlicher ranked seventh in strikeout rate (28.8 percent), ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.68) and FIP, 15th in batting average against (.195), 19th in swinging-strike rate (13.6 percent), 24th in ERA, 27th in WHIP (1.23), and 29th in xFIP (3.56), per FanGraphs.

Ehrlicher was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round (549th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Santa Rosa Junior College. As a draft-and-follow pick, the California native remained in school for another year and then forwent his commitment to transfer to Arizona State by signing with Boston for $200,000 in June 2023. At that time, he was working his way back from an elbow injury, which delayed his professional debut until last April. He appeared in two games out of the bullpen for Salem before ultimately being shut down for the remainder of the 2024 campaign due to shoulder inflammation.

Now healthy, Ehrlicher has been rewarded with a new challenge in the form of a promotion to Greenville. A former two-sport athlete who also played basketball at Santa Rosa, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound hurler throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball, an 83-86 mph sweeper, and an 89-90 mph changeup, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Ehrlicher, who just turned 22 last month, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top prospects by publications such as SoxProspects.com, which describes him as a “high variance arm with several key traits including standout athleticism, projectability, and feel for spin.” He is slated to join a Greenville pitching staff that already includes fellow righties Blake Aita, Jonathan Brand, Darvin Garcia, John Holobetz, Danny Kirwin, Matt McShane, Adam Smith, and Isaac Stebens.

(Picture of Austin Ehrlicher: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)