Tag: greenville drive

Red Sox to promote pitching prospects Payton Tolle, Eduardo Rivera to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospects Payton Tolle and Eduardo Rivera from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Josh Ball of Beyond the Monster.

Tolle and Rivera, both 22, are in their first full seasons as members of the Red Sox organization. The pair of large left-handers opened the 2025 campaign with Greenville and excelled there, making the club’s decision to elevate them to Portland at this time hardly surprising.

Tolle was selected by the Red Sox with the 50th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of TCU. The Oklahoma native received an above-slot $2 million signing bonus but did not make his professional debut (in which he made the jump straight to Greenville) until April after logging 81 1/3 innings in his junior season with the Horned Frogs.

In 11 outings (10 starts) for Greenville, Tolle posted a 3.62 ERA (2.89 FIP) with 79 strikeouts to 14 walks over 49 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .234 against him. He capped off his time with the Drive by allowing just one earned run on five hits, one walk, and nine strikeouts across six quality innings against Greensboro on Sunday. Of the 83 pitches he threw, 55 were strikes and 21 generated a swing-and-miss.

Among the 38 pitchers who have thrown at least 45 innings in the South Atlantic League this season, Tolle ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (14.32), strikeout rate (38.3 percent), and swinging-strike rate (17.3 percent), second in xFIP (2.50), fourth in FIP, 13th in walks per nine innings (2.54), walk rate (6.8 percent), and WHIP (1.17), and 19th in batting average against, per FanGraphs.

Tolle, who turns 23 in November, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect (first among pitchers) in Boston’s farm system and the No. 84 prospect in the sport. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound southpaw throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph fastball (reached 97.7 mph on Sunday), a 90-92 mph cutter, an 84-88 mph sweeping slider, and an 87-90 mph changeup, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Rivera, meanwhile, is further into his professional career than Tolle. The native Puerto Rican was originally selected by the Athletics in the 11th round (338th overall) of the 2021 draft out of high school and was released last May. He quickly latched on with the Red Sox as a minor-league free agent and split the remainder of the 2024 season between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem, forging a 2.67 ERA (2.55 FIP) with 38 strikeouts to nine walks over 30 1/3 total innings.

After putting together a strong showing in the Puerto Rican Winter League, Rivera has undoubtedly been one of the biggest surprises on the pitching side of things for Greenville this season. He compiled a 1.61 ERA (2.35 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to 16 walks across 10 outings (six starts) spanning 44 2/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .138 batting average. Like Tolle, he ended his time with the Drive by yielding just one earned run on five hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings against Greensboro this past Friday. Of the 87 pitches he threw, 60 landed for strikes and 17 were whiff-inducing.

Among the 49 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Rivera ranks first in strikeout rate (39.5 percent), swinging-strike rate (18.8 percent), groundball rate (59 percent), batting average against, second in ERA, FIP, and xFIP (2.42), third in strikeouts per nine innings (13.70) and WHIP (0.83), and 24th in walks per nine innings (3.22), per FanGraphs.

Rivera, who just turned 23 earlier this month, is not currently ranked by Baseball America but is regarded by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 35 prospect, which places 17th among pitchers in the organization. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 6-foot-7, 235-pound hurler throws from a three-quarters arm slot and features a 93-97 mph fastball (reached 96.2 mph in Friday’s start), an 87-89 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph slider, an 85-89 mph changeup, and a 78-80 mph curveball.

Both Tolle and Rivera are now slated to join a talented Portland pitching staff that already includes the likes of David Sandlin, Connelly Early, and Hayden Mullins, among others. The Sea Dogs open a six-game series on the road against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Tuesday.

With the promotions of Tolle and Rivera, fellow lefty Shea Sprague is once again being elevated from Salem to Greenville, according to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield. Sprague, a Hanover, Mass. native, made one relief appearance for the Drive in late May in which he struck out five and walked only one over 3 1/3 scoreless, one-hit frames before being sent back down on June 3.

(Picture of Payton Tolle: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Blake Aita to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Blake Aita from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to Chase Ford of MiLB Central.

Aita, who turns 22 on Wednesday, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 43 prospect, which ranks 23rd among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander posted a 4.24 ERA (3.52 FIP) with 45 strikeouts to nine walks in 10 outings (nine starts) spanning a staff-leading 51 innings for Salem to open his first full professional season. Opposing hitters batted .240 against him.

Among 14 qualified pitchers in the Carolina League entering the week, Aita ranked first in walks per nine innings (1.59) and walk rate (4.4 percent), second in WHIP (1.08) and xFIP (3.32), fourth in groundball rate (49.3 percent), fifth in FIP and line-drive rate (19.2 percent), sixth in strikeout rate (22 percent), and seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (7.94), per FanGraphs.

A two-time Carolina League Pitcher of the Week award recipient in his first stint with Salem, Aita was selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round (177th overall) of last summer’s draft out of Kennesaw State, where he earned 2024 All-Atlantic Sun First Team honors. As a draft-eligible sophomore, the Georgia native signed for an under-slot $300,000 in late July but did not make his professional debut until earlier this year.

Standing 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. The sturdy righty primarily operates with a 92-95 mph fastball (up from 89-92 mph in college), an 80-82 mph sweeper, an 86-89 mph cutter, and an 85-89 mph changeup, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

“He’s been great so far,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said of Aita last month. “He worked hard all offseason and spring training to set himself 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. Very pleased with the consistency and constant improvement daily.”

With this promotion, Aita is now slated to join a talented pitching staff in Greenville that — as of this writing — includes fellow 2024 draftees Payton Tolle, John Holobetz, Brandon Clarke, and Matt McShane.

(Picture of Blake Aita: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Franklin Arias named South Atlantic League Player of the Month for May

Red Sox infield prospect Franklin Arias has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Month for May, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Arias, 19, went 40-for-99 (.404) with nine doubles, one triple, two home runs, 19 RBIs, 14 runs scored, three stolen bases, six walks, and seven strikeouts in 23 games for High-A Greenville last month. The right-handed hitter is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak. He is batting .372/.408/.529 with 11 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 23 RBIs, 14 runs scored, five stolen bases, eight walks, and nine strikeouts over 28 games (130 plate appearances) with the Drive since being promoted from Low-A Salem in late April.

Among the 95 hitters in the South Atlantic League who entered play Tuesday having made at least 130 trips to the plate this season, Arias ranked first in batting average, strikeout rate (6.9 percent), and swinging-strike rate (3.5 percent), second in OPS (.937), third in slugging percentage, fourth in wOBA (.427) and wRC+ (162), ninth in on-base percentage, and 35th in isolated power (.157) and line-drive rate (22.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Arias was just recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Defensive Player of the Month for May. Since moving up from Salem to Greenville, the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has split his playing time on the field between shortstop and second base, making 20 starts at the former and four starts at the latter. Between the two spots, he has committed just one error in 87 total chances. He has also made four starts at DH.

Originally signed out of Venezuela for $525,000 in January 2023, Arias is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 65 prospect in the sport. Following an impressive professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, the Caracas native is coming off a 2024 season that saw him net plenty of awards, including Baseball America Rookie All-Star honors, Florida Complex League All-Star, MVP, and Top Prospect honors, and Red Sox Minor League Baserunner of the Year honors.

Arias, who does not turn 20 until November, told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in April that one of his goals was to make it to Double-A Portland — or even Triple-A Worcester — before the end of the 2025 season. Given Arias’ level of play at High-A, Greenville hitting coach JP Fasone was recently asked by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith if he believes the teenager is already ready for his second promotion of the year.

“Luckily, I don’t have to worry about any of that (promotion decisions), but I would say if he continues on this trajectory, there’s no reason he wouldn’t be,” Fasone said. “He’s definitely shown he can handle the pitching. There are definitely things we still wanna see out of him in Greenville. But when the people who make those decisions make the call, he’ll definitely be ready.”

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox promote power-hitting IF prospect Freili Encarnacion to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Freili Encarnacion from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield.

Encarnacion, 20, had gotten his second season with Salem off to a roaring start and was promptly rewarded with a promotion. In 45 games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate this year, the right-handed hitter batted .303/.363/.566 with 14 doubles, one triple, a team-leading 10 home runs and 32 RBIs, 34 runs scored, five stolen bases, 11 walks, and 39 strikeouts over 193 plate appearances. That includes a .273/.385/.545 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .310/.357/.570 slash line against right-handed pitching.

Among qualified hitters in the Carolina League coming into play Tuesday, Encarnacion ranked first in slugging percentage and isolated power (.263), second in OPS (.929), third in batting average, fifth in wOBA (.434) and wRC+ (153), 19th in on-base percentage, and 21st in line-drive rate (24.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Encarnacion saw playing time at every infield position besides shortstop to begin the season with Salem. The 6-foot-2, 181-pounder logged 151 1/3 innings at first base, 44 innings at second base, and 154 innings at third base, committing nine errors in 212 total defensive chances. He also made four starts at DH.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Encarnacion originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.1 million as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in January 2022. He made his professional debut and held his own (.704 OPS in 41 games) in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter before a back injury limited him to just eight Florida Complex League games in 2023. In his first go-around with Salem last year, he slashed .244/.290/.329 with two home runs and 32 RBIs in 45 games.

Encarnacion, who just turned 20 in January, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top prospects by publications such as SoxProspects.com. He does, however, possess some of the best raw power in the system, as evidenced by the exit velocities (including a 120.6 mph single and a 117.2 mph home run) he has produced so far this season. If he can continue to refine his approach at the plate, he could put himself in a position to move up organizational prospect boards across the industry.

(Picture of Freili Encarnacion: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote local pitching prospect Shea Sprague to High-A Greenville

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

Sprague, 22, was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round (387th overall) of last summer’s draft as a junior coming out of North Carolina. The Hanover, Mass. native — who graduated from Boston College High School in 2021 and attended Elon University for the first two years of his collegiate career — signed with his hometown team for a slightly-over-slot $155,000 but did not make his professional debut until last month.

Sprague struggled out of the gate to begin the 2025 season, surrendering 12 runs (nine earned) in his first two outings (5 2/3 innings) for Salem. The left-hander seemingly flipped a switch on April 23, however, only allowing four earned runs over his next five appearances (24 2/3 innings) while holding opposing hitters to a .195 batting average leading up to Friday’s promotion.

“I think I just settled in, started going after guys,” Sprague said of his early-season turnaround in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “Kind of went through a similar preseason, early-season struggle last year at UNC, trying to be too cute. But I just started going at guys and trusting my stuff. So that’s probably been the biggest change. Nothing major.”

Overall, Sprague posted a 3.86 ERA (2.45 FIP) with 35 strikeouts to nine walks in seven outings (two starts) spanning 30 1/3 innings for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. In a case of reverse splits, he proved to be more effective against right-handed hitters (.247 opponents’ batting average) than left-handed hitters (.304 opponents’ batting average), which happened to him in college as well.

Among the 45 pitchers in the Carolina League who had thrown at least 30 innings coming into play on Friday, Sprague ranked second in FIP, fourth in xFIP (3.01), fifth in swinging-strike rate (14.8 percent), eighth in walk rate (6.9 percent), ninth in walks per nine innings (2.67), 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.38), 12th in strikeout rate (26.7 percent), 20th in groundball rate (43.4 percent), and 21st in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Sprague throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 89-92 mph fastball with sink, a low-80s whiff-inducing changeup, a 79-81 mph gyro slider, and a developing sweeper. The projectable southpaw told Smith that one of his goals is to continue adding velocity to his heater and get in the 92-94 mph or 93-95 mph range within the next year.

“The Red Sox stress to us just the importance of velocity,” said Sprague, who is doing drills with weighted plyo balls as part of his side work. “Obviously, I think a lot of velocity comes from physical development, so just getting bigger, stronger, faster. And just throwing more intent more often. Workload and all that stuff. So they have it down to a science, and they’re good about it. It just comes with time, keep working hard, and keep throwing hard.”

Sprague, who just turned 22 in January, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects by publications such as Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com. He is, however, slated to join a pitching staff in Greenville that includes the likes of fellow southpaws Payton Tolle, Eduardo Rivera, Noah Dean, Brandon Clarke, Michael Sansone, and Zach Fogell.

(Picture of Shea Sprague: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Michael Sansone to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted left-hander Michael Sansone from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Sansone started the season in Salem’s bullpen after spending most of 2024 with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. To open the 2025 campaign, the 25-year-old lefty posted a 2.75 ERA and 2.92 FIP with 22 strikeouts to just one walk in 10 relief appearances (19 2/3 innings) for the Red Sox. He converted two of his three save opportunities as opposing hitters batted .233 against him.

Among 85 Carolina League pitchers who entered play Tuesday having thrown at least 19 innings this year, Sansone ranked first in walks per nine innings (0.46) and walk rate (1.3 percent), fourth in WHIP (0.92) and xFIP (2.66), ninth in swinging-strike rate (16.1 percent), 13th in FIP, 16th in strikeout rate (29.3 percent), 19th in ERA, 26th in line-drive rate (19.2 percent), and 31st in strikeouts per nine innings (10.07), per FanGraphs.

Sansone began his professional career with the Rays organization after spending four years at Fairfield and going undrafted in July 2022. The Connecticut native made a handful of appearances in the Florida Complex League that summer and compiled a 3.49 ERA (3.10 FIP) in 15 relief outings (28 1/3 innings) for Tampa Bay’s Low-A affiliate the following season before being released in July 2023. He then signed with the Yolo High Wheelers of the independent Pioneer League last March, only to have his contract purchased by the Red Sox a few weeks later.

Sansone reported to Salem shortly thereafter and finished 2024 with a 3.11 ERA (3.25 FIP) in 20 appearances (three starts) spanning 72 1/3 innings. Altogether, the dimunitve southpaw owns a 3.14 ERA (3.16 FIP) with 127 strikeouts to just 15 walks over 120 1/3 career innings at the Low-A level dating back to April 2023, so one could say this is a well-earned promotion.

Standing at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, Sansone throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates some deception into his delivery. Not known for his velocity, he primarily operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball, an 83-84 mph slider and a 79-80 mph changeup, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Sansone, who turns 26 in November, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. In Greenville, he is slated to join a bullpen mix that, at present, includes fellow lefty Zach Fogell and righties Isaac Stebens, Matt McShane, Cooper Adams, Adam Smith, and Darvin Garcia.

Greenville’s series opener against Bowling Green on Tuesday was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a seven-inning doubleheader on Wednesday night.

(Picture of Michael Sansone: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Marvin Alcantara to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Marvin Alcantara from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Alcantara, 20, will be tested in the upper minors for the first time after an up-and-down start to his 2025 season. The right-handed hitter broke camp with Greenville earlier this spring and came out of the gates firing, slashing .358/.427/.433 with two doubles, one home run, and eight RBIs in his first 18 games (75 plate appearances) through the end of April. He has since struggled to a .157/.232/.196 line with two doubles and seven RBIs over 14 games (56 plate appearances) in May.

Overall, Alcantara batted .271/.344/.331 (98 wRC+) with four doubles, one home run, 15 RBIs, 17 runs scored, four stolen bases, 11 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 32 games (131 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the season. Among 83 qualified South Atlantic League hitters entering play Tuesday, he ranked third in strikeout rate (13 percent), eighth in swinging-strike rate (7.7 percent), 20th in batting average, and 31st in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Alcantara saw playing time at every infield position besides first base in his first stint with Greenville. The fluid 5-foot-10, 157-pounder (listed height and weight) logged 126 innings at second base, 76 1/3 innings at third base, and 63 2/3 innings at shortstop, committing four errors in 94 total defensive chances (.957 fielding percentage). He also made one start at DH.

Alcantara originally signed with the Red Sox for just $30,000 in January 2022 as an unheralded international free agent out of Venezuela. The La Victoria native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that June and has steadily worked his way up the organizational ladder since then. He is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 39 prospect and is regarded by many as one of the better defensive infielders in the club’s farm system.

Alcantara, who does not turn 21 until November, will bat eighth and start at second base in Portland’s series opener against Reading at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

(Picture of Marvin Alcantara: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox to promote OF prospect Zach Ehrhard to Double-A Portland

With Jhostynxon Garcia set to be promoted to Triple-A Worcester, the Red Sox are elevating fellow outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Ehrhard, 22, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 47 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .342/.471/.459 with 10 doubles, one home run, 22 RBIs, 24 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 26 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 31 games (140 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the 2025 season. That includes a ridiculous .418/.484/.582 slash line this month.

Among qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Ehrhard ranks second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, sixth in walk rate (18.6 percent), seventh in OPS (.930), 11th in strikeout rate (19.3 percent), and 15th in slugging percentage, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Ehrhard saw playing time at all three outfield positions while with Greenville. The athletic 5-foot-10, 190-pounder logged 98 innings in left field, 86 1/3 innings in right field, and 52 innings in center field, committing zero errors and recording two assists (both from right) in 43 total chances. He also made four 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. Rather than go pro out of high school, he played collegiately at Oklahoma State for three seasons before re-entering the draft as a junior in 2024. He was then, once again, taken by the Red Sox, only this time in the fourth round (115th overall). As such, he signed for an under-slot $500,000 last July and made the jump straight to Greenville for his professional debut after putting pen to paper.

Though he struggled some in his first stint with the Drive (.459 OPS in 22 games) last year, Ehrhard has shown out of the gate this season why Baseball America tabbed him as the “best pure hitter” in Boston’s 2024 draft class. That superlative will surely be put to the test once he arrives in Portland to go up against more advanced competition at the Double-A level in the Eastern League. Still, this new challenge comes at an exciting and opportune time.

In being promoted, Ehrhard will join his older brother, Drew, on the Sea Dogs’ roster. Drew, 26, 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. The two brothers will now have the chance to be teammates and possibly share the same field again as soon as Tuesday, when Portland opens a six-game series against Reading at Hadlock Field.

“I would love that,” Zach said of the possibility of playing with Drew when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last week. “ 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 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)