Tag: jonathan brand

Red Sox promote relief prospect Jonathan Brand to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Jonathan Brand from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Brand, 24, has yet to allow an earned run in six appearances for Greenville this season. The right-hander has given up just one unearned run on eight hits and three walks to go along with 18 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .186 batting average against.

Brand was originally selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Miami University (Ohio). The Georgia native had committed to go to Auburn University as a graduate transfer, but he forwent that commitment by signing with Boston for just $7,500.

Since making his professional debut in the Florida Complex League in August 2022, Brand owns a career 1.90 ERA (2.90 FIP) in 37 total appearances (52 innings) across three different minor-league levels. That includes a 2.58 ERA (3.52 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to 14 walks in 29 relief outings (38 1/3 innings) for Low-A Salem last year.

Despite those impressive numbers, Brand is still not viewed as a top pitching prospect within Boston’s farm system. Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 5-foot-9, 200-pound righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a medium leg kick in his delivery. He operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 89-90 mph fastball, a 74-76 mph curveball, an 80-82 mph slider, and an 80-82 mph changeup.

It remains to be seen if Brand’s first stint with Portland will be a short or long-lived one. Regardless, he takes the place of lefty Brendan Cellucci — who was promoted to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday — in the Sea Dogs’ bullpen.

(Picture of Jonathan Brand: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox relief prospect Jonathan Brand off to impressive start with Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Jonathan Brand recorded his fourth save of the season in Low-A Salem’s 7-4 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Wednesday night.

Brand worked a scoreless ninth inning and needed all of 12 pitches (8 strikes) to strike out two of the three batters he faced. The right-hander induced three swings-and-misses in the processes of extending his scoreless appearance streak to five.

Brand has yet to allow an earned run in six outings out of the Salem bullpen this month. On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the 23-year-old hurler has posted a miniscule 0.96 ERA to go along with 24 strikeouts to just six walks over 14 relief appearances spanning 18 2/3 innings of work.

Among 220 Carolina League pitchers who have accrued 10 or more innings to this point in the season, Brand entered Thursday ranking 19th in batting average against (.154), 13th in WHIP (0.86), and fifth in ERA, per FanGraphs. Using those same parameters, however, Brand also ranks ninth (or 213th) in line-drive rate (30.8 percent), which suggests he has gotten hit hard quite a bit.

Still, it has been an encouraging first full professional season for Brand, who the Red Sox took in the eighth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Miami University (Ohio). Rather than transfer to Auburn as a graduate student, the Georgia native signed with Boston for just $7,500.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 200 bounds, Brand throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 89-90 mph fastball, a 74-76 mph curveball that features 12-to-6 break, an 80-82 mph slider that features short, horizontal break, and an 80-82 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

While he is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top relief prospects in Boston’s farm system, one has to figure that Brand is on the cusp of a promotion to High-A Greenville. That could happen sooner rather than later if he continues to show that he really isn’t being challenged at the Low-A level.

Brand, who does not turn 24 until next February, would be looking to become the fourth member of the Sox’ 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this year, joining the likes of left-handers Dalton Rogers and Nathan Landry and outfielder Roman Anthony.

(Picture of Jonathan Brand: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox select Miami University right-hander Jonathan Brand with eighth-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 249th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected Miami University (Ohio) right-hander Jonathan Brand.

College teammates with current Red Sox relief prospect Jacob Webb, Brand was not regarded by Baseball America as one of the top pitchers in this year’s draft class.

This past season with the RedHawks, the 22-year-old posted a 1.43 ERA and 1.14 WHIP to go along with 86 strikeouts to 29 walks over 13 starts spanning 77 1/3 innings of work en route to being named First Team All-Mid Atlantic Conference. He also made five starts for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer and recorded 21 strikeouts to just two walks across 21 frames.

A native of Columbus, Ga., Brand is currently committed to transfer to Auburn University if he elects not to sign with the Red Sox. The recommended slot value attached to the 249th selection in this year’s draft comes in at approximately $173,100.

Brand, who does not turn 23 until next February, is listed at 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds. He becomes the fifth college pitcher scooped up by Boston in the 2022 draft, joining the likes of Dalton Rogers, Noah Dean, Alex Hoppe, and Caleb Bolden.

(Picture of Jonathan Brand: Miami University Athletics)