Tag: pitcher of the week

Red Sox prospect Angel Roa named Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Roa has been named the Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 27-August 2, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Roa was perfect in his last start for DSL Red Sox Red this past Saturday. Facing his counterparts from DSL Red Sox Blue at the club’s Dominican academy, the 17-year-old right-hander struck out six in the process of retiring all 15 batters he faced over five hitless, walk-free innings.

Roa topped out at 94.9 mph with his fastball and earned his first professional win as DSL Red Sox Red blanked DSL Red Sox Blue, 5-0. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound hurler is now 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA and a 16-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio over six outings (two starts) spanning 15 2/3 innings in the Dominican Summer League this season. Opposing hitters are batting just .094 against him.

A native of Venezuela, Roa signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent in January. The young righty made his professional debut on June 5, surrendering three earned runs in the first three innings of an 11-9 loss to DSL Dodgers Mega. He was then sidelined for the next four weeks for an undisclosed reason, but has been quite effective since returning to the mound on July 4, allowing just one unearned run over his last 12 2/3 innings.

Roa, who turned 17 in late March, is understandably not yet ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects by outlets such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. He is, however, the first Red Sox Dominican Summer Leaguer to earn a weekly award this season.

Azocar also honored

Enddy Azocar, one of three prospects the Red Sox traded to the Orioles for Adley Rutschman on Monday, was also named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of July 27-August 2. In what proved to be his final five games with High-A Greenville, the 19-year-old outfielder went 14-for-25 (.560) with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, 10 runs scored, one walk, and four strikeouts in a series against Asheville at hitter-friendly McCormick Field.

(Picture: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Max Carlson named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Max Carlson has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 20-26, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Carlson made two scoreless relief appearances in Double-A Portland’s road series against Binghamton last week. The 24-year-old right-hander worked 5 2/3 hitless innings altogether, issuing just one walk and striking out seven. He recorded his first save of the season with three perfect frames out of the bullpen on Friday.

Dating back to June 7, Carlson has posted a 2.52 ERA with 28 strikeouts to only four walks over his last 25 innings pitched. Overall, the righty owns a 5.03 ERA with 65 strikeouts to 13 walks across 26 appearances (one start) and 59 innings for Portland this season. Opposing Eastern League hitters are slashing .268/.311/.425 against him.

Among 46 Eastern League pitchers who have thrown at least 55 innings this year, Carlson ranks fourth in swinging-strike rate (15.9%) and walks per nine (1.98), fifth in walk rate (5.3%), seventh in FIP (3.86), ninth in WHIP (1.25) and xFIP (3.79), 16th in strikeout rate (26.5%), and 17th in strikeouts per nine (9.92), according to FanGraphs.

Carlson is in his third full professional season and first at the Double-A level. The Minnesota native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 12th round (358th overall) of the 2023 draft out of the University of North Carolina. He reached High-A Greenville early on in 2024, but was limited to just 11 outings (35 1/3 innings) there last year due to a right shoulder impingement that required a season-ending trip to the 60-day injured list.

Now healthy, Carlson has proven to be a reliable option out of Portland’s bullpen this season. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound hurler does not overwhelm hitters with pure velocity, topping out at 94 mph with a low-90s fastball while mixing in a changeup, slider, and sweeper. Though he is not ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects by outlets such as SoxProspects.com, he commands the strike zone effectively, allowing his stuff to play up.

Carlson, who turns 25 in September, is the fifth different Portland pitcher to earn Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors this season, joining John Holobetz, Patrick Halligan, Anthony Eyanson, and Blake Wehunt. Given that he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time this winter, it would not be surprising to see Carlson leverage his recent performance into a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before long.

(Picture of Max Carlson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

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’ Patrick Halligan named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox minor leaguer Patrick Halligan has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 11-17, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Halligan made two scoreless and hitless appearances (one start) in Double-A Portland’s series on the road against Hartford this past week. On Wednesday, the 26-year-old right-hander earned the win out of the bullpen after firing two shutout, no-hit innings of relief. He issued one walk, recorded two strikeouts, and threw 25 pitches (15 strikes), generating five whiffs.

Three days later, Halligan started for Portland in place of fellow righty Jedixson Paez, who was scratched due to a sore hip. He responded by retiring all 12 batters he faced over four perfect innings in which he fanned four. This time around, Halligan threw 45 pitches (33 strikes) and induced nine swings-and-misses.

Following his award-winning week, Halligan is now 1-0 with a 5.70 ERA (5.08 FIP) and a 34:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 11 outings (two starts) spanning 23 2/3 innings for Portland this season. Opponents are batting .258 against him overall, though he has proven far more effective against left-handed hitters (.179) than right-handed hitters (.315) thus far.

Among 69 pitchers in the Eastern League who have thrown at least 20 innings to this point in the year, Halligan notably ranks fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.93), sixth in strikeout rate (32.4%), 12th in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), and 17th in xFIP (3.95), per FanGraphs.

Originally selected in the 13th round (391st overall) of the 2021 draft out of Pensacola State College, Halligan spent time in the Royals, Braves, and Astros organizations before joining the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in January following a strong showing in the Puerto Rican and Dominican Winter Leagues. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound hurler features a low-90s fastball that can reach 92-93 mph as well as a splitter, slider, and curveball.

Halligan, who does not turn 27 until October, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects by SoxProspects.com. The outlet describes him as a potential “emergency up-and-down bullpen arm if he throws strikes on a more consistent basis.”

With prior experience at the minors’ top level, it would not be surprising to see Halligan get an opportunity at Triple-A Worcester before long if he continues throwing the ball the way he has as of late for Portland.

(Picture of Patrick Halligan: Michael Owens/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Devin Futrell named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Devin Futrell has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 6-12, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Futrell was nearly perfect in his first start (second appearance) of the young season in Low-A Salem’s series finale against Wilson on Sunday. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed just one walk and struck out four over five scoreless, no-hit innings.

After issuing a leadoff walk to begin his afternoon, Futrell retired the final 15 batters he faced and needed all of 52 pitches (33 strikes) to get through five efficient frames. He generated eight whiffs and improved to 2-0 as the RidgeYaks routed the Warbirds, 16-3, at Salem’s Carilion Clinic Field.

Through his first two outings of the season for Salem, Futrell has yielded just one hit and two walks while striking out 10 of the 30 batters he has faced over nine innings of work. Among 31 qualified pitchers in the Carolina League, Futrell leads in both batting average against (.036) and WHIP (0.33). He also ranks ninth in swinging-strike rate (16.5%) and 10th in FIP (2.30), per FanGraphs.

A former 10th-round draft pick (297th overall) out of Vanderbilt who signed for an over-slot $250,000 in 2024, Futrell is not currently ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects. The Florida native spent most of his first full professional season with Salem before receiving a promotion last August to High-A Greenville, where he posted a 1.09 ERA over five starts spanning 24 2/3 innings.

Despite the strong results there, Futrell did not break camp with Greenville this spring after being knocked down the pitching depth chart by 2025 draftees Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson. Instead, he has returned to Salem and has evidently not skipped a beat. In fact, it is fair to wonder if he is even being challenged at the level he is at right now.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, Futrell operates with a four-pitch mix that includes an upper-80s fastball that has reached the lower-90s, a 76-78 mph changeup, a 74-77 mph curveball, and a 79-83 mph changeup. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lefty lacks velocity but makes up for it with pitchability.

Futrell, who turns 24 in September, is undoubtedly gunning for a tougher assignment in the form of a return to Greenville. If one of Witherspoon, Phillips, or Eyanson — or perhaps even hard-throwing righty Juan Valera — were to move up to Double-A Portland in the coming weeks, Futrell would be an obvious candidate to take their place in the Drive’s starting rotation.

UPDATE: Futrell has indeed been promoted to Greenville, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker.

(Picture of Devin Futrell courtesy of the Salem RidgeYaks)

Red Sox’ Yhoiker Fajardo named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for second time this season

Red Sox pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 18-24, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Fajardo takes home the honor for the second time this season, having previously done so for the week of July 28-August 3. The 18-year-old right-hander made two starts and tossed seven scoreless innings in Low-A Salem’s series against the Carolina Mudcats at Carilion Clinic Field this past week.

After retiring the first three batters he faced on Thursday, Fajardo’s outing was interrupted by rain, and the contest was ultimately suspended in the middle of the first. That allowed him to retake the mound on Sunday afternoon, and he responded by yielding just two hits and no walks while striking out eight over six dominant innings in Salem’s 3-2 victory.

Fajardo fanned the first five batters he faced and took a no-hit bid into the top of the sixth before giving up back-to-back one-out singles. The hard-throwing righty escaped that jam by inducing a groundout and flyout to keep Carolina off the board and end his day on a high note. He threw 74 pitches (55 strikes) and generated 16 whiffs, tied for the most of any pitcher at the Low-A level on Sunday, according to Baseball Savant.

In 11 starts for Salem since being promoted from the rookie-level Florida Complex League (where he forged a 0.44 ERA in 20 2/3 innings) on June 17, Fajardo has posted a 2.84 ERA (2.49 FIP) with 46 strikeouts to 14 walks over 44 1/3 frames in which opposing hitters have batted .217 against him. That includes a 0.92 ERA (1.67 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to six walks across 19 2/3 innings in August.

Among 126 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings in the Carolina League this season, Fajardo ranks third in FIP and swinging-strike rate (16.7 percent), fifth in line-drive rate (15.8 percent), 11th in xFIP (3.14), 16th in WHIP (1.11) and groundball rate (52.6 percent), 24th in ERA, 25th in walks per nine innings (2.84), 28th in strikeout rate (25.8 percent) and walk rate (7.9 percent), 42nd in batting average against, and 50th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.34), per FanGraphs.

Hailing from Venezuela, Fajardo originally signed with the White Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent in February 2024. The Villa de Cura native made the most of his professional debut and was recognized as a Dominican Summer League All-Star last year before being acquired by the Red Sox for left-handed reliever Cam Booser in December. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 22 prospect, which ranks 11th among pitchers in the organization. Elsewhere, MLB Pipeline has him at No. 25 while SoxProspects.com has him at No. 18 on their respective lists.

Listed at a projectable 6-foot-3 and 181 pounds, Fajardo throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the young hurler features a 93-96 mph two-/four-seam fastball combination that can reach 97 mph and also mixes in a tight 82-86 mph slider as well as an 85-88 mph changeup.

Fajardo, who does not turn 19 until October, is in line to make one or two more starts before Salem’s season ends on September 7. With that being said, it will be interesting to see if he could receive another promotion to aid in High-A Greenville’s quest for a playoff spot. As of this writing, the Drive are one game back of second-half leading Hub City for first place in the South Atlantic League South division standings.

(Picture of Yhoiker Fajardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Connelly Early named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

For the second time in as many weeks, a Red Sox pitching prospect has been recognized as the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.

After right-hander David Sandlin took home the honor last week, left-hander Connelly Early was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 23-29 on Monday, Minor League Baseball announced.

Early was stellar for Double-A Portland and was credited with the win in Sunday’s series finale on the road against Binghamton. The 23-year-old lefty walked three and struck out seven over six scoreless, no-hit innings. He retired 17 of the 20 batters he faced, throwing 82 pitches (56 strikes) and generating 12 whiffs as the Sea Dogs defeated the Rumble Ponies by a final score of 3-1 at Mirabito Stadium.

In 12 outings (nine starts) for Portland to this point in the season, Early has posted a 1.94 ERA (2.20 FIP) with a staff-leading 81 strikeouts to 24 walks over 55 2/3 innings in which opponents have batted just .189 against him. That includes a .141 batting average against left-handed hitters and a .212 batting average against right-handed hitters.

Among 29 pitchers in the Eastern League who have thrown at least 55 innings this year, Early ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (13.10), strikeout rate (35.4 percent), swinging-strike rate (15.2 percent), batting average against, FIP, xFIP (2.77), groundball rate (52.7 percent), and line-drive rate (14.3 percent), third in ERA, and seventh in WHIP (1.10), per FanGraphs.

Early, who turned 23 in April, is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 10 prospect, which ranks fifth among pitchers in the organization. The Midlothian, Va. native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (151st overall) in the 2023 draft out of Virginia by way of Army West Point. He received an at-slot $408,500 signing bonus and has only seen his stock rise since entering the professional ranks..

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his repeatable delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the athletic southpaw primarily operates with a four- to five-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph fastball (topped out at 96.6 mph on Sunday), an 82-85 mph changeup, an 80-83 mph sweeper, an 84-87 mph slider, and a 77-80 mph curveball.

As is the case with Sandlin, Early, too, is seemingly on the verge of a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. Both hurlers simultaneously made the jump to Portland after the MLB All-Star break last July, so it will be interesting to see if that pattern repeats itself in the coming weeks.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ David Sandlin named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for second time this season

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 16-22, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Sandlin takes home the honor for the second time this season (he first did so for the week of May 26-June 1) after starting Double-A Portland’s combined no-hitter against Akron at Hadlock Field on Sunday afternoon. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out nine and walked three over six scoreless, no-hit innings. Relievers Christopher Troye and Jonathan Brand followed his lead for the final three frames as the Sea Dogs blanked the RubberDucks, 10-0.

Finishing with 94 pitches (59 strikes), Sandlin induced a game-high 14 swings-and-misses en route to improving to 4-3 on the year. He now sports a 3.90 ERA (3.14 FIP) with 62 strikeouts to 19 walks through 12 outings (11 starts) spanning a staff-leading 60 innings for Portland this season. Opposing hitters have batted .230 against him.

Among 21 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Sandlin ranks second in FIP, fifth in strikeout rate (25.1 percent), sixth in xFIP (3.65) and swinging-strike rate (12.7 percent), seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (9.30), WHIP (1.18), and line-drive rate (21.3 percent), eighth in walks per nine innings (2.85) and walk rate (7.7 percent), and ninth in batting average against, per FanGraphs.

Originally acquired from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber in February 2024, Sandlin is currently regarded by Baseball America as the Red Sox’ No. 11 prospect, which places seventh among pitchers in the organization. Elsewhere, MLB Pipeline has the former 2022 11th-round draft selection out of Oklahoma ranked as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system, while SoxProspects.com has him at No. 13.

Standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin has primarily operated with a four- to five-pitch mix this season. The athletic righty regularly averages 94-97 mph with his fastball (reached 98.5 mph on Sunday) that has touched triple digits in the past. He has also incorporated a 90-93 mph gyro slider, an 85-88 mph sweeper, an 88-91 mph splitter, and a 77-81 mph curveball into his diverse arsenal.

Sandlin, who does not turn 25 until next February, can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his professional career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline. Taking that into account, it would not be surprising if he were to receive a promotion to Triple-A Worcester sooner rather than later as the Red Sox continue to evaluate his future role in the organization.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Austin Ehrlicher named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Austin Ehrlicher has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 9-15, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Ehrlicher was nearly perfect in his latest start for Low-A Salem on Sunday afternoon. Going up against Delmarva on the road, the 22-year-old right-hander walked just one and struck out a season-high of seven over five scoreless, no-hit innings. He retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced, throwing 68 pitches (46 strikes) and generating 10 swings and misses.

Despite Ehrlicher’s strong showing on the mound, the Red Sox dropped Sunday’s series finale to the Shorebirds at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium by a final score of 5-4 to fall to 24-37 on the season.

Ehrlicher has forged a 3.86 ERA (3.03 FIP) with 35 strikeouts to 18 walks in 11 appearances (seven starts) spanning 28 innings for Salem so far this season. The righty began the year in the bullpen but struggled in that role, allowing six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of relief through the end of April. He moved to the Red Sox’ rotation in early May and has since posted a 2.38 ERA (3.12 FIP) with 25 strikeouts to 13 walks over 22 2/3 innings as a starter while holding opposing hitters to a .192 batting average.

Among 96 pitchers in the Carolina League who have thrown at least 28 innings to this point in the season, Ehrlicher ranks ninth in FIP, 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.25), 15th in strikeout rate (29.2 percent), 40th in batting average against (.222) and xFIP (3.80), 44th in ERA, and 46th in swinging-strike rate (12.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

Ehrlicher, who turned 22 earlier this month, 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 did not sign with the Red Sox until June 2023, forgoing his commitment to transfer to Arizona State in the process of doing so. He received a $200,000 signing bonus but was working his way back from an elbow injury at that time, which pushed his professional debut back until last April. He then made two relief appearances for Salem before ultimately being shut down for the remainder of the 2024 season with right shoulder inflammation.

Now healthy, Ehrlicher is showing flashes of his intriguing potential. A former two-sport athlete who also played basketball at Santa Rosa, Ehrlicher stands at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot and primarily 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 is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, which describes him as having “several key traits, including standout athleticism, projectability, and feel for spin.” He is the third Red Sox minor-leaguer to take home Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors this season, joining fellow righties Blake Aita (a two-time winner) and Trennor O’Donnell.

Moving forward, it should be worthwhile to see if Ehrlicher can leverage his performance with Salem into a promotion to High-A Greenville in the not-so-distant future.

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

Red Sox’ David Sandlin named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 26-June 1, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Sandlin threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout in Game 1 of Double-A Portland’s doubleheader on the road against the Altoona Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field last Thursday. The 24-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings. He retired the final eight batters he faced and finished with 83 pitches (56 strikes), inducing eight swings and misses.

The Sea Dogs ultimately defeated the Curve, 3-0, in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader and went on to sweep the twin bill with a 9-6 victory in the nightcap.

Through nine appearances (eight starts) for Portland to this point in the season, Sandlin has posted a 3.77 ERA (3.42 FIP) with 45 strikeouts to 12 walks over a staff-leading 43 innings of work. Opposing hitters have batted .239 against him.

Among 25 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Sandlin notably ranks sixth in walks per nine innings (2.51) and xFIP (3.47), seventh in walk rate (6.8 percent) and FIP, and ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.42), strikeout rate (25.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (12.2 percent), and WHIP (1.19), per FanGraphs.

Sandlin entered the 2025 campaign regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Luis Perales. The former 2022 11th-round draft pick out of Oklahoma was acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber last February. He split the 2024 season between High-A Greenville and Portland, compiling a 5.34 ERA (4.78 FIP) across 18 starts spanning 57 1/3 total innings.

Listed at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin has primarily featured a five-pitch mix this season. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the athletic hurler regularly averages 94-97 mph with a fastball that has reached 99 mph in-game after touching triple digits last year and over the winter. He has also incorporated a 90-93 mph slider, an 85-88 mph sweeper, an 88-91 mph splitter, and a 77-91 mph curveball into his diverse arsenal.

Sandlin, who just turned 24 in February, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his professional career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. With that, it would not be surprising if the fireballer were to receive a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future as the Red Sox continue to assess whether he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)