Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox select North Dakota State right-hander Cade Feeney with 13th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox selected North Dakota State right-hander Cade Feeney with their 13th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 388 overall.

Feeney posted a 4.57 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 78 strikeouts to 12 walks in 14 starts (80 2/3 innings) for the Bison this past season. The 21-year-old junior was named to the 2023 All-Summit League First Team for the second time in his collegiate career.

A native of North Dakota himself, Feeney stands at 6-feet and 195 pounds. The righty operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball as well as a changeup and slider. He has solid command of all three offerings, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall.

Feeney, who turns 22 later this month, is the eighth pitcher to be drafted by Boston within the club’s first 15 picks. Though he could return to Fargo for his senior season next year, the Red Sox have the ability to sign Feeney for up to $150,000 without dipping into their bonus pool.

(Picture of Cade Feeney: North Dakota State University Athletics)

Red Sox select North Carolina righty Max Carlson with 12th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected North Carolina right-hander Max Carlson with their 12th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 358 overall.

Carlson was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 385 prospect in this year’s draft class. The 21-year-old junior posted a 5.45 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 76 strikeouts to 32 walks in 17 appearances (14 starts) spanning 76 innings of work for the Tar Heels this past season. Opposing hitters batted .256 against him.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Carlson “pitches in the 90-93 mph range and touches 95, and uses a low-80s changeup as his primary secondary and swing-and-miss pitch,” per his Baseball America scouting report. “He generated a 40% miss rate with the changeup this spring, which was far and away his most effective bat-missing offering. He’ll also mix in a low-80s slider, but he used the pitch at just a 7% rate.”

The younger brother of Mariners minor-league righty Sam Carlson, Max was a well-regarded pitching prospect coming out of high school but was not drafted in 2020. The Minnesota native instead took his talents to Chapel Hill and had the best year of his collegiate career as a sophomore, pitching to a 3.71 ERA over 18 starts (77 2/3 innings) in 2022.

Though his production took a dip this spring, the Red Sox still elected to take a chance on Carlson, who turns 22 in September. He is the first pitcher taken by Boston on Day 3 and the seventh arm drafted by the club overall.

As is the case with most prospects who are drafted between rounds 11-20, the Red Sox can sign Carlson for up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool. Carlson does still have eligibility remaining, so he could return to North Carolina for his senior season if he so chooses.

(Picture of Max Carlson: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Clemson lefty Ryan Ammons with 10th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Clemson left-hander Ryan Ammons with their 10th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 298 overall.

Ammons, 22, opened the 2023 campaign as the Tigers’ Friday night starter but suffered a left forearm strain in his second start and was sidelined for nearly two months as a result.

Upon returning to action in late April, Ammons was used strictly out of Clemson’s bullpen. The lefty closed out his redshirt junior season by posting a 5.40 ERA with seven strikeouts to five walks over 10 innings of relief in which he racked up five saves.

Ammons’ experience as a reliever goes beyond what he did this spring. After appearing in a total of nine games across his first two seasons at Clemson, the South Carolina native got into 25 games for the Tigers last year and pitched to a 4.61 ERA with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 27 1/3 innings. He also converted eight save opportunities.

Listed at 6-foot and 205 pounds, Ammons operates with a fastball that reaches 94 mph as well as a solid breaking ball, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall. It remains to be seen if the Red Sox view the southpaw as a starter or reliever moving forward.

Regardless, Ammons is the sixth pitcher drafted by Boston within the club’s first 12 picks. The 298th overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a recommended slot value of $167,900.

That concludes Day 2 of the draft. The third and final day, which consists of rounds 11-20 begins at 2 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday afternoon. The Red Sox have 10 more picks (Nos. 328, 358, 388, 418, 488, 478, 508, 538, 568, and 598) to make.

(Picture of Ryan Ammons: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Kennesaw State righty Blake Wehunt with ninth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Kennesaw State right-hander Blake Wehunt with their ninth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 268 overall.

Wehunt, 22, began and spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Southern Mississippi — where he was briefly teammates with Dalton Rogers — before transferring to Kennesaw State for his junior season.

In 14 starts for the Owls this spring, Wehunt posted a 4.83 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with 80 strikeouts to 23 walks over 76 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .279 against him.

A native of Georgia, Wehunt stands at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds. According to SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall, the righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with a low-90s sinker that is complemented by a low-80s changeup. With those two offerings, he regularly throws strikes and induces ground balls.

Wehunt, who turns 23 in November, is the fifth pitcher drafted by Boston within the club’s first 11 selections. The 268th overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a recommended slot value of $178,600.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kennesaw State University Athletics)

Red Sox select Ball State right-hander Trennor O’Donnell with eighth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Ball State right-hander Trennor O’Donnell with their eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 238 overall.

O’Donnell posted a 2.93 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 97 strikeouts to 32 walks in 16 appearances (15 starts) spanning 92 innings of work for the Cardinals this season. The 22-year-old senior held opposing hitters to a .214 batting average against and was named to the All-MAC Second Team.

Listed at an intimidating 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, O’Donnell operates with a fastball that sits between 90-92 mph as well as a slider, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall. The Dallas-area native becomes the fourth pitcher taken by Boston in this draft, joining the likes of fourth-rounder Matt Duffy, fifth-rounder Connelly Early, and sixth-rounder CJ Weins.

Considering that he is a senior, O’Donnell will likely sign for less than his recommended slot value of $201,000. That would allow the Red Sox to save money and possibly make a splash elsewhere with one of their other picks.

(Picture of Trennor O’Donnell: Ball State University Athletics)

Red Sox select Virginia lefty Connelly Early with fifth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Virginia left-hander Connelly Early with their fifth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 151 overall.

Early, 21, posted a 3.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with exactly 100 strikeouts to 23 walks in 19 appearances (18 starts) spanning 87 1/3 innings of work for Virginia as a junior this past season and was a third-team All-ACC selection as a result.

A native of Midlothian, Va., Early spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Army. As a sophomore, the lefty earned 2022 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year honors before transferring to Virginia last August.

In his lone season with the Cavaliers, Early was battery mates with catcher Kyle Teel, who the Red Sox drafted with the 14th overall pick on Sunday. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball, a sweeping slider, a curveball, and a changeup that is viewed as his best secondary offering.

Early, who does not turn 22 until next April, is the second pitcher Boston has taken alongside fourth-rounder Matt Duffy (Canisius). The 151st overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a slot value of $408,500.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Canisius right-hander Matt Duffy with fourth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have taken their first pitcher in the 2023 MLB Draft, selecting Canisius University (Buffalo, N.Y.) right-hander Matt Duffy with their fourth-round pick at No. 115 overall.

Duffy, 21, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 474 prospect in this year’s draft class. The Ontario, Canada native is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he posted a 4.13 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 119 strikeouts to 28 walks in 14 starts (80 2/3 innings) for Canisius, earning MAAC Pitcher of the Year honors as a result. The junior also made three starts for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer and struck out 16 of the 53 batters he faced over 14 1/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Duffy “consistently filled the strike zone” throughout his college career, per his Baseball America scouting report. His pitch mix consists of a below-average fastball that sits between 88-92 mph and tops out at 94 mph, a 78-81 mph changeup, and a slider that sits in the mid-to-upper 70s.

Duffy took to Instagram on Friday to announce that he would be transferring to South Carolina for his senior season next spring. It remains to be seen if that will impact his chances of turning professional and signing with the Red Sox, though the recommended slot value for the 115th overall pick in this year’s draft is $580,200.

Given that Baseball America projected Duffy as a later-round pick, Boston may be able to sign the righty to an under-slot deal prior to the July 25 deadline and save some money for other picks.

(Picture of Matt Duffy: Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Luis Perales to High-A Greenville

With Wikelman Gonzalez making the jump to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox are promoting fellow pitching prospect Luis Perales from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Perales, 20, posted a 3.21 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks in 13 starts spanning 53 1/3 innings of work for Salem this season. The right-hander ended the first half on a strong note, firing five scoreless frames for the second outing in a row as part of an 11-0 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday.

Among 47 Carolina League pitchers who came into play Sunday with at least 50 innings under their belt to this point in the season, Perales ranked 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.98), 11th in strikeout rate (31.4 percent), ninth in batting average against (.193), first in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), 15th in ERA, seventh in FIP, and 15th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Like Gonzalez, Perales also hails from Venezuela. The Guacara native originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter and directly ahead of Gonzalez.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty utilizes a three-pitch mix that is headlined by a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph and complemented by a power slider that sits in the mid-80s as well as a developing changeup that hovers in the upper-80s.

Coming out of the All-Star break later this week, Perales figures to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes fellow righties Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Bradley Blalock as well as left-hander Dalton Rogers.

As is the case with Gonzalez, Perales — who does not turn 21 next April — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Brian Van Belle to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Brian Van Belle from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per his agent Gavin Kahn of EnterSports Management.

Van Belle, 26, posted a 3.00 ERA and 4.14 FIP with 69 strikeouts to 25 walks in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 81 innings of work for the Sea Dogs this season. The right-hander was used as a bulk reliever in his last time out against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this past Sunday and allowed five runs over five innings after taking over for the rehabbing Richard Bleier.

So, as a starter to this point in the season, Van Belle has pitched to a 2.61 ERA and 3.98 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 22 walks across 76 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .233 batting average against. Coming into play on Thursday, Van Belle ranked fifth among qualified Eastern League pitchers in walks per nine innings (2.78), per FanGraphs. He also ranked fifth in walk rate (7.6 percent), ninth in batting average against (.240), sixth in WHIP (1.20), eighth in line-drive rate (20.1 percent), third in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), third in ERA, and 10th in FIP.

A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Van Belle originally joined the Red Sox organization as an undrafted free agent in June 2020. Despite being viewed as one of the top college seniors in that summer’s class, the Miami product was passed over in the draft, which was reduced to five rounds on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As he recently explained to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, though, Van Belle received plenty of interest on the open market in the days following the draft’s completion. The Red Sox separated themselves — in part — by offering future tuition money in addition to a league-mandated $20,000 signing bonus.

So along with the opportunity to play with the Red Sox, I have two years of grad school in my back pocket if I ever want to use it,” Van Belle told Smith last month. “Obviously your baseball career only lasts so long. Just having that backup plan there that they provided was awesome.”

In total, Boston signed 16 undrafted free agents in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft. Of the nine who are still in the organization, Van Belle is the first to make it as far as Triple-A and is now just one call-up away from the major-leagues.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Van Belle throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and operates with a low-90s fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a mid-80s circle changeup, a high-70s curveball that features 12-to-6 break, and a newly-implemented cutter.

Van Belle, who turns 27 in September, becomes the latest prospect to make the jump from Portland to Worcester this season, joining the likes of other pitchers such as Shane Drohan, Theo Denlinger, Ryan Fernandez, Brendan Nail, and Rio Gomez.

It is also worth mentioning that Van Belle can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster ahead of the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Brian Van Belle: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez caps off impressive month of June with another strong start for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez put the finishing touches on an impressive month of June on Friday night.

Gonzalez made his 14th start of the season for High-A Greenville in its 8-0 win over the Asheville Tourists at McCormick Field. The young right-hander tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks to go along with 10 strikeouts to mark his second straight double-digit strikeout game and third of the year overall.

After retiring the first five batters he faced, Gonzalez issued a two-out walk in the bottom of the second. He then worked his way around a leadoff double in the third before stranding another base runner in the fourth and facing the minimum in the fifth. In the sixth, he recorded two quick outs before issuing a two-out walk to the last Tourist hitter he faced in Ryan Clifford. Gonzalez was then relieved by Casey Cobb, who ended the inning on four pitches.

Gonzalez himself finished with 90 pitches (58 strikes), inducing 17 swings-and-misses in the process of picking up his sixth winning decision of the season. In five June starts, the 21-year-old hurler went 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA and 2.38 FIP to go along with 43 strikeouts to 12 walks over 26 innings of work.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Gonzalez has pitched to a 4.50 ERA (3.41 FIP) with a South Atlantic League-leading 97 strikeouts to 40 walks in 58 innings for Greenville. Coming into play on Saturday, Gonzalez ranked first among qualified Sally League pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (15.05) and strikeout rate (38 percent). He also ranked third in batting average against (.192), fifth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent), fifth in FIP, and sixth in xFIP (3.67), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Gonzalez is in the midst of his fourth professional season after originally signing with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. The 6-foot, 167-pound righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

Gonzalez, who does not turn 23 until next March, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the deadline to do so in November. Assuming that he is not traded away within the next month, Gonzalez could be a candidate to make the jump from Greenville to Double-A Portland on the other side of the All-Star break — if not sooner.

Promoting Gonzalez would allow the Red Sox to evaluate how he fares against more advanced competition at the Double-A level. It would also give Gonzalez the opportunity to show other teams what he is capable of if he is made available later this month or down the road in December.

(Picture of Wikelman Gonzalez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)