Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox relief prospect Luis Guerrero selected to participate in All-Star Futures Game

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Guerrero has been selected to participate in next weekend’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Major League Baseball announced on Friday.

Guerrero, one of the top young relievers in Boston’s farm system, will replace fellow Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan, who left his start for Triple-A Worcester this past Sunday with a calf cramp. Drohan was pushed back for precautionary reasons but is expected to pitch next week, according to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield.

Guerrero, 22, will join infielders Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke in representing the Red Sox and suiting up for the American League at T-Mobile Park on July 8. The hard-throwing right-hander is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

In 26 appearances for Double-A Portland this season, Guerrero has posted a 1.19 ERA and 3.82 FIP with 27 strikeouts to 18 walks over 30 1/3 innings of work. He has put up those numbers while recording 13 saves in 15 opportunities and holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .147 batting average against.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Guerrero underwent surgery on his right knee as an infant and now walks with a limp as a result. He told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this spring that he has limited mobility in his knee since the muscles in that area did not grow like the others.

“[But] for pitching, you just need to bend [the back knee] a little bit,” Guerrero explained. “My knee bends just as much as I need it to.”

Guerrero moved to the Boston-area as a child and then to Miami, Fla. for his senior year of high school. He was selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Chipola College and signed with the club for $122,500.

After not making his professional debut until last June, Guerrero made his way to High-A Greenville before the 2022 season came to a close. He was expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign, but he showed increased fastball velocity and wound up breaking camp with Portland as a result.

Prior to leaving Fort Myers, though, Guerrero appeared in five Grapefruit League spring training games as a minor-league call-up and left an impression on Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

“It’s impressive what he can do on a mound. Impressive,” Cora said of Guerrero when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto. “He has his limitations and for him to throw 100 (mph) with that split (is impressive). I saw him in spring training walking around one day after a workout. And I didn’t know the whole story. I saw him walking and I was like, ‘Are you OK?’ And then he told me what happened.

“I felt so bad because I didn’t know,” Cora added. “But then it’s like a lot of respect for him because he was the first one in the gym when we were there and he didn’t have to. He was always available when we brought him in as a backup pitcher.”

As Cora alluded to, Guerrero regularly throws in the upper-90s and can reach triple digits with his fastball. The 6-foot, 215-pound righty also features a mid-80s, whiff-inducing splitter as well as an 88-91 mph slider.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Cora. “For him to have the stuff that he has, you have to have not only the ability but you’ve got to have the heart and the courage to overcome what he has overcome and be a guy in that platform.”

Guerrero, who turns 23 in August, will presumably be a candidate to make the jump from Portland to Worcester on the other side of the All-Star break.

(Picture of Luis Guerrero: 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’ Luis Perales named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 12-18, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Perales made one start for Low-A Salem in its series against the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field this past Saturday. The 20-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work.

The lone hit and walk came with one out in the top of the second inning. Perales then retired the last 14 batters he faced to finish with 74 pitches (50 strikes). He also induced 14 swings-and-misses and picked up the win as the Red Sox went on to defeat the Shorebirds by a final score of 5-0.

In 10 starts for Salem this season, Perales has posted a 4.06 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 49 strikeouts to 21 walks across 37 2/3 innings. After allowing seven earned runs in his first two starts of the year, the righty has pitched to a 2.60 ERA and 2.93 FIP in his last eight outings (34 2/3 innings) dating back to April 21.

Among the 93 Carolina League pitchers who have worked at least 30 innings to this point in the 2023 campaign, Perales ranks 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (11.71), 28th in strikeout rate (29.5 percent), 38th in batting average against (.221), seventh in swinging-strike rate (16.5 percent), 17th in FIP, and 32nd in xFIP (3.69), per FanGraphs.

Perales originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The Guacara native 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.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph, a power slider that sits in the mid-80s, and a developing changeup that sits in the upper-80s.

Though the results have been encouraging as of late, there is still room for improvement when it comes to Perales’ command of the strike zone. Put another way, it would be beneficial if continued to cut down on the walks as he has been doing in recent weeks.

Perales, who does not turn 21 until next April, could be nearing a promotion to High-A Greenville if current trends continue. He made the jump from the Florida Complex League to Salem a little more than 10 months ago, so the one-year anniversary for that milestone is fast approaching.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Bradley Blalock to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Bradley Blalock from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Blalock, 22, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander has posted a 1.50 ERA and 2.82 FIP with 22 strikeouts to just four walks in four starts (18 innings) for Salem this season. He has put up those numbers while holding opposing hitters to a .167 batting average against.

In his last time out against the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field this past Thursday, Blalock struck out six and walked only one over five frames of one-run ball. He induced 11 swings-and-misses and topped out at 99 mph with his fastball after reaching 97 mph with the offering in his previous three outings.

A native of Georgia, Blalock was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 32nd round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Grayson High School. The club swayed Blalock away from his commitment to Kennesaw State by signing him to an over-slot bonus of $250,000 that July.

Blalock debuted in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League but had his first full season in pro ball derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He then pitched to a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts for Salem in 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery last March.

During the lengthy 14-month rehab process, Blalock altered his pitch mix by drawing inspiration from Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman. In addition to a revitalized fastball that has flashed increased velocity post-surgery, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound righty now works with a split-change (Gausman’s pitch), an 84-86 mph gyro slider, and a curveball that features 11-to-5 break.

“It’s definitely cool to be back,” Blalock told Smith last week. “I was talking to somebody about this the other day. It definitely kind of reminded me of that COVID year in 2020. It was just like, ‘Hey, an extra year down and I can get better. I’ve got something to prove.’ I put my head down. Got in there every day with the training staff, in the weight room and the pitching coach in Fort Myers and definitely took advantage of all the resources I had down there.

“Some people go into it and they are like, ‘Oh, dang. This is gonna suck. I don’t know what to expect for the next year,’” he continued. “I feel like the first two days after I knew I was going to have surgery, it was definitely tough. But after that it was like, ‘OK, what’s next? I’m gonna put my head down and grind.’ I was definitely in the best possible spot I could be in to have this with the resources we have.”

Blalock, who does not turn 23 until December, is now set to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes Wikelman Gonzalez, Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Dalton Rogers. He will help fill the void left behind by fellow righties Isaac Coffey and Hunter Dobbins, who were both promoted to Double-A Portland on Monday.

(Picture of Bradley Blalock: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospects Isaac Coffey, Hunter Dobbins to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospects Isaac Coffey and Hunter Dobbins from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Coffey, who turns 23 on Wednesday, has posted a 2.83 ERA and 3.92 FIP with a South Atlantic League-leading 83 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 11 starts (60 1/3 innings) for the Drive this season. The right-hander fanned eight over 5 2/3 frames in his last time out against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field this past Thursday.

Among qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League, Coffey ranks third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.38), second in strikeout rate (34.4 percent), second in walks per nine innings (1.49), second in walk rate (4.1 percent), 10th in batting average against (.222), third in WHIP (1.01), seventh in swinging-strike rate (14.8 percent), 10th in ERA, 13th in FIP, and first in xFIP (2.78), per FanGraphs.

Coffey was selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of last year’s draft out of Oral Roberts. The California native signed with the club for a mere $7,500 yet is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 51 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 22nd among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Coffey throws from a sidearm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out at 91 mph, a 77-79 mph slider that features 10-to-4 break, and an 83-84 mph changeup that is considered to be a work in progress. He becomes the second member of the Sox’ 2022 draft class to make the jump from Greenville to Portland this season, joining fourth-rounder Chase Meidroth.

Dobbins, meanwhile, has forged a 2.63 ERA and 2.52 FIP with 44 strikeouts to just five walks in seven starts (41 innings) for the Drive this season. The 23-year-old righty also struck out eight across six two-run frames in his last time out against Greensboro this past Friday.

Among the 57 South Atlantic League pitchers who have accrued at least 40 innings to this point in the 2023 campaign, Dobbins ranks first in walks per nine innings (1.10) and walk rate (3.1 percent). He also ranks 20th in strikeout rate (27.3 percent), fourth in WHIP (0.95), and sixth in swinging-strike rate (16.8 percent) after not making his first start of the year until May 7.

Dobbins was selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Teach. After undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier that spring, the Lone Star State native signed with Boston for $197,500 and did not make his professional debut until last July. He currently is not rated by SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in the system.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dobbins — who turns 24 in August — throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and works with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, a 74-78 mph curveball, an 83-85 mph circle changeup, and a high-80s slider that is rarely used.

Both Coffey and Dobbins figure to join a starting rotation mix in Portland that includes C.J. Liu, Brian Van Belle, Sterling Sharp (who is currently on the injured list), Grant Gambrell, and Wyatt Olds. The Sea Dogs open a six-game series against the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Isaac Coffey: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Bradley Blalock puts together another strong start for Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Bradley Blalock put together yet another impressive for Low-A Salem in its 7-5 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field on Thursday night.

Making his fourth start of the season for the Red Sox, Blalock allowed just one earned run on three hits, one walk, and one hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts over five solid innings of work. After giving up a run-scoring triple in the top of the second, the right-hander issued a leadoff walk to begin things in the third. He then retired the final nine batters he faced before making way for reliever Marques Johnson in the sixth.

Finishing with 67 pitches (47 strikes), Blalock induced a game-high 11 swings-and-misses and did not factor into the decision. The 22-year-old hurler has now posted a 1.50 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 22 strikeouts to four walks in his first four starts (18 innings) for Salem while holding opposing hitters to a .167 batting average against.

Blalock was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 32nd round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.). The club swayed the Peach State native away from his commitment to Kennesaw State by signing him for $250,000 that July.

After his first full professional season was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Blalock enjoyed a productive 2021 campaign in which he forged a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts (86 1/3 innings) for Salem. Last spring, however, the righty felt pain in his throwing arm during a live batting practice session and underwent Tommy John surgery on March 2.

“The fourth pitch, I threw a curveball and I kind of felt something tweak, like a little pop,” Blalock told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this week. “I didn’t think anything of it. So I went ahead and threw another pitch. And then my forearm felt like it was 1,000 degrees.”

The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews and his staff at the Andrews Institute for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Blalock was then told that — barring any setbacks — it would take him anywhere between 12 to 14 months to recover.

“So I was kind of expecting to be back in the middle of May right when I did,” explained Blalock. “Luckily, I was able not to have any setbacks. The staff down there took care of me. I followed everything I needed to. So it was quite a smooth ride to say the least. I was excited to get back when I was able to.”

Since returning to affiliated action late last month, Blalock has not only seen results — he has seen increased fastball velocity as well. According to Smith, Blalock has been sitting between 94-95 mph and topping out at 97 mph with his heater after averaging 92-93 mph with the pitch before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“My velo has definitely jumped about 1-2 mph,” Blalock said. “I came into the year, like, Hey, I’ve got something to prove.’ I wasn’t able to pitch last year so just kind of competing. Get out there and have fun every time.”

During the lengthy rehab process, Blalock elected to eliminate the changeup from his arsenal and instead implement a splitter that is similar to the one used by Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman. The “split-change,” as Gausman describes it, has been of the more effective pitches in baseball in recent years. Blalock first started tinkering with the grip after receiving approval to use it from Red Sox director of pitching development Shawn Haviland.

“Before I even started throwing last year, I had a ball in my hand getting used to the grip just standing there watching other guys throw while I was not able to,” Blalock recalled. “I had a ball and I was kind of getting used to that grip. So I think that kind of helped. And I watched some YouTube videos and just watched how he (Gausman) threw it.

“I like it and it’s definitely going to play big-time in my pitch selection,” he added. “It’s actually played really well so far.”

In addition to the fastball and split-change, Blalock also mixes in an 84-86 mph “gyro slider” as well as a curveball that features 11-to-5 break. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder said he was not nervous about his velocity returning after Tommy John surgery, which is not always the case for pitchers in similar situations.

“A lot of guys have that success and they’ve thrown a little harder than before they had it,” he said. “So it’s kind of just trusting the process and watching guys like Thad Ward and Bryan Mata when they were rehabbing down there last year. Their velocity came back. So it’s like, there isn’t really anything to worry about, especially when the doctor says you’re gonna throw harder than where you were before.”

Blalock, who does not turn 23 until December, could soon be nearing a promotion to High-A Greenville if he keeps producing the way he has been. With that being said, though, he is just happy to be back doing his thing.

“It’s definitely cool to be back,” Blalock said. “I was talking to somebody about this the other day. It definitely kind of reminded me of that COVID year in 2020. It was just like, ‘Hey, an extra year down and I can get better. I’ve got something to prove.’ I put my head down. Got in there every day with the training staff, in the weight room and the pitching coach in Fort Myers and definitely took advantage of all the resources I had down there.

“Some people go into it and they are like, ‘Oh, dang. This is gonna suck. I don’t know what to expect for the next year,’” he added. “I feel like the first two days after I knew I was going to have surgery, it was definitely tough. But after that it was like, ‘OK, what’s next? I’m gonna put my head down and grind.’ I was definitely in the best possible spot I could be in to have this with the resources we have.”

(Picture of Bradley Blalock: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Dalton Rogers tosses 6 scoreless, no-hit innings for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Dalton Rogers put together one of the best starts of his young career for High-A Greenville on Wednesday night.

Going up against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field, Rogers struck out 11 and walked only one over six scoreless, no-hit innings. The right-hander took a perfect game bid into the fourth before issuing a two-out walk to Will Matthiessen. He then retired seven of the last eight batters he faced.

Finishing with 78 pitches (50 strikes), Rogers induced 17 swings-and-misses, the third-most for any pitcher at the High-A level on Wednesday. The 22-year-old also earned his first winning decision with Greenville as the Drive went on to defeat the Grasshoppers by a final score of 5-2.

In four starts for the Drive now, Rogers has posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.07 WHP with 27 strikeouts to 13 walks across 19 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .121 batting average against. This comes after he forged a 2.49 ERA in six starts (21 2/3 innings) to start the season with Low-A Salem and was promoted to Greenville in late May.

Rogers was selected by the Red Sox in the third round (99th overall pick) of last year’s amateur draft out of Southern Mississippi. A native of the Magnolia state himself, Rogers signed with the club for $447,500. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, Rogers throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 81-83 mph changeup, and an 82-84 mph slider. As indicated in his Baseball America scouting report, Rogers’ command of the strike zone remains a work in progress, so that will be something to monitor moving forward.

Rogers, who does not turn 23 until next January, is one of five members of the Red Sox’ 2022 draft class on Greenville’s active roster. Fellow lefty Nathan Landry, right-handers Isaac Coffey and Alex Hoppe, and recently-promoted outfielder Roman Anthony are the others.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers via the Greenville Drive)

Red Sox’ Yordanny Monegro named Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro has been named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 5-11, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Monegro had a stellar season debut for the FCL Red Sox last Monday, striking out eight over five scoreless, perfect innings in a 7-2 win over the FCL Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The right-hander retired all 15 batters he faced to pick up his first winning decision of the year.

Fresh off earning FCL Pitcher of the Week honors, Monegro made his second start of the season on Monday. Going up against the FCL Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte this time around, the 20-year-old hurler allowed just one earned run on two hits, two walks, and one hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts across five innings of work in an 11-1 victory.

So, through his first two starts for the FCL Red Sox this season, Monegro is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA and 0.40 WHIP. He has struck out 14 and walked only two over 10 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .065 batting average against.

Monegro originally signed with Boston for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020. Though the Santo Domingo native is not yet regarded by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the Sox’ top pitching prospects, he did receive some praise from FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen recently.

Longenhagen ranked Monegro as his No. 25 Red Sox prospect on Monday, noting that the 6-foot-4, 180-pound righty “was the best Red Sox pitching prospect” he saw during extended spring training looks in Florida.

“He’s a little older than the typical arm from the complex group, but he’s still projectable at a high-waited 6-foot-4,” Longenhagen wrote. “He sat 91-94 mph and was up to 95, with vertical ride and command that will surely allow him to have success at the lowest pro levels. He has a clean, direct line to the plate and lovely hip/shoulder separation that, along with his frame, portends more velocity.

“An upper-70s curveball with solid average depth and a power-action changeup that he throws as hard as 91 mph round out the repertoire,” added Longenhagen. “It’s a starter’s mix with a starter’s frame, delivery, and strike-throwing. His ceiling will be dictated by how much velo he and the Red Sox can develop, and he’s far enough away from the bigs that it has to alter how he’s valued here, but Monegro has fourth starter upside.”

As noted by Longenhagen, Monegro — who does not turn 21 until October — is slightly older for his level since he spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign in the Florida Complex League as well. Taking that into consideration, one has to wonder if Monegro could soon be in line for a promotion to Low-A Salem, where he would get his first taste of full season ball.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to call up top pitching prospect Chris Murphy, per report

The Red Sox are calling up top pitching prospect Chris Murphy from Triple-A Worcester, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. To make room for Murphy on the active roster, right-handed reliever Kaleb Ort was optioned back to Worcester following Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Rays at Fenway Park.

Murphy, who is celebrating his 25th birthday on Monday, will be active and available out of the bullpen for Tuesday’s series opener against the Guardians in Cleveland. Depending on how things play out, the left-hander could get the start in Thursday’s series finale at Progressive Field since the Red Sox have not yet named a starter for that contest.

In 10 outings (9 starts) for the WooSox this season, Murphy has posted a 7.71 ERA and 5.56 FIP with 42 strikeouts to 25 walks in 39 2/3 innings of work. His last appearance came out of the bullpen, as he struck out three and did not issue a walk over three scoreless, one-hit frames in an 8-6 loss to the Louisville Bats on June 1.

Among 87 International League pitchers who have accrued at least 30 innings to this point in the year, Murphy ranks 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (9.53), 77th in walks per nine innings (5.67), 37th in strikeout rate (21.6 percent), 70th in walk rate (12.9 percent), 27th in swinging-strike rate (12.1 percent), 78th in batting average against (.309), 84th in WHIP (1.91), 82nd in ERA, 61st in FIP, and 52nd in xFIP (5.33), per FanGraphs.

A native of California, Murphy was originally selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of San Diego. He signed with Boston for $200,000 and was added to the club’s 40-man roster last November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Murphy throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-96 mph four-seam fastball, an 84-89 mph slider, an 83-85 mph changeup, and a 73-76 mph curveball.

Despite the struggles he has endured with Worcester this season, Murphy is still regarded by Baseball America as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, places the southpaw 14th on its list.

Assuming he gets into a game this week, Murphy will become the third player to make their major-league debut with the Red Sox this season, joining second baseman Enmanuel Valdez and outfielder Masataka Yoshida. He is also in line to become the 22nd different non-position player pitcher to be used by the club so far this year.

Ort, meanwhile, was initially recalled from Worcester over the weekend and appeared in each of Boston’s last two games against Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old righty pitched well, striking out three in two perfect innings on Sunday and tossing a scoreless ninth inning on Monday.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Ort has forged a 5.87 ERA and 5.31 FIP with 16 strikeouts to seven walks over 14 appearances (15 1/3 innings) for the Red Sox. With the WooSox, he has put up a 2.45 ERA and 5.29 FIP with nine punchouts to six walks in eight outings spanning 7 1/3 innings of relief.

 (Picture of Chris Murphy: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Isaac Coffey strikes out 11 yet again in latest start for High-A Greenville

For the second straight outing and the third time in his last five starts, Red Sox pitching prospect Isaac Coffey recorded 11 strikeouts for High-A Greenville on Thursday night.

Going up against Rome on the road at AdventHealth Stadium, Coffey struck out 11 and did not walk a single batter over six scoreless, three-hit innings. The right-hander finished with 87 pitches (64 strikes) and induced 21 swings-and-misses. He also retired the final eight hitters he faced as the Drive went on to defeat the Braves by a final score of 6-2.

Coffey, who was credited with the winning decision, improved to 3-2 on the year. The 22-year-old has posted a 2.89 ERA and 4.64 FIP with 61 strikeouts to seven walks over eight starts spanning 43 2/3 innings of work for Greenville this season.

Following Thursday’s performance, Coffey now leads qualified South Atlantic League pitchers in strikeouts. He also ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (12.57), second in strikeout rate (35.1 percent), first in walks per nine innings (1.44), first in walk rate (4.0 percent), ninth in batting average against (.217), second in WHIP (0.78), seventh in swinging-strike rate (14.9 percent), fourth in ERA, 13th in FIP, and first in xFIP (2.91), per FanGraphs.

Coffey, who turns 23 next month, was selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of last year’s amateur draft out of Oral Roberts, where he was a two-way player. Since signing with Boston for just $7,500, though, the California native has been used strictly on the mound.

As noted in his Baseball America scouting report from before the 2022 draft, Coffey “will not light up the radar gun, but he has the ability to spot his deceptive 89-91 fastball from a low three-quarter slot.” The 6-foot-1, 205-pound hurler also “does a fine job spotting up his slider-changeup mix to attack both left-handed and right-handed hitters.”

Considering how much success Coffey has enjoyed at the High-A level as of late (1.96 ERA in four May starts), one has to wonder if the righty could soon be in line for a promotion to Double-A Portland. That in itself would represent a new challenge for a young pitcher who is seemingly having his way with the opposition right now.

(Picture of Isaac Coffey: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)