Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Dalton Rogers to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Dalton Rogers from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

In six starts for Salem to begin the 2023 season, Rogers posted a 2.49 ERA and 2.18 FIP with 38 strikeouts to 13 walks over 21 2/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .139 batting average against.

Among 84 Carolina League pitchers who have accrued at least 20 innings coming into play on Wednesday, Rogers ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (15.78), first in strikeout rate (41.3 percent), third in opponents’ batting average, 22nd in WHIP (1.11), 30th in swinging-strike rate (13.6 percent), 20th in ERA, second in FIP, and seventh in xFIP (2.83), per FanGraphs.

As is the case with most young hurlers, though, Rogers has proven to be vulnerable to ball four at times. The 22-year-old averaged more than five walks per nine innings in his six starts with Salem, which is certainly suboptimal. Still, he managed to avoid any serious damage thanks to his ability to miss bats.

Rogers is in the midst of his first full professional season after being selected by Boston in the third round (99th overall pick) of last year’s draft out of Southern Mississippi. The Brandon, Miss. native, who spent part of his summer pitching for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, signed with the club for $447,500 and made two relief appearances for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox in his pro debut.

Coming into the 2023 campaign, Rogers was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The publication noted that the 5-foot-11, 172-pound lefty “hides the ball well while driving down the mound to create good extension and a low release height. That combination, along with the ride and arm-side run on his 93-94 mph fastball (which tops out at 96), has given hitters fits at the top of the zone. He’s leaned heavily on his fastball to this point, though he has two secondaries — a low-80s changeup and low-80s slider — with the shape to develop into weapons if he can control them.”

As things stand now, Rogers is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the Red Sox’ No. 37 prospect, which ranks 11th among pitchers in the organization. Like Baseball America, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall notes that the southpaw possesses a deceptive delivery and operates with a three-pitch mix that is headlined by a mid-90s heater that has the potential to be a “plus pitch.”

Both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com are relatively high on Rogers, which likely reflects how the Red Sox feel about him. With that being said, though, Rogers will need to continue improving his control and command if he intends on developing as a starter. If not, he could eventually head to the bullpen as a multi-inning threat.

Rogers, who does not turn 23 until next January, becomes the second member of Boston’s 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this season. Fellow lefty Nathan Landry, who was taken in the 15th round out of Missouri, was promoted earlier this month.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Angel Bastardo named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 15-21, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Bastardo made his seventh start of the season for High-A Greenville in its 3-2 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fluor Field last Wednesday. Though he did not factor into the decision, the right-hander allowed just one hit on two walks and seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings. He finished with 80 pitches (50 strikes) and induced 11 swings-and-misses.

In seven starts for the Drive this season, Bastardo has posted a 5.03 ERA and 4.13 FIP with 47 strikeouts to 17 walks over 34 innings of work. The 20-year-old has impressed as of late by holding opposing hitters to a .170 batting average against in the month of May.

Among qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League, Bastardo ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (12.44), second in strikeout rate (32.9 percent), fifth in opponents’ batting average (.206), 13th in WHIP (1.26), first in swinging-strike rate (20.2 percent), 11th in FIP, and eighth in xFIP (3.88), per FanGraphs.

Bastardo, who turns 21 next month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 40 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 14th among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Moron in July 2018.

With a projectable 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame, Bastardo throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph and shows sink, an 83-86 mph curveball that varies in shape, and an 84-88 mph changeup that can be inconsistent at times, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Given that he has made just seven starts at the High-A level thus far and still has areas to improve in (i.e. command and control of the strike zone), it would not be surprising if Bastardo were to spend most of the 2023 season with Greenville before garnering consideration for a promotion to Double-A Portland.

With that being said, that timeline could accelerate if Bastardo continues to turn in impressive outings for the Drive as he has been doing. It is also worth mentioning that the righty can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft at the end of the year, though him being added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November seems unlikely at this point since he is still a ways away from sniffing the major-leagues.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shines in debut for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shined in his debut for Double-A Portland on Thursday night.

Though the Sea Dogs fell to the Hartford Yard Goats by a final score of 4-3 in 12 innings, Gambrell was on point on a cool evening at Dunkin’ Park. The right-hander allowed just one earned run on two hits and zero walks to go along with eight strikeouts over six strong innings of work.

Gambrell retired the first 15 batters he faced and took a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before giving up a first-pitch leadoff home run to Drew Romo. He also surrendered a one-out triple to Bret Boswell, but he prevented a second run from crossing the plate by getting Bladimir Restituyo to ground out and striking out top Rockies prospect Zac Veen.

All told, Gambrell needed just 64 pitches (47 strikes) to get through six efficient frames. He induced 10 swings-and-misses and did not factor into the decision after Niko Kavadas hit a then-game-tying home run with one out in the top of the ninth.

With Shane Drohan making the jump and debuting for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, the Red Sox needed someone to take the left-hander’s place in Portland’s starting rotation. They achieved that by officially promoting Gambrell from High-A Greenville hours before his Sea Dogs debut.

After missing the entirety of the 2022 season with a significant ankle injury, Gambrell broke camp with Greenville earlier this spring. The 25-year-old hurler did not get off to the best of starts, posting a 6.87 ERA and 6.61 FIP with 21 strikeouts to nine walks in four April outings spanning 18 1/3 innings.

Once the calendar flipped from April to May, though, Gambrell appeared to have flipped a switch. After yielding two unearned runs and striking out eight over six innings on May 6, the righty gave up three runs and struck out seven over a season-high seven innings last Saturday.

With back-to-back impressive showings, Gambrell became a logical candidate for a promotion. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, the Drive already have a crowded starting rotation and have more reinforcements coming in Hayden Mullins, Bradley Blalock, and Jeremy Wu-Yelland, who are all currently on the injured list.

Boston originally acquired Gambrell and fellow righty Luis De La Rosa from the Royals in June 2021 to complete one part of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City four months prior. Coming into the 2023 campaign, Gambrell had appeared in just eight games as a member of the Red Sox organization.

A former third-round draft selection of the Royals out of Oregon State in 2019, Gambrell stands at a burly 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. The California native throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph four-seam fastball, a 79-81 mph breaking ball, and an 83-86 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Gambrell, who does not turn 26 until November, figures to spend the rest of the season with Portland. There could be some challenges as he adjusts to more advanced competition at a new level, but he certainly got off to an encouraging start on Thursday.

(Picture of Grant Gambrell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote top pitching prospect Shane Drohan to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting top pitching prospect Shane Drohan from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, according to Chris Henrique of Beyond the Monster.

Drohan, 24, has gotten his 2023 season off to a blistering start. In six starts for Portland to begin the year, the left-hander posted a miniscule 1.32 ERA and 2.26 FIP with 36 strikeouts to nine walks over 34 innings of work.

After earning Eastern League Pitcher of the Month honors in April, Drohan tossed six scoreless innings in his first start of May and then allowed a season-high three earned runs over five innings in his last time out against the Somerset Patriots this past Wednesday.

Among qualified Eastern League pitchers, Drohan ranks 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.53), third in walks per nine innings (2.38), ninth in strikeout rate (28.1 percent), fourth in walk rate (7 percent), second in batting average against (.161), second in WHIP (0.82), sixth in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), first in ERA, third in FIP, and seventh in xFIP (3.03) per FanGraphs.

Drohan is in his third full season with the Red Sox organization after originally being selected in the fifth and final round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State. The Fort Lauderdale native signed with the club for $600,000 and has since risen through the prospect ranks.

After closing out the 2022 campaign in Portland, Drohan made an effort to put on weight during the offseason. The lefty came into the spring listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds and impressed at camp by displaying a newly-implemented cutter as well as a fastball with increased velocity.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Drohan now sits between 92-94 mph and tops out at 96 mph with his heater after averaging 90.8 mph with the offering last year. In addition to the cutter, the southpaw also operates with an 83-76 mph changeup and a 75-78 mph curveball.

Given the kind of season he has put together thus far, Drohan is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks first among pitchers in the organization. He is now slated to join a WooSox starting rotation that includes fellow left-handed pitching prospects Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy.

It should be interesting to see how Drohan adjusts to facing more advanced competition moving forward. Although he does not turn 25 until next January, Drohan can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft or the first time in his career later this year. Even before Monday’s promotion, he had already made a strong case to be added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in November.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata heads to Triple-A Worcester’s injured list with shoulder inflammation

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata has been placed on Triple-A Worcester’s 7-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Mata exited his start against the Rochester Red Wings early on Tuesday. The right-hander appeared to be in visible discomfort after delivering a 1-0, 86.2 mph fastball to Franklin Barreto with one out and one runner on in the bottom of the third inning at Innovative Field.

After WooSox catcher Jorge Alfaro motioned to the visitor’s dugout, a conference on the mound ensued. Mata then left the field with a trainer and was replaced by Jake Faria, who allowed both runners he inherited to score in what would go down as a 7-3 loss to the Red Wings.

Up until that point in the contest, Mata had yielded six runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks to go along with five strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings of work. The 24-year-old finished with 49 pitches (29 strikes). He topped out at 99.1 mph with his slider, an offering that accounted for four of the five swings-and-misses he induced.

Following Tuesday’s injury-shortened outing, Mata now owns an 0-3 record and 5.61 FIP with 27 walks to 26 strikeouts in seven starts (25 2/3 innings) for the WooSox so far this season. Despite those unimpressive numbers, the native Venezuelan is still regarded by publications such as Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Originally signed as an international free agent coming out of Maracay for just $25,000 in January 2016, Mata was added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in November 2020 to receive protection from Rule 5 Draft eligibility. He tore the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in his right elbow the following March and underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter.

After missing all of the 2021 season, Mata returned to action last June as part of a rehab assignment with Low-A Salem. He made one start for Salem, three starts for High-A Greenville, and nine starts (10 total appearances) for Double-A Portland before earning a promotion to Worcester in late August.

Since then, Mata has forged a 4.59 ERA with 52 strikeouts to 46 walks in 12 starts (49 innings) with the WooSox. Alongside the likes of lefties Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy, who are also on the 40-man roster, Mata represents legitimate big-league pitching depth for the Red Sox at the club’s top affiliate.

With that being said, though, Mata has just one minor-league option remaining, meaning this is the final year the Red Sox can freely shuttle the righty between Boston and Worcester without having to first expose him to waivers.

Even before this latest setback, there were signs that Mata could transition to a bullpen role in the near future since he has power stuff but has had difficulty in harnessing it effectively. Depending on how long he is out for (the hope is the issue isn’t too serious), that scenario could become a reality if the Red Sox want to get a look at Mata at the major-league level before season’s end.

(Picture of Bryan Mata: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect C.J. Liu throws seven-inning no-hitter for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Chih-Jung “C.J.” Liu threw a seven-inning no-hitter in Game 1 of Double-A Portland’s doubleheader against the Akron RubberDucks on Friday night.

Making his fifth start of the season for Portland on the road at Canal Park, Liu walked just two and struck out six over seven scoreless, no-hit frames. The right-hander took a bid for a perfect game into the bottom of the third before issuing a two-out walk to Connor Kokx. He then retired the next eight batters he faced before giving up another free pass to Kokx with out in the sixth.

Liu once again stranded Kokx at first base by recording back-to-back strikeouts of Julian Escobedo and Angel Martinez. He preserved the no-hit effort by sitting by inducing one groundout and two flyouts in a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

All told, Liu sat down 21 of the 23 RubberDucks hitters he faced on 91 pitches (48 strikes). With Stephen Scott handling catching duties, the 24-year-old hurler induced 12 swings-and-misses and earned the winning decision with the first complete game shutout of his professional career.

Liu becomes the second Sea Dogs pitcher in franchise history to throw a complete game, seven-inning no-hitter. Brayan Bello, who is now with the Red Sox, first accomplished the feat at Hadlock Field exactly one year ago Friday.

Through five starts with the Sea Dogs to begin the 2023 season, Liu has posted a 3.65 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 29 strikeouts to 11 walks over 24 2/3 innings of work. Opponents are hitting just .216 against him.

A native of Taiwan, Liu originally signed with the Red Sox for $750,000 as an international free agent coming out Tainan City in October 2019. He was considered to be a switch-hitting two-way player at that time but has since been converted into a full-time pitcher. Liu did not name his pro debut until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and closed out the 2022 campaign with Portland after earning a late-season promotion from High-A Greenville.

Listed at 6-feet and 185 pounds, Liu throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 98 mph, an 80-82 mph changeup, an 83-86 mph slider, and a 78-80 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Liu, who just turned 24 in April, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 58 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 24th among pitchers in the organization. He can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career later this year if he is not added to the Sox’ 40-man roster by the deadline to do so in November.

(Picture of C.J. Liu: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Shane Drohan named Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for April

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan has unsurprisingly been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for the month of April, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

In his first four starts of the season for Double-A Portland, Drohan has posted a miniscule 0.78 ERA and 1.53 FIP to go along with 26 strikeouts to just four walks over 23 innings of work. The left-hander is currently holding opposing hitters to a .163 batting average against.

Among 32 qualified Eastern League pitchers, Drohan ranks 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.17), second in walks per nine innings (1.57), fourth in strikeout rate (30.6 percent), second in swinging-strike rate (17.3 percent), second in walk rate (4.7 percent), first in batting average against, first in WHIP (0.74), second in ERA, first in FIP, and fourth in xFIP (2.79), per FanGraphs.

Drohan, 24, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State. The Fort Lauderdale native signed with the club for $600,000 and has since emerged as one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in the organization.

After closing out the 2022 campaign in Portland, Drohan made an effort to put on weight during the offseason. He came into the spring listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and impressed at camp by displaying a newly-implemented cutter as well as a fastball with increased velocity.

Per SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Drohan now sits between 92-94 mph and tops out at 96 mph with his heater after averaging 90.8 mph with the offering last year. In addition to the cutter, the southpaw also operates with an 83-76 mph changeup and 75-89 mph curveball.

Given the uptick in velocity and strong start to the season, Drohan is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks tops among all of the club’s young pitchers. He is slated to make his fifth start of the year for the Sea Dogs in Erie on Thursday night.

With that being said, Drohan could soon be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester if he continues to impress with Portland. Although he does not turn 25 until next January, Drohan can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career later this year. As things stand now, he has already made a legitimate case to be added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in November.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo strikes out 11 in latest start for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo had a performance to remember in his third start of the season for High-A Greenville on Friday night.

Going up against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on the road at First National Bank Field, Bastardo allowed two earned runs on two hits and two walks to go along with 11 strikeouts over six solid innings of work in a tough-luck 2-1 losss.

The 11 punchouts represent a career-high for Bastardo, who finished with 84 pitches (58 strikes). The right-hander also induced 27 swings-and-misses while lowering his ERA on the season to 5.93 across 13 2/3 innings with the Drive.

Among 27 qualified South Atlantic League pitchers coming into play on Saturday, Bastardo ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (13.83), second in strikeout rate (35.5 percent), 11th in batting average against (.212), second in line-drive rate (9.7 percent), first in swinging-strike rate (23.8 percent), and seventh in FIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

While those numbers are undoubtedly encouraging, Bastardo also ranks 23rd in walks per nine innings (4.61), 21st in walk rate (11.9 percent), and 17th in WHIP (1.32), so there is still room for improvement in different areas, like command and control.

Bastardo, 2o, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 56 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 23rd among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Moron shortly after his 16th birthday in July 2018.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Bastardo throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph and shows sink, an 83-86 mph curveball that varies in shape, and an 84-88 mph changeup that can be inconsistent at times, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Considering that he has only pitched at one level per year since debuting in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 and does not turn 21 until June, it seems likely that Bastardo will spend most — if not the entirety — of the 2023 season in Greenville’s starting rotation.

Bastardo can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career this winter. With those prior points in mind, though, the Red Sox probably won’t add the righty to their 40-man roster by the November deadline since he is still relatively raw and at least one full season away from garnering any sort of big-league consideration.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Drohan, 24, got the start for Double-A Portland this past Friday. Going up against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Delta Dental Stadium, the left-hander scattered just three hits and struck out six over six scoreless, walkless innings of work.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 71 (49 strikes), Drohan induced 12 swings-and-misses and ultimately earned the winning decision to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

Through his first two starts of the year for the Sea Dogs, Drohan has yet to allow a run and has posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 11-to-1 in 11 innings. He is holding opposing hitters to a .158 batting average against, which currently ranks seventh among qualified pitchers in the Eastern League.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State, Drohan came into his third full professional season ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 12 prospect (fourth among pitchers) in Boston’s farm system after a strong showing in spring training.

As SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall noted earlier this month, Drohan incorporated a new pitch (a cutter) to his arsenal over the winter while adding velocity to his fastball. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw now sits between 91-94 mph and tops out at 95 mph with his four-seamer after averaging 90.8 mph with the pitch last year. He also throws a curveball.

Drohan, who does not turn 25 until January, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November deadline.

Given the start he has gotten off to in Portland the season , the chances of Drohan being added to the 40-man later this year are likely increasing. It also would not be too surprising if the lefty earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester sooner rather than later.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan tosses 5 scoreless innings in 2023 debut for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan was sharp in his season debut for Double-A Portland on Friday night.

Going up against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in chilly conditions at Hadlock Field, Drohan scattered just three hits and one walk to go along with five strikeouts over five scoreless innings of work.

Drohan retired the first four batters he faced before giving up a one-out single to Luke Ritter in the top of the second. The left-hander then got Matt Rudick to ground into an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play and sat down the side in order in the third. In the fourth, he navigated his way around a leadoff single off the bat of Wyatt Young.

The fifth inning proved to be the toughest for Drohan, as he began it by issuing a leadoff walk to Ritter, who later moved up to second base on a one-out single from Hayden Senger. With runners at first and second and only one out, Drohan locked in by fanning Daniel Gomez and getting Mateo Gil to pop out to escape the jam and end his day on a positive note.

Drohan needed just 69 pitches (46 strikes) to get through five scoreless frames. The 24-year-old southpaw induced 10 swings-and-misses and was credited with the winning decision as the Sea Dogs held on for a 2-0 victory over the Rumble Ponies to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State, Drohan comes into his third full professional season in a unique position. Despite not being ranked by either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, the Fort Lauderdale native is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

Drohan, who just turned 24 in January, is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he posted a 3.89 ERA and 4.49 FIP with 157 strikeouts to 51 walks in 27 appearances (25 starts) spanning 129 2/3 innings between High-A Greenville and Portland. According to FanGraphs, his 28.5 percent strikeout rate ranked 50th among the 311 minor-league pitchers who threw at least 100 innings last year while his swinging-strike rate of 16 percent ranked 15th.

While putting up those numbers and earning SoxProspects.com All-Star honors last season, Drohan flashed an 88-92 mph fastball that topped out at 94 mph as part of a three-pitch mix that included a 78-81 mph changeup and 75-78 mph curveball. Over the winter, though, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound hurler added a new pitch (a cutter) to his arsenal while also adding velocity to his fastball.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall earlier this week, Drohan “sat at 91-94 mph this spring, where as last year, he averaged 90.8 mph with his fastball.”

On Friday, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier wrote that the increase in velocity Drohan displayed during spring training is “creating intrigue about his development as a starter.”

Drohan can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career later this year if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the deadline in November. In the meantime, one would have to figure that Drohan will have the opportunity to earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester at some point this season if he continues to impress in Portland.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)