Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox select UNC Greensboro right-hander Alex Hoppe with sixth-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 189th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected University of North Carolina at Greensboro right-hander Alex Hoppe.

Hoppe, a five-year senior who is already 23 years old, was not regarded by Baseball America as one of the top pitching prospects available in this year’s draft.

In 26 relief appearances for the Spartans this season, the native Iowan posted a 2.97 ERA and 1.19 WHIP to go along with 84 strikeouts to 30 walks over 66 2/3 innings of work. He was named the Southern Conference’s Pitcher of the Year for his efforts.

While Hoppe may not have recieved much attention from Baseball America this year, he was ranked by BA as the No. 363 draft-eligible prospect in 2020. Per his scouting report from back then, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound righty “throws a fastball in the 92-94 mph range and has shown the makings of a plus breaking ball as well. He has a poor track record of throwing strikes, however, and will be a full reliever profile at the next level because of that.”

After walking more than 13% of the batters he faced through his first four seasons at UNC Greensboro, Hoppe was able to cut his walk rate down to 10.5% this year.

Hoppe, who turns 24 in December, becomes the first Spartan to be drafted by the Red Sox since 2016, when right-hander Hunter Smith was taken in the 24th round.

The recommended slot value attached to the 189th overall pick in this year’s draft comes in at $266,200. The Sox will have until August 1 to sign Hoppe, as well as the rest of their draft selections.

(Picture of Alex Hoppe: University of North Carolina at Greensboro Athletics)

Red Sox select Old Dominion left-hander Noah Dean with fifth-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 159th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected Old Dominion University left-hander Noah Dean.

Dean, 21, is regarded by Baseball America as “one of the more exciting pure relievers” in this year’s draft class. The New Jersey native came into the week as BA’s 140th-ranked draft-eligible prospect.

In 19 relief appearances for the Monarchs this season, Dean posted a 4.15 ERA and 1.12 WHIP to go along with 46 strikeouts to 16 walks over 26 innings of work. He also made a total of four outings (three starts) between the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League and the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dean can be erratic at times and his delivery can be considered a bit extreme. Still, according to Baseball America, the lefty’s “stuff is fearsome. He throws a fastball from the left side that gets up to 100 mph and sits comfortably in the mid 90s. The pitch features plus carry and generated whiffs at a 45% rate this spring against mostly Conference USA hitters.

“He’s got a second plus pitch in his mid-to-upper-70s breaking ball that features sweeping action at times and solid two-plane bite with late tilt at others. Dean has thrown a mid-80s changeup extremely infrequently this spring and likely won’t need the pitch at the next level either.”

The Red Sox have not previously drafted a player out of Old Dominion University since 1994, when they took right-hander Denis McLaughin in the seventh round.

Dean, who does not turn 22 until next March, becomes the second college pitcher Boston has taken in this year’s draft, joining fellow southpaw Dalton Rogers from Southern Mississippi.

The recommended slot value attached to the 159th overall pick in this year’s draft comes in at $343,800. The Sox will have until August 1 to sign Dean, as well as the rest of their draft selections.

(Picture of Noah Dean: Old Dominion University Athletics)

Red Sox select Southern Mississippi left-hander Dalton Rogers with third-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 99th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected University of Southern Mississippi left-hander Dalton Rogers.

Rogers, 21, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 361 prospect in this year’s draft class. The Flowood, Miss. native began his collegiate career at Southeastern Louisiana but spent the 2022 season at Southern Mississippi, posting a 1.95 ERA and 0.63 WHIP with 57 strikeouts to 23 walks over 23 relief appearances (37 innings) for the Golden Eagles. He also made a brief cameo for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer.

Listed at just 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, Rogers “overwhelmingly pitches off his fastball —a 92-93 mph heater that touches 96 at peak and comes with solid carry and around 18 inches of induced vertical break,” per his Baseball America scouting report.

To complement his fastball, Rogers also mixes in a low-80s slider and a low-80s changeup that can generate plenty of swing-and-miss. All of these pitches are thrown from a three-quarters arm slot.

Rogers, who turns 22 in January, becomes the first pitcher taken by Boston in this year’s draft. The Red Sox used their first three selections on high school position players in Mikey Romero, Cutter Coffey, and Roman Anthony on Sunday night.

The recommended slot value attached to the 79th overall pick in the 2022 draft is $617,200. The Sox will have until August 1 to sign Rogers, as well as the rest of their draft selections.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers: Southern Miss. Athletics)

Should Red Sox consider taking Oklahoma State right-hander Justin Campbell with top pick in this year’s draft?

Could the Red Sox select Oklahoma State University right-hander Justin Campbell with their first-round pick in the upcoming draft? Baseball America’s Tom Lipari recently suggested as much.

Lipari, representing the Red Sox in Baseball America’s latest staff draft, selected Campbell with the 24th overall pick, noting that the righty is mature and could be a quick mover through any system.

Campbell is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 27 prospect in this year’s draft class, ranking eight among eligible pitchers. The California native was originally selected by the Astros in the 18th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Simi Valley High School, but opted to go to college as opposed to going pro as a teenager.

Now 21 years old, Campbell just put the finishing touches on a junior season with the Cowboys in which he posted a 3.82 ERA and 1.07 WHIP to go along with 141 strikeouts to 25 walks over 17 appearances (16 starts) spanning 101 1/3 innings of work. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team for his efforts.

Listed at an intimidating 6-foot-7 and 219 pounds, Campbell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with four different offerings in a 90-93 mph fastball that can reach 94-95 mph, a 75-78 mph curveball “with tight 1-to-7 break,” an 80-82 mph slider, and an upper-70s changeup, per his Baseball America scouting report.

The Red Sox last used a first-rounder on a college pitcher in 2017, when they took righty Tanner Houck out of the University of Missouri. Boston also owned the 24th overall pick in that draft five years ago.

This time around, the 24th overall selection comes with a recommended slot value of roughly $2.975 million. It does not appear as though Campbell participated in last month’s draft combine in San Diego, so whichever team drafts him would not be required to offer of at least 75% of the slot value of their assigned pick.

Campbell, who does not turn 22 until February, has eligibility remaining and could therefore return to Oklahoma State for the 2023 season if his draft bonus demands are not met by whichever club takes him.

On that note, the 2022 MLB Draft will get underway in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Red Sox will pick at No. 24, No. 41, and No. 79 on Day 1, which will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of Justin Campbell: David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Jay Groome to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Jay Groome from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per the team’s minor-league transactions log.

Groome, who turns 24 next month, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking sixth among pitchers in the organization.

In 16 appearances (14 starts) for the Sea Dogs this season, the 23-year-old left-hander posted a 3.52 ERA and 4.92 FIP to go along with 81 strikeouts to 38 walks over 76 2/3 innings of work.

Among qualified Eastern League pitchers, Groome ranks 11th in strikeout rate (24.9%), fourth in batting average against (.206), and fifth in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Originally selected by Boston with the 12th overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft out of Barnegat High School in New Jersey, Groome has endured plenty of ups-and-downs throughout his professional career. His first full season in pro ball was mired by arm injuries, ultimately resulting in him undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2018.

Upon returning from Tommy John, Groome made a handful of rehab starts to close out the 2019 campaign. Then in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the minor-league season altogether. Limited to working out at the Sox’ alternate training site in Pawtucket, Groome was later added to the club’s 40-man roster that November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

After splitting 2021 between High-A Greenville and Portland, Groome returned to the Sea Dogs’ starting rotation for the start of the 2022 season and now finds himself on the cusp of the major-leagues.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 257 pounds, Groome throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s four-seam fastball that has topped out at 95 mph, a 76-80 mph curveball, a 79-82 mph changeup, and an 85-87 mph slider, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Groome, who will wear the No. 77 with the WooSox, becomes the latest Red Sox starting pitching prospect to make the jump from Portland to Worcester this year. The lefty joins fellow southpaws Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy as well as right-hander Brayan Bello.

(Picture of Jay Groome: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine to High-A Greenville

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

Uberstine, 23, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking 16th among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally selected the right-hander in the 19th round of last year’s draft out of Northwestern University and signed him for $97,500.

After pitching in the MLB Draft League and rookie-level Florida Complex League last summer, Uberstine began his first full season in pro ball with Salem. In 14 starts (eight appearances) for the Red Sox, the California native posted a 4.63 ERA — but much more respectable 3.87 FIP — to go along with 66 strikeouts to 21 walks over 58 1/3 innings of work.

Among Carolina League pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings to this point in the season, Ubserstine ranks 18th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.18), 14th in walks per nine innings (3.24), 15th in walk rate (8.4%), 18th in swinging strike rate (14%), 12th in groundball rate (49.1%), 16th in FIP, and eighth in xFIP (3.53), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Uberstine throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, a changeup, and a slider, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Uberstine becomes the latest member of Boston’s 2021 draft class to get called up to Greenville, joining the likes of Wyatt Olds, Jacob Webb, Nathan Hickey, Niko Kavadas, Tyler McDonough, and Phillip Sikes.

In order to make room on the roster for Uberstine, the Drive transferred fellow righty Chih-Jung Liu to the development list.

(Picture of Tyler Uberstine: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Luis De La Rosa named Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis De La Rosa has been named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 27 – July 3, Minor League Baseball announced on Tuesday.

In two starts against the FCL Braves and FCL Twins at JetBlue Park on June 27 and July 2, De La Rosa did not allow a run over 8 1/3 combined innings of work. The right-hander struck out 15 of the 34 batters he faced while issuing two hits, four walks, and hitting three.

On the 2022 season as a whole, De La Rosa has posted a 1.26 ERA and 3.72 FIP to go along with 20 strikeouts to nine walks across four appearances (three starts) spanning 14 1/3 innings for the Sox’ rookie-level affiliate.

Among 100 FCL pitchers who have accrued at least 10 innings on the mound this year, De La Rosa ranks 20th in strikeouts per nine innings (12.56), 13th in strikeout rate (33.3%), 24th in swinging strike rate (34.6%), fifth in batting average against (.104), 24th in WHIP (0.98), and 12th in ERA, per FanGraphs.

De La Rosa, who turns 20 on Wednesday, was one of three players to be named later the Red Sox acquired from both the Mets and Royals as part of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City last February.

Originally signed by the Royals as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018, De La Rosa did not make his Red Sox organizational debut until June 29 of last season. Since then, the Santo Domingo native owns a 2.41 ERA in 12 outings (eight starts) in the Florida Complex League.

While not regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system, De La Rosa does operate with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 89-91 mph fastball that tops out in the low-90s, a 77-79 mph curveball, an 83-86 mph changeup, and a slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds with more room to grow, De La Rosa can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career later this winter. The odds of him being left unprotected and scooped up by another team are likely slim, but it should be interesting to see if the righty can work his way to Low-A Salem before season’s end.

(Picture of Luis De La Rosa: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox top pitching prospect Brayan Bello to make first career start on Wednesday

Brayan Bello has been informed that he will start for the Red Sox on Wednesday, per MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison.

After Rich Hill suffered a left knee sprain in his start against the Cubs on Friday and was subsequently placed on the 15-day injured list as a result, the Red Sox found themselves in need of a starter for Wednesday night’s contest against the Rays at Fenway Park.

It just so happens that Bello also made his last start for Triple-A Worcester on Friday and would therefore be slated to work on regular rest. With Chris Sale set to make a rehab start for the WooSox at Polar Park on Wednesday, Bello became the clear choice.

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic for a modest $28,000 in July 2017, Bello is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 44 prospect in all of baseball.

The 23-year-old right-hander began the 2022 season with Double-A Portland before earning a promotion to Worcester on May 17. Since then, he has posted a 2.81 ERA and 2.68 FIP with 72 strikeouts to 21 walks over nine appearances (eight starts) spanning 51 1/3 innings of work for the WooSox.

In his last time out against the Rochester Red Wings at Frontier Field on July 1, Bello scattered two hits and three walks while fanning eight over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Forty-nine of the 84 pitches he threw went for strikes and 15 were of the swing-and-miss variety.

Among International League pitchers who have accrued at least 50 innings this year, Bello — as of Monday — ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (12.62), second in strikeout rate (34.4%), first in swinging strike rate (16.2%), eighth in batting average against (.207), 11th in WHIP (1.17), fifth in ERA, second in FIP, and first in xFIP (2.64), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Bello throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 97-98 mph four-seam fastball that tops out at 99 mph, a two-seam fastball that typically sits in the mid-90s, an 87-89 mph changeup, and an 83-86 mph slider, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Bello, who does not turn 24 until next May, is already a member of the Red Sox’ 40-man roster; though the club will have to make a corresponding move of some sort to add the hard-throwing righty to the active roster, likely by optioning another pitcher to Worcester on Wednesday.

That being said, Bello will become the third player and second pitcher to make his major-league debut for Boston so far this season, joining the likes of Jeter Downs and fellow hurler Josh Winckowski.

At this time, it remains to be seen how long Bello’s first stint in the majors will last. Regardless of that, though, there will be plenty of hype surrounding Bello when he takes the mound at Fenway Park for the first time just after 7:10 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday evening.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Thaddeus Ward makes first competitive start since undergoing Tommy John surgery

Red Sox pitching prospect Thaddeus Ward began a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Friday afternoon.

Getting the start for the Sox’ rookie-level affiliate as they went up against the FCL Twins in Fort Myers, Ward went two innings and did not give up a hit or walk while striking out three. The right-hander plunked the very first batter he faced and allowed that batter to reach third base with one out in the first inning.

He then stranded that runner on third before retiring the side in order in his second and final frame. Pitch counts are not made publicly available for these games, but we do know Ward retired six of the eight Twins he faced and was relieved by Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz.

Friday’s outing marked Ward’s first competitive action since he underwent Tommy John surgery last June. He opened the 2021 minor-league season with Double-A Portland but made just two starts for the Sea Dogs before being shut down with a forearm strain that ultimately required him to go under the knife.

Now 25 years old, Ward is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally selected the Fort Myers native in the fifth round of the 2018 amateur draft out of the University of Central Florida.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Ward — before undergoing Tommy John surgery 13 months ago — was a five-pitch pitcher who worked with a 93-96 mph sinker, an 86-89 mph cutter, an 81-83 mph slider, an 87-89 mph changeup, and a 76-79 mph curveball.

While it remains to be seen how many rehab starts he will need to make before joining a full-season affiliate ( likely Portland) for the rest of the season, it is worth mentioning that Ward can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft later this year.

That is precisely why Ward could be a candidate to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, as it would give the Red Sox a chance to further evaluate the righty before determining if he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

(Picture of Thaddeus Ward: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote top pitching prospect Chris Murphy to Triple-A Worcester

On the heels of being named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week on Monday, Red Sox pitching prospect Chris Murphy has been promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per the team’s minor-league transactions log.

Murphy, 24, was originally selected by the Sox in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the University of San Diego. The California-born left-hander is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization.

In 15 outings (13 starts) for the Sea Dogs this season, Murphy has posted a 2.58 ERA and 3.34 FIP with 91 strikeouts to 31 walks over 76 2/3 innings of work. Among qualified Eastern League pitchers, he ranks fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.68), fourth in strikeout rate (29.8%), first in batting average against (.169), second in WHIP (1.00), third in ERA, and third in FIP, per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Murphy operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96-97 mph, an 80-82 mph changeup, a 73-75 mph curveball, and an 80-84 mph slider. He has proven to be more effective against left-handed hitters compared to right-handed hitters over the course of his professional career and that has once again been the case this season.

Murphy becomes the third starting pitching prospect the Red Sox have promoted from Portland to Worcester so far in 2022, as he joins the likes of fellow southpaw Brandon Walter and hard-throwing righty Brayan Bello.

Like Walter, who is currently on the WooSox’ 7-day injured list because of a neck strain, Murphy can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November deadline.

With that, this promotion should give the Red Sox an ample opportunity to determine if Murphy — who does not turn 25 until next June — is indeed worthy of a 40-man roster spot. The lefty last pitched on Saturday, so he should be in line to make his Triple-A debut on Thursday or Friday, when the WooSox go up against the Rochester Red Wings on the road.

(Picture of Chris Murphy: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)