Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox select Long Beach state right-hander Marques Johnson with 11th-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 339th overall pick in the 2020 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected California State University, Long Beach right-hander Marques Johnson.

Johnson, 22, is regarded by Baseball America as the 328th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. Formerly of Riverside Community College, the Hemet, Calif. native posted a 3.25 ERA and 1.15 WHIP to go along with 51 strikeouts to 21 walks over 14 appearances (six starts) spanning 44 1/3 innings of work for the Dirtbags this season.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Johnson “has a fast arm,” according to his Baseball America scouting report. “His average fastball touches 95 mph and sits 91-93 mph. He generates high spin rates with his fastball, but as of yet, that has not generated exceptional movement or life on his heater. He throws a low-80s above-average slider that has plenty of tilt. He’s steadily improved his now fringe-average changeup.”

The hard-throwing senior began his collegiate career as a reliever before moving into Long Beach State’s starting rotation towards the end of the 2022 season. Because of that, some evaluators wonder if Johnson would be better suited for a relief role moving forward, though he still could develop into a productive starter.

Johnson, who does not turn 23 until next July, becomes just the third player the Red Sox have ever drafted out of Long Beach State, joining the likes of 2019 21st-rounder Dylan Spacke and 2018 seventh-rounder Jarren Duran. The righty also becomes the seventh college pitcher Boston has taken in this year’s draft.

The recommended slot value attached to the 339th selection in the 2022 draft comes in at $125,000. The Red Sox will have until August 1 to sign Johnson, as well as the rest of their draft picks.

(Picture of Marques Johnson: Long Beach State Athletics)

Red Sox select Oral Roberts right-hander Isaac Coffey with 10th-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 309th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected Oral Roberts University (Tulsa, Okla.) right-hander Isaac Coffey.

Not related to second-round selection Cutter Coffey, Isaac was not ranked by Baseball America or any other major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in this year’s draft class.

After being named Summit League Pitcher of the Year in 2021, Coffey posted a 3.77 ERA and 0.96 WHIP to go along with 78 strikeouts to 16 walks over 15 starts spanning 88 1/3 innings of work for the Golden Eagles this season.

Coffey, 22, hails from Goleta, Calif and possesses a fastball that sits between 88-91 mph. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder was a two-way player in college, but seems solely focused on pitching now since he only made 33 trips to the plate as a junior this spring.

The Red Sox last drafted a player out of Oral Roberts in 2005, when they took left-hander Matt Hancock in the 27th round. Coffey, meanwhile, becomes the sixth college arm Boston has taken in this year’s draft, joining the likes of Dalton Rogers, Noah Dean, Alex Hoppe, Caleb Bolden, and Jonathan Brand.

The recommended slot value attached to the 309th pick in the 2022 draft comes in at roughly $149,900. The Sox will have until August 1 to sign Coffey and the rest of their draft selections.

That concludes Day 2 of the MLB Draft. The third and final day of the draft will consist of rounds 11-20, meaning the Red Sox have 10 more picks to make. Day 3 begins at 2 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of Isaac Coffey: Oral Roberts University Athletics)

Red Sox select Miami University right-hander Jonathan Brand with eighth-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 249th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected Miami University (Ohio) right-hander Jonathan Brand.

College teammates with current Red Sox relief prospect Jacob Webb, Brand was not regarded by Baseball America as one of the top pitchers in this year’s draft class.

This past season with the RedHawks, the 22-year-old posted a 1.43 ERA and 1.14 WHIP to go along with 86 strikeouts to 29 walks over 13 starts spanning 77 1/3 innings of work en route to being named First Team All-Mid Atlantic Conference. He also made five starts for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer and recorded 21 strikeouts to just two walks across 21 frames.

A native of Columbus, Ga., Brand is currently committed to transfer to Auburn University if he elects not to sign with the Red Sox. The recommended slot value attached to the 249th selection in this year’s draft comes in at approximately $173,100.

Brand, who does not turn 23 until next February, is listed at 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds. He becomes the fifth college pitcher scooped up by Boston in the 2022 draft, joining the likes of Dalton Rogers, Noah Dean, Alex Hoppe, and Caleb Bolden.

(Picture of Jonathan Brand: Miami University Athletics)

Red Sox select TCU right-hander Caleb Bolden with seventh-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 219th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected Texas Christian University right-hander Caleb Bolden.

Bolden, 23, is a fifth-year senior who spent the first four years of his collegiate career at the University of Arkansas before transferring to TCU for the 2022 season. In 23 appearances (one start) with the Horned Frogs, the Texarkana native posted a 6.23 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 46 strikeouts to 19 walks over 39 innings of work.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Bolden underwent Tommy John surgery three years ago, which resulted in him missing the entirety of the 2019 season at Arkansas.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Bolden “is a low slot sinker/slider pitcher with a low effort delivery and solid arm talent. His stuff has never played as good as the pitch-mix that he has.”

This is the second time Bolden has been drafted, as the righty was previously taken by the Rays in the 16th round of the 2017 amateur draft out of high school. Rather than sign with Tampa Bay, though, Bolden elected to go to college.

The Red Sox last drafted a TCU pitcher in 2018, when they took fellow reliever Durbin Feltman in the third round. Bolden, on the other hand, becomes the fourth college hurler Boston has selected in this year’s draft, joining the likes of Dalton Rogers, Noah Dean, and Alex Hoppe.

The expectation seems to be that Bolden, who turns 24 in December, will sign for less than the $208,600 that is allotted to the 219th overall selection in the 2022 draft. The Red Sox have until August 1 to sign Bolden, as well as the rest of their draft picks.

(Picture of Caleb Bolden: Texas Christian University Athletics)

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)