Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox pitching prospect Thaddeus Ward faces live hitters for first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery

Red Sox pitching prospect Thaddeus Ward took another important step in his road back from Tommy John surgery on Friday. At JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, the right-hander faced live batters for the first time since going under the knife last June.

“First Live BP today!” Ward tweeted. “Another box has been checked, we’re getting close!”

Ward came into the 2021 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He made just two starts for Double-A Portland before being shut down with a forearm strain that would ultimately require Tommy John. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews on June 3.

As the one-year anniversary of Ward’s elbow reconstruction nears, it appears as though the 25-year-old is close to getting back into minor-league games. Since it has been more than a year since he last pitched competitively, his first assignment will likely come in the Florida Complex League.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2018 amateur draft out of the University of Central Florida, Ward drew plenty of attention in his first full professional season. The Fort Myers native posted a 2.14 ERA and 3.28 FIP with 157 strikeouts to 57 walks over 25 starts (126 1/3 innings) between Low-A Greenville and High-A Salem en route to being named the organization’s 2019 Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

After the 2020 campaign was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his 2021 season was for the most part lost because of surgery, Ward is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization.

Prior to undergoing Tommy John, Ward operated with a repeatable delivery and worked from a pitch arsenal that included a 93-96 mph sinker, a slider, a cutter, and a changeup.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Ward can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the November deadline. Because of this, the righty — as noted by FanGraphs’ Kevin Goldstein and Tess Taruskin — could be a prime candidate to pitch in the Arizona Fall League later this year.

That way, the Sox would get an extended look at Ward before determining if he was worthy of a 40-man roster spot. Other teams, meanwhile, would also get the chance to evaluate Ward in the event that he was not protected from the Rule 5 Draft this fall.

While it’s extremely unlikely Ward will contribute at the big-league level in 2022, he does project as a back-end starter or multi-inning reliever in the future.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Josh Winckowski will officially make major-league debut against Orioles on Saturday

Red Sox pitching prospect Josh Winckowski will make his major-league debut and start Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Orioles at Fenway Park.

Winckowski, who is already in Boston and has a locker in the Red Sox’ clubhouse, told reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) that he received word of the team’s decision on Friday and will have eight or nine people on-hand to watch his debut in-person.

The 23-year-old right-hander has made seven starts for Triple-A Worcester this season, posting a 3.13 ERA and 2.80 FIP to go along with 34 strikeouts to six walks over 31 2/3 innings of work. His last outing for the WooSox came on Sunday, so he is lined up to pitch on regular rest this weekend.

Among International League pitchers who have at least 30 innings under their belt to this point in the year, Winckowski ranks ninth in strikeout rate (27.9%), eighth in swinging strike rate (13.6%) sixth in walk rate (4.9%), fifth in batting average against (.183), first in WHIP (0.85), 13th in ERA, second in FIP, and second in xFIP (3.11), per FanGraphs.

Originally selected by the Blue Jays in the 15th round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Estero High School, Winckowski was dealt to the Mets in the same trade that sent left-hander Steven Matz to Toronto last January. Less than two weeks later, the Florida native was involved in a three-team trade that sent him to the Red Sox and outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Royals.

Now in his second full year with the Sox, Winckowski is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization. The 6-foot-4, 215 pound hurler works with a three-pitch mix that consists of a high-90s fastball, a changeup, and a slider. He projects as either a back-end starter or reliever in the future.

Winckowski, who was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November, is slated to become the first Red Sox player to make their big-league debut this season.

Fellow righty Nathan Eovaldi is expected to get the start in the first game on Saturday afternoon (12:10 p.m. eastern time). Winckowski would then get the starting nod for the night cap (6:10 p.m. ET), likely serving as the Sox’ 27th man by doing so.

(Picture of Josh Winckowski: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Alex Cora on pitching prospect Josh Winckowski: ‘It seems like we’re lining up him to pitch in the doubleheader’ this weekend

The Red Sox are indeed lining up Josh Winckowski to start one of the games in Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader against the Orioles at Fenway Park, manager Alex Cora said in his weekly check-in with WEEI’s Merloni, Fauria & Mego on Wednesday afternoon.

“Winckowski, it seems like we’re lining up him to pitch in the doubleheader,” Cora said, as relayed by the Boston Herald’s Steve Hewitt.

Originally acquired from the Mets in the three-team Andrew Benintendi trade last February, Winckowski is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization.

After being added to the Sox’ 40-man roster last November, Winckowski has spent the entirety of the 2022 season to date with Triple-A Worcester. The 23-year-old right-hander has posted a 3.13 ERA and 2.80 FIP with 34 strikeouts to just six walks over seven starts (31 2/3 innings pitched) for the WooSox.

In his last time out against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park on Sunday, Winckowski had allowed just one run through his first six innings of work before getting rocked for five runs on three hits and one hit batsman in the top of the seventh.

Even with that performance on the backburner, Winckowski has still been one of the top starters at the Triple-A level this season. Among those in the International League who have accrued at least 30 innings to this point, the Florida native ranks 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.66), sixth in walks per nine innings (1.71), ninth in strikeout rate (27.9%), sixth in swinging strike rate (13.6%), seventh in walk rate (4.9%), fifth in batting average against (.183), second in WHIP (0.85), 13th in ERA, third in FIP, and second in xFIP (3.12), per FanGraphs.

Winckowski does not qualify as a league leader statistically, mainly because he was limited to just two innings in his May 11 start in the event that the Red Sox needed him to pitch during their series in Texas.

Since his last outing came on Sunday, Winckowski would be in line to pitch on regular rest in one of Saturday’s two games against Baltimore. Fellow righty Nathan Eovaldi is expected to start the other contest.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 202 pounds, Winckowski possesses a pitch mix that is anchored by a high-90s four-seam fastball and complemented by a sinker, cutter, slider, and changeup. His stuff may be better suited for the bullpen in the future, but he will all but certainly get his first taste of the major-leagues as a starter.

Assuming Winckowski does make his big-league debut against the Orioles over the weekend, he would likely serve as the Red Sox’ 27th man and be optioned back down to Worcester following the conclusion of the twin bill.

(Picture of Josh Winckowski: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Brayan Bello becomes first pitcher in International League this season to strike out 10 batters in multiple games

Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello has made two starts in the International League since being promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester earlier this month. As of Wednesday, he is the only International League pitcher with multiple 10-strikeout games.

After dazzling in his Triple-A debut at Polar Park last Wednesday, Bello was back at it again for the WooSox as they went up against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday night.

Over six strong innings of work, the right-hander allowed just two earned runs while scattering three hits and two walks to go along with another 10 strikeouts. Of the 97 pitches he threw, 58 went for strikes and 20 of those were of the swing-and-miss variety.

The WooSox ultimately trounced the IronPigs by a final score of 13-2, allowing Bello to improve to a perfect 2-0 at the Triple-A level. In addition to the perfect record, the 23-year-old has struck out 20 of the first 49 batters he has faced for Worcester. His 40.8% strikeout rate would rank first among International League pitchers if he was qualified.

Originally signed by the Red Sox for just $28,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017, Bello is now regarded by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system as well as the 79th-ranked prospect in all of baseball.

Equipped with a high-octane fastball that can reach 96-98 mph and is complemented by a changeup and slider, Bello is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he was named the Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. The 6-foot-1, 170 pound hurler was also added to the club’s 40-man roster in November.

Considering the fact that he is already on Boston’s 40-man roster, Bello could force his way into the major-leagues as soon as this season. If he continues to impress against a stiffer level of competition at Triple-A, the Red Sox may have little choice but to call him up before the year is over.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Katie Morrison/MassLive)

With recent promotions of Franklin German and A.J. Politi, Red Sox relief prospect Chase Shugart could take on larger role in Double-A Portland’s bullpen

Red Sox pitching prospect Chase Shugart picked up his third save of the season in Double-A Portland’s 2-1 win over the Somerset Patriots at Hadlock Field on Tuesday afternoon.

Taking the mound for the ninth inning, Shugart worked his way around a leadoff walk by retiring the next three batters he faced in order to secure Portland’s 20th win of the season. 13 of the 21 pitches he threw went for strikes.

In 14 appearances out of the Sea Dogs’ bullpen this year, the right-hander has posted a 2.25 ERA and 4.01 FIP to go along with 20 strikeouts to seven walks over 20 innings of work. In the month of May, he has allowed just one earned run over his last 10 1/3 innings pitched.

Among pitches in the Eastern League with at least 20 innings under their belt to this point in the season, Shugart ranks 20th in batting average against (.194), 22nd in WHIP (1.05), 16th in ERA, and 20th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Shugart, 25, began his professional career as a starter after being selected by the Red Sox in the 12th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. The former Longhorn had prior experience as a reliever in college, but did not return to that role until this past winter.

Pitching out of the bullpen for Indios de Mayaguez of the Puerto Rican Winter League, Shugart yielded just two runs on five hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts across five appearances spanning 6 1/3 innings. He took what he gained from his time in Puerto Rico and impressed the Red Sox during the team’s Winter Warm-Up program in Fort Myers back in January.

At that point in time, the club essentially decided that Shugart would be a full-time reliever moving forward, and it certainly seems as though the native Texan has embraced that opportunity so far.

Coming into play on Wednesday, Shugart leads the Sea Dogs’ pitching staff in appearances while also ranking first among relievers in number of innings pitched.

Portland has seen its bullpen composition change up a bit as of late, as a pair of other right-handers — Franklin German and A.J. Politi — recently earned promotions to Triple-A Worcester. Taking this into consideration, Shugart should figure to play an even larger role for the Sea Dogs moving forward.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds, Shugart is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 51 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph, a 74-80 mph curveball, an 81-84 mph slider, and an 84-87 mph changeup.

Shugart, who turns 26 in October, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this December if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the November deadline.

(Picture of Chase Shugart: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox top pitching prospect Josh Winckowski could make major-league debut next Saturday

When the Red Sox host the Orioles in a scheduled doubleheader at Fenway Park next Saturday, they will need two starting pitchers. As things stand now, Nathan Eovaldi is in line to start one of those two games.

As for who will start the other, manager Alex Cora hinted before Saturday’s win over the Mariners that the Sox may very well call up top pitching prospect Josh Winckowski from Triple-A Worcester to make his major-league debut.

Per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, “Cora said the Red Sox planned to use their extra player (MLB allows teams to add a 27th player to their rosters for doubleheaders) and that the starter would likely come from the minors.”

Since Winckowski will start for the WooSox on Sunday, he becomes the obvious choice to pitch on regular rest for the Red Sox next weekend.

“Most likely, it’s going to somebody from the minor-leagues,” said Cora . “Stay tuned for whoever pitches whenever.”

Winckowski, 23, has posted a 2.10 ERA and 2.49 FIP with 28 strikeouts to six walks across six starts spanning 25 2/3 innings of work for Worcester this season. Earlier this month, the right-hander was limited to just two innings in the event that the Red Sox needed him for their series in Texas. In his last time out against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 17, he struck out nine over six scoreless, two-hit innings at Polar Park.

Originally acquired from the Mets as part of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Royals last February, Winckowski is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization. He was added to the Sox’ 40-man roster last November.

If Winckowski were to start one of the games against Baltimore next Saturday, he would likely be doing so as Boston’s 27th man, meaning he could be sent right back down to Worcester afterwards.

(Picture of Josh Winckowski: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata reaches 100 mph in first competitive action since undergoing Tommy John surgery

For the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Mata faced off against batters from another organization on Thursday, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Down in Fort Myers, Mata threw two innings in an extended spring training game. The right-hander did not allow a run or hit over those two frames while recording five strikeouts, two walks, and topping out at 100 mph with his fastball.

Mata, 23, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fifth among pitchers in the organization.

Originally signed out of Venezuela for just $25,000 in 2016, Mata was added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in November 2020. The following spring, it seemed as though the righty had a good chance to break camp in Triple-A Worcester’s starting rotation before it was revealed he would require season-ending surgery.

Fast forward 13 months, and Mata is back on the mound and working his way towards getting into minor-league games again. Per Speier, Mata will likely begin a rehab assignment in early June, when the Florida Complex League season begins.

From there, the Red Sox plan to keep Mata on a starter’s schedule and get to a point where they could possibly pair him with fellow right-hander Brayan Bello in Worcester this summer.

Prior to going under the knife, the 6-foot-3 and 229 pound hurler worked with a five-pitch mix that consisted of a 94-96 mph four-seam fastball, a 91-93 mph two-seam fastball, an 86-90 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 84-86 changeup.

There were some questions whether Mata could stick as a starter or would be better suited for a move to the bullpen. But, as noted by Speier, he is considered to have a high ceiling in either role.

While the Red Sox will understandably take their time when it comes to his rehab, the possibility remains that Mata — who is already on Boston’s 40-man roster — could make his major-league debut by the end of the 2022 season if all goes well.

(Picture of Bryan Mata: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello strikes out 10 in debut for Triple-A Worcester

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello made his highly-anticipated debut for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday night.

Matched up against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and pitching in front of 7,210 spectactors at Polar Park, Bello allowed two earned runs on six hits and one walk to go along with 10 strikeouts over six solid innings of work.

The right-hander retired eight of the first nine batters he faced before serving up a solo home run to Estevan Florial with two outs in the top of the third. He then gave up back-to-back one-out doubles to Greg Bird and Phillip Evans an inning later, which allowed another Scranton/Wilkes-Barre run to cross the plate.

From there, though, Bello was able to settle in a little bit as he worked his way out of another jam in the fifth before stranding Bird on second by sitting down the final three RailRiders he faced in his sixth and final frame.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 94 (64 strikes), Bello induced 15 swings-and-misses on the night. According to SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, who was in attendance on Wednesday, the hard-throwing righty sat between 96-98 mph with his fastball while also mixing in his slider and changeup on a frequent basis.

Bello, who turned 23 on Tuesday, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system — which ranks first among pitchers in the organization — and the No. 83 prospect in all of baseball.

The Red Sox originally signed Bello for just $28,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017. Last season, the 6-foot-170 pound hurler represented Boston in the All-Star Futures Game and took home 2021 Red Sox Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year honors.

Prior to being promoted from Double-A Portland to Worcester earlier this week, Bello had posted posted a 1.60 ERA and 3.20 FIP to go along with 42 strikeouts to 12 walks over six starts spanning 33 2/3 innings of work for the Sea Dogs. He also threw a seven-inning no-header on May 5 in the process of emerging as one of the top arms in the Eastern League.

Now that he has taken the next step to Triple-A, Bello — who is already on Boston’s 40-man roster — will have an opportunity to make even more of a name for himself as he goes up against stiffer competition with the WooSox.

If he can do that, Bello could be on his way to the big-leagues before long.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox promote relief prospect A.J. Politi to Triple-A Worcester

In addition to Brayan Bello, the Red Sox are also promoting relief prospect A.J. Politi from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Politi, who turns 26 next month, began the 2022 season in Portland’s bullpen and posted a 2.03 ERA and 3.54 FIP to go along with 20 strikeouts to just three walks over 12 relief appearances spanning 13 1/3 innings of work for the Sea Dogs. The right-hander also went a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities.

Among Eastern League pitchers who have accrued at least 10 innings on the mound this year, Politi ranks 14th in strikeouts per nine innings (13.5), 23rd in walks per nine innings (2.03), 11th in strikeout rate (38.5%), 15th in swinging strike rate (17.9%), 25th in walk rate (5.8%), 19th in batting average against (.149), sixth in WHIP (0.75), 30th in ERA, and fifth in xFIP (2.29), per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox originally selected Politi in the 15th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Seton Hall University. The New Jersey native signed with Boston for a modest $25,000 and has been used as both a starter and reliever throughout his professional career.

Last season, for instance, Politi made 15 starts for Portland and yielded a 7.01 ERA before moving to the bullpen on a full-time basis in September. He impressed in four outings there, made 11 appearances for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League, and really has not looked back since then.

Listed at 6-feet and 195 pounds, the 25-year-old works with four different pitches in a mid-90s fastball (his best offering), a high-80s slider, a lower-80s curveball, and a changeup. He is currently regarded by FanGraphs as the No. 46 prospect in Boston’s farm system and can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft later this winter.

If the Red Sox would like to prevent that from happening, they would need to add Politi to their 40-man roster by the November deadline. Giving the righty an extended look at the Triple-A level will surely play a role in the club’s decision when that time comes.

With the WooSox, Politi will be joining a bullpen that includes the likes of Eduard Bazardo, Silvino Bracho, Michael Feliz, Durbin Feltman, Zack Kelly, Kaleb Ort, and Phillips Valdez, among others.

In order to call up both Bello and Politi to Worcester, the Red Sox will be sending left-hander Kyle Hart and right-hander Darin Gillies down to Portland.

(Picture of A.J. Politi: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote top pitching prospect Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted top pitching prospect Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester, as confirmed by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. Per his Instagram story, Bello spent part of his Monday at Polar Park and will wear the No. 64 with the WooSox.

According to Boston Strong on Twitter, who first took note of Bello’s social media activity, Bello will make his Triple-A debut against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Wednesday night.

Bello, who turns 23 on Tuesday, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 1 pitching prospect (fourth overall) in Boston’s farm system and the 86th-ranked prospect in all of baseball.

In six starts for Double-A Portland this season, the hard-throwing right-hander has posted a 1.60 ERA and 3.20 FIP to go along with 42 strikeouts to 12 walks over 33 2/3 innings of work. He tossed a seven-inning no-hitter against the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field earlier this month.

Among qualified Eastern League pitchers, Bello ranks seventh in strikeout rate (32.6%), second in swinging strike rate (19.3%) first in batting average against (.137), second in WHIP (0.83), second in ERA, eighth in FIP, and fifth in xFIP (2.68), per FanGraphs.

The reigning Red Sox Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year, Bello was originally signed by Boston for a modest $28,000 coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017. It has been quite the ascent for the Samana native since then.

Listed at a lanky 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Bello operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a high-90s fastball that tops out at 99-100 mph, an 85-89 mph changeup, and an 84-88 mph slider.

Since he is already on the Boston’s 40-man roster, Bello could very well make his big-league debut later this season. For the time being, though, the 22-year-old will join a talented WooSox rotation that consists of other high-caliber prospects like Connor Seabold, Josh Winckowski, and Kutter Crawford.

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