Tag: pitching prospects

Top Red Sox pitching prospects Brayan Bello, Jay Groome returning to Double-A Portland for start of 2022 season

Two of the top pitching prospects in the Red Sox farm system are returning to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2022 season.

As part of a flurry of roster moves made on Monday, the Sox announced that left-hander Jay Groome and right-hander Brayan Bello had been transferred from Triple-A Worcester to Double-A Portland.

Both Bello and Groome are on Boston’s 40-man roster and were invited to big-league camp at the onset of spring training. When they were reassigned to minor-league camp last month, the Sox announced the move by saying they had been optioned to Worcester. So the fact that they were transferred from Worcester to Portland on Monday should not be viewed as a demotion since they were expected to begin the season in Double-A to begin with.

Bello, 22, and Groome, 23, are currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 and No. 10 prospects in Boston’s farm system, respectively. The former ranks first among pitchers in the organization while the latter ranks fourth. They both began last season with High-A Greenville and ended the year in Portland.

Bello, a former international free agent signed out the Dominican Republic in 2017, posted a 2.27 ERA and 2.82 FIP to go along with 45 strikeouts and seven walks over six starts (31 2/3 innings pitched) with Greenville before earning a promotion to Portland on June 8.

With the Sea Dogs, the righty produced a 4.66 ERA — but much more respectable 3.12 FIP — with 87 strikeouts to 24 walks over 15 starts spanning 63 2/3 innings of work. He also represented the Red Sox in the All-Star Futures Game and was named the organization’s Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year.

Groome, a former first-round draft pick out of Barnegat High School (N.J.) in 2016, posted a 5.29 ERA and 4.35 FIP with 108 strikeouts to 32 walks across 18 starts (81 2/3 innings) with the Drive before being promoted to Portland in early September.

Although it came in a smaller sample size, Groome’s stint with the Sea Dogs last year went more swimmingly than Bello’s. In three starts to close out his season, the lefty pitched to the tune of a 2.30 ERA and 1.15 FIP to go along with 26 strikeouts and just four walks over 15 2/3 innings of work.

Bello, who turns 23 in May, has three pitches in his arsenal: a fastball, changeup, and slider. Groome, who turns 24 in August, operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a fastball, curveball, changeup, and slider.

The two hurlers made just one appearance each in Grapefruit League play this spring, but still showed why they are as highly-touted as they are. It would not be unreasonable if one of the two, or maybe even both, made it up to Worcester by the end of the year.

In the meantime, though, Bello and Groome figure to lead a talented Portland pitching staff that will feature the likes of Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter, Victor Santos, Franklin German, Chase Shugart, and Jacob Wallace, among others.

The Sea Dogs open their season against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays affiliate) at Hadlock Field this coming Friday, April 8. One would have to figure Bello or Groome will get the starting nod on Opening Day.

(Picture of Brayan Bello and Jay Groome: Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)

What to expect from Red Sox relief prospect Ryan Fernandez in 2022

If you visit the Red Sox’ official website and go to their 40-man roster page, you may notice an unfamiliar name included within the list of pitchers in Ryan Fernandez.

Fernandez, 23, has yet to pitch above the High-A level, so him being listed on Boston’s 40-man roster is more than likely the result of a web error or something of the sort.

Still, since Fernandez made his Grapefruit League debut against the Braves this past Wednesday, this felt like an opportune time to write about the right-hander the Red Sox selected in the 23rd round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Hillsborough Community College in Florida.

A native of Tampa, Fla. himself, Fernandez signed with the Sox for $125,000 in June 2018 and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. He then spent the entirety of the 2019 campaign with the short-season Lowell Spinners.

After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor-league season, Fernandez returned to affiliated ball in 2021 and broke camp with Low-A Salem. In 17 relief appearances for the Salem Sox, the righty posted a 1.50 ERA and 2.39 FIP to go along with 42 strikeouts to just nine walks over 36 innings of work.

On August 14, Fernandez earned a promotion to High-A Greenville and wound wind up ending the season with the Drive. Over seven outings there, Fernandez pitched to the tune of a 4.32 ERA and 5.21 FIP with 18 strikeouts and five walks across 16 2/3 innings pitched.

A 4.32 ERA is not an eye-opening statistic, obviously. In Fernandez’s case, however, it is worth mentioning that he allowed just one run over his final three appearances (6 innings) of the 2021 season in the month of September.

Among the 39 minor-league pitchers in the Red Sox organization who compiled at least 50 innings on the mound last year, Fernandez ranked second in ERA (2.39), 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.25), 11th in walks per nine innings (2.39), 12th in strikeout rate (27.8%) walk rate (6.5%), and batting average against (.230), ninth in WHIP (1.14), sixth in FIP (3.28) and xFIP (3.58), and eighth in swinging strike rate (16.7%), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-feet and 170 pounds, Fernandez operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 85-87 mph slider, an 80-84 mph curveball, and an 83-85 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

You will not find Fernandez, who turns 24 in June, on any major publication’s top Red Sox prospects list. Still, the Florida-born reliever is coming off a solid 2021 between both levels of A-ball and has received some attention this spring.

On that note, SoxProspects.com projects that Fernandez will return to Greenville for the start of the 2022 minor-league season. If he impresses there, though, a promotion to Double-A Portland at some point this spring or summer should not be ruled out.

(Picture of Ryan Fernandez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello looking to make most of first invite to major-league spring training

Brayan Bello enters the 2022 season regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox farm system, which ranks first among pitchers in the organization.

It has been quite the rise for Bello, who at this time last year was Baseball America’s 20th-ranked Boston prospect.

The 22-year-old right-hander is coming off a 2021 season in which he posted a 3.87 ERA and 3.02 FIP to go along with 132 strikeouts to 31 walks over 21 starts (95 1/3 innings pitched) between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. He also represented the Red Sox in last July’s All-Star Futures Game and was named the team’s Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year.

As a reward for his exceptional campaign, Bello was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster last November so he would receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. The lockout began shortly thereafter, though, which barred the former international signee from communicating with his club since he was now considered a major-leaguer.

Forced to spend his off-season and work out at home in the Dominican Republic instead of Fort Myers, Bello was about as excited as anyone when the lockout ended earlier this month since it meant he would be receiving his first-ever invite to big-league spring training.

“I’m really happy because that just shows the hard work that I put in to be able to even be invited to big-league camp,” Bello recently told The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams. “Like, that’s really what was the goal to be able to have this opportunity. So now that I’m here, like, I’m trying to just take advantage of it.”

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Bello has a repeatable delivery and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s four-seam fastball that touches 98 mph, a changeup that is considered to be a plus offering, and an improving slider. He is also working on developing a two-seamer, per his Baseball America scouting report.

“Everybody raves about him,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Bello, who will likely be making his spring debut on either Tuesday or Wednesday. “[He doesn’t have] a physical presence. But what they said stuff wise, he’s really good.”

Bello, who turns 23 in May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2022 minor-league season next month. He should, however, make it as far as Triple-A Worcester this year and could be on the cusp of making his major-league debut sooner rather than later.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)

Who is Jedixson Paez? Red Sox prospect was named team’s Latin Program Pitcher of the Year in 2021

Last season, the Red Sox had 39 minor-league pitchers who threw at least 50 innings at their respective levels. One of those 39 was young pitching prospect Jedixson Paez.

Paez, who turned 18 in January, spent the entirety of the 2021 campaign in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old. In 13 starts for the DSL Red Sox Blue affiliate, the right-hander posted a 2.86 ERA and 3.79 FIP to go along with 49 strikeouts to just nine walks over 50 1/3 innings of work.

Among all qualified hurlers in the DSL last year, Paez ranked 11th in walks per nine innings (1.61), ninth in walk rate (4.4%), 22nd in WHIP (1.03),31st in swinging strike rate (36.7%), and 26th in xFIP (3.12), per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox originally signed Paez as an international free agent out of Venezuela for $450,000 last January, making the Tinaquillo native one of the more notable additions from Boston’s 2021 signing class.

With 2021 marking his first exposure to pro ball, it is noteworthy that Paez was named the Sox’ Latin Program Pitcher of the Year back in September. Around that same time, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall wrote that the righty “has the potential to be an interesting long-term prospect” if he can continue “to add strength and improve the velocity on his pitches.”

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Paez clearly still has plenty of room to grow both physically and developmentally. According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Paez throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with a fastball that hovers around 84-86 mph and a curveball that sits at 69-71 mph.

Coming into the 2022 season, Paez is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He did, however, receive a shoutout from FanGraphs’ Kevin Goldstein and Tess Taruskin last week for being projectable, having advanced command, and “promising” secondary stuff.

On that note, Paez is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin his age-18 season in the rookie-level Florida Complex League later this summer. It should be fascinating to see how he handles the transition from the Dominican Republic to the United States.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez via his Instagram)

Nathanael Cruz identified by Baseball America as Red Sox prospect ‘who could make a leap forward’ in 2022

Red Sox pitching prospect Nathanael Cruz was recently identified by Baseball America as a sleeper “who could make a leap forward” heading into the 2022 season.

Cruz, who turned 19 last month, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-hander originally signed with the Sox for $200,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2019.

While he missed out on his first full pro season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruz was one of the youngest arms at the Red Sox’ fall instructional league in 2020.

The following spring, Cruz remained in Fort Myers and spent the entirety of the 2021 minor-league season with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox. In four appearances (three starts) for Boston’s FCL affiliate, the righty posted a 3.18 ERA and 4.89 xFIP to go along with eight strikeouts to three walks over just 5 2/3 innings of work. He threw just four pitches in his final outing of the year on August 6 and did not appear in another game.

Although Cruz was listed on the club’s 2021 fall instructional league roster, it is unclear how much he participated in the program.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Cruz operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph, an 85-87 mph changeup, and an 80-82 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. Back in September, SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall noted that Cruz “still has a long way to go with his command and control, and his low-80s breaking ball is a work in progress, but he intrigued scouts and there is upside given his age.”

On that note, Cruz is projected to return to the Florida Complex League for the start of the 2022 minor-league season. If healthy, there is certainly a lot to like about the 19-year-old hurler given his youth, potential, and remaining projection.

(Picture of Nathanael Cruz: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Alex Cora on pitching prospect Chris Murphy: ‘He is a guy I’ve been looking at. He has a good fastball’

Chris Murphy has drawn the attention of Red Sox manager Alex Cora so far at minor-league spring training in Fort Myers, Fla.

Cora, who under normal circumstances would have likely been preparing for a Grapefruit League game against the Yankees on Monday, was instead seen roaming the backfields of the Fenway South complex and watching the action unfold in front of him.

In a brief conversation with the few reporters on-hand, Cora noted that Murphy “is a guy I’ve been looking at. He has a good fastball.”

Murphy, 23, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in the Sox’ farm system, ranking sixth among pitchers in the organization. Boston originally selected the left-hander in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the University of San Diego.

After impressing in his pro debut with the Lowell Spinners that summer, Murphy missed the entirety of the 2020 minor-league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The California native did, however, participate in fall instructs and carried the momentum he gained there into the following spring.

Upon breaking minor-league camp with High-A Greenville in May, Murphy posted a 4.21 ERA and 5.81 FIP to go along with 81 strikeouts and 23 walks through his first 14 starts (68 1/3 innings pitched) of the year before earning a promotion to Double-A Portland in late July.

In seven outings (six starts) with the Sea Dogs, Murphy pitched to the tune of a 5.45 ERA — but much more respectable 3.52 FIP — with 47 punchouts to just 13 walks over 33 innings of work to close out the year. The southpaw was named Double-A Northeast pitcher of the week on two separate occasions during that stretch (August 22 and September 12) thanks to two superb performances against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Among all Double-A Northeast pitchers who compiled at least 30 frames on the mound last season, Murphy ranked 22nd in strikeouts per nine innings (12.82), 20th in strikeout rate (34.1%), 26th in swinging strike rate (15.3%), 35th in FIP, and 27th in xFIP (3.56), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Murphy is a four-pitch pitcher who works with a 90-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 80-82 mph changeup, a 73-75 mph curveball, and an 80-84 mph slider. It should be noted that his arsenal fared far better against left-handed hitters (.401 OPS against) than right-handed hitters (.914 OPS against) between High-A and Double-A in 2021.

Back in January, Murphy was one of 12 Red Sox pitchers who took part in the team’s Winter Warm-Up program. The lefty was also just one of two players (the other being Triston Casas) to speak with the media that week and he emphasized the importance of attacking the strike zone as well as tunneling his pitches.

“Especially right now, I’m all about the analytics like where does my fastball play and what plays off of it and how can I create tunnels,” said Murphy. “Changeup/slider. Something that we’re getting big on this offseason is making two pitches go (releasing them) looking the same and breaking two different ways. So that’s what we call tunneling. And how to make a fastball up look appealing to a hitter when it’s not really in the zone; get swings-and-misses up in the zone.”

Murphy, who turns 24 in June, is projected to return to Portland’s starting rotation for the start of the 2022 minor-league season. He has a chance to emerge as the top left-handed pitching prospect in the organization, which is important considering the fact he can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career this December.

The Red Sox, of course, would need to add Murphy to their 40-man roster by the November deadline if they intend on protecting him from the 2022 Rule 5 Draft.

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

Who is Brian Van Belle? Red Sox pitching prospect walked just 3.9% of the batters he faced with High-A Greenville in 2021

Brian Van Belle was one of the top college seniors who did not hear his name called in the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft, so it did not take long for the University of Miami right-hander to land with a Major League Baseball team.

Just five days after the conclusion of the 2020 draft, Van Belle officially signed with the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent. The Pembroke Pines, Fla. native received a modest $20,000 signing bonus that summer and proceeded to impress the club at fall instructors in Fort Myers.

Following his first minor-league spring training, Van Belle broke camp and spent the entirety of the 2021 season with High-A Greenville. In 18 starts for the Drive, the 25-year-old posted a 4.10 ERA and 4.23 FIP to go along with 82 strikeouts to just 13 walks over 79 innings pitched. It should be mentioned that he missed three weeks of action while on the injured list from August 19 through September 9.

On paper, a 4.10 ERA might not exactly jump off the page. In Van Belle’s case, however, there was a stretch over the summer when the righty was arguably one of the best starting pitchers in the lower-minors.

In four outings last July, Van Belle went 3-0 while not allowing a single run. He struck out 24 of the 84 batters he faced and walked just four of them across 22 innings of work en route to being named the High-A East Pitcher of the Month and the Red Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month.

All told, Van Belle was one of 32 hurlers in the High-A East who accrued at least 70 innings on the mound last year. Among that group, the former Hurricane ranked 10th in ERA, 12th in FIP, second in walks per nine innings (1.48), and second in walk rate (3.9%), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Van Belle has a repeatable delivery and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 90-92 mph fastball that tops out at 93 mph, an 82-85 mph changeup, and a 77-80 mph curveball that is considered to be a “work in progress,” according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report. As indicated by his low walk rate, his command is what makes him stick out.

Van Belle, who turns 26 in September, is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. That said, he is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2022 season in Double-A Portland’s starting rotation and should get more exposure there as he looks to build off a solid debut campaign.

(Picture of Brian Van Belle via the Greenville Drive’s Twitter)

Is right-hander Jacob Wallace ‘the best pure relief prospect’ in the Red Sox’ farm system?

It has been roughly 18 months since the Red Sox traded veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar to the Rockies for a player to be named later in August 2020. Less than three weeks later, the trade was completed when Boston acquired pitching prospect Jacob Wallace from Colorado.

A former third-round draft pick of the Rockies in 2019, Wallace drew immediate interest from the Red Sox fanbase since he hails from Methuen, Mass. and played his college baseball at the University of Connecticut.

After making his organizational debut at fall instructs, Wallace entered last spring ranked by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in the Sox’ farm system. The right-handed reliever broke minor-league camp with High-A Greenville, though he did not get off to the best of starts.

In his first 27 appearances out of the bullpen for the Drive, Wallace struggled to the tune of a 7.96 ERA and 5.66 FIP to go along with 43 strikeouts to 19 walks over 31 2/3 innings of work.

That miserable stretch lasted from May 5 through Aug. 1. Four days later, it was almost as if a flip had switched for Wallace when he punched out four of the six batters he faced in two scoreless frames against the Rome Braves at Fluor Field.

From that point on, the 23-year-old seemingly turned his 2021 around for the better by posting a 2.12 ERA and miniscule 1.12 FIP while recording 33 strikeouts to just six walks across his final 12 outings (17 innings pitched) of the year.

Most notably, Wallace made some history when he tossed the ninth and final inning of a combined no-hitter against the Asheville Tourists on September 2. Jeremy Wu-Yelland had started that contest and hurled five shutout frames, while Jose Espada Oddanier Mosqueda combined for three scoreless innings before Wallace closed out a 6-0 victory for Greenville.

Among High-A East pitchers who accrued at least 40 innings on the mound last season, Wallace ranked sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (14.05), 10th in strikeout rate (34.5%), and fourth in swinging strike rate (18.5%), per FanGraphs.

While Wallace was clearly among the top strike throwers at the High-A level in 2021, the righty still seemed to struggle with his control to some degree. His 4.62 walks per nine innings and 11.4% walk rate last year are indicators of that.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Wallace utilizes a unique delivery and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 96-98 mph fastball, an 84-86 mph slider, and a slider that he added after turning pro, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Along those same lines, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall tweeted on Monday that he believes Wallace is “the best pure relief prospect in the system” and “could move quick if he can build on his end to 2021.”

Wallace, who does not turn 24 until August, is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2022 minor-league season with Double-A Portland. The hard-throwing hurler can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career next winter, so the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by late November if they want to prevent that from happening.

(Picture of Jacob Wallace courtesy of the Greenville Drive)

Who is Jordan DiValerio? Red Sox pitching prospect walked just 5.1% of the batters he faced with Low-A Salem in 2021

Jordan DiValerio was one of 16 undrafted free agents the Red Sox signed in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft.

Two days before officially signing with the club, DiValerio received a phone call and recruiting pitch from Boston ace Chris Sale, which made the decision to put pen to paper that much easier.

“It was definitely really surprising,” DiValerio told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo at the time when describing his conversation with Sale. “It means so much to just be wanted by such a great organization.”

A right-handed senior coming out of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, DiValerio signed with the Sox for $20,000. Due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the Nescopeck, Pa. native was unable to make his professional debut in 2020 since the minor-league season had already been cancelled.

Instead, DiValerio got his first taste of pro ball during fall instructs in Fort Myers. He took what he learned there into minor-league camp the following spring and opened the 2021 season with Low-A Salem.

In 31 appearances (one start) for Salem, the righty posted a 5.72 ERA and 4.21 FIP to go along with 72 strikeouts to just 16 walks over 72 1/3 innings of work. The length of his outings ranged from 2/3 of an inning to four full frames.

On the surface, a 5.72 ERA is not exactly an eye-popping statistic. But, in DiValerio’s case, his ERA does not tell the full story when you consider the fact that he also put up a 4.21 FIP and much more respectable 3.95 xFIP.

Among the 35 pitchers who accrued at least 70 innings in the Low-A East last year, DiValerio ranked ninth in FIP, seventh in xFIP, fourth in walks per nine innings (1.99), fourth in walk rate (5.1%), and seventh in swinging strike percentage (14.6%), per FanGraphs. The 24-year-old hurler also yielded a .347 batting average on balls put in play, which suggests he might have been the victim of some bad luck behind him.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, DiValerio throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of an 89-92 mph that tops out at 94 mph, a 77-79 mph curveball, an 80-83 mph changeup and splitter, and an 82-84 mph slider, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Like fellow right-hander Devon Roedahl, DiValerio — who does not turn 25 until October — may not be regarded by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. That being said, he is projected by SoxProspects.com to kick off the 2022 season in the bullpen for High-A Greenville.

As is the case with Roedahl, perhaps DiValerio can earn himself a promotion to Double-A Portland before the end of the year.

(Picture of Jordan DiValerio via his Instagram)

Who is Devon Roedahl? Red Sox pitching prospect was named Low-A East Postseason All-Star in 2021, is projected to begin 2022 season at High-A Greenville

The Red Sox selected two prospects out of the University of Houston during the 2019 amateur draft. The first player, first baseman Joe Davis, was drafted in the 19th round while the second player, right-hander Devon Roedahl, was drafted in the 27th round. Both Davis and Roedahl were signed by former area scout Tim Collinsworth.

While Davis has already established himself as somewhat of a folk hero within Boston’s farm system, what Roedahl did last year seems to have slipped under the radar a bit.

As a junior coming out of Houston, Roedahl ultimately signed with Boston for just $25,000 in June 2019. The Beaumont, Texas native made his pro debut in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League and made 16 appearances there to close out the 2019 campaign.

The following spring, Roedahl — like many 2019 draftees — had his first full year in pro ball wiped out from under him when the 2020 minor-league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He did not receive the benefit of an invite to the Sox’ alternate training site; nor did he participate in fall instructs.

On the heels of a lost 2020, Roedahl finally had the chance to embark upon his first full season as a professional last spring. The righty broke minor-league camp with Low-A Salem and spent the entirety of the year there while operating on a fairly consistent schedule.

Across 37 relief appearances out of Salem’s bullpen, Roedahl posted a 2.52 ERA and 3.42 xFIP to go along with 62 strikeouts to just 12 walks over 60 2/3 total innings of work. He also recorded 11 saves.

Although he was admittedly facing younger competition, Roedahl still ranked fifth in walk rate (4.9%) among Low-A East pitchers who accrued at least 60 innings on the mound last year. He also ranked fifth in walks per nine innings (1.78), 18th in strikeout rate (25.5%), ninth in batting average against (.208), sixth in WHIP (0.99), third in ERA, and fourth in xFIP, per FanGraphs.

Because of these numbers, Roedahl was named to the 2021 Low-A East Postseason All-Star team as well as the 2021 SoxProspects.com All-Star team. The 6-2, 225 pounder works with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball, an 83-85 mph splitter, and an 82-85 mph slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Roedahl, who turned 25 in November, is not going to pop up on any Red Sox top prospects lists anytime soon. Still, he is one of several minor-leaguers who can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in their respective careers next winter.

With that being said, Roedahl — who is likely already in Fort Myers for spring training — is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2022 season in High-A Greenville’s bullpen. Perhaps he can make his way to Double-A Portland by the end of the year.

(Picture of Devon Roedahl via his Instagram)