Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox release pitching prospect from Andrew Benintendi trade

The Red Sox released minor-league pitcher Grant Gambrell on Wednesday, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Gambrell, 27, was one of two players to be named later acquired from the Royals as part of the three-team, seven-player trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City in February 2021. Along with fellow right-hander Luis De La Rosa, Gambrell did not switch organizations until four months after the original deal was made.

A former third-round draft selection of the Royals coming out of Oregon State in 2019, Gambrell missed the entirety of the 2022 season due to a benign tumor in his calcaneus (the heel bone) that required five surgeries to remove. The California native returned to the mound in 2023 and fared well across three levels, posting a 3.63 ERA (4.23 FIP) in 23 starts (126 1/3 innings) between High-A Greenville, Double-A Portland, and Triple-A Worcester.

Fresh off being recognized as SoxProspects.com’s 2023 Comeback Player of the Year, Gambrell broke camp with Worcester last spring. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound hurler forged a 4.09 ERA (4.38 FIP) with 65 strikeouts to 34 walks over 18 appearances (16 starts) spanning 83 2/3 innings before being placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation in late July. That ultimately cost him the remainder of the 2024 campaign.

Gambrell appeared in three Grapefruit League games for the Red Sox as a minor-league call-up this spring and allowed three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Presumably, the righty was competing for a spot in Worcester’s season-opening starting rotation in camp. He will now have to look for opportunities elsewhere if he is intent on continuing his career.

With Gambrell’s release, right-hander Josh Winckowski is now the only one of the five players the Red Sox acquired from the Royals and Mets in the Benintendi trade who is still in the organization. Before Wednesday’s move, Boston had already cut ties with De La Rosa in 2024, Freddy Valdez in 2023, and Franchy Cordero in 2022.

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

Red Sox pitching prospects Matt Duffy, Cole Tolbert slated to undergo Tommy John surgery

It appears as though the 2025 season is already over for a pair of intriguing Red Sox pitching prospects.

As was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster, right-handers Matt Duffy and Cole Tolbert have been diagnosed with UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) tears in their pitching elbows. While Duffy’s was described as a full tear, both hurlers are scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery in Arlington, Texas on March 5.

Duffy, 23, was Boston’s fourth-round selection in the 2023 draft out of Canisius University in Buffalo, N.Y. The Ontario native forwent his commitment to transfer to South Carolina for his senior year by signing with the club for an under-slot $350,000 that July. He then spent the entirety of his first full professional season at Low-A Salem in 2024, compiling a 2.83 ERA (3.58 FIP) with exactly 100 strikeouts to 27 walks over 22 appearances (21 starts) and a staff-leading 98 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .223 against him. That includes a sparkling 1.05 ERA (2.25 ERA) in his final nine outings (43 innings) after the calendar flipped from June to July.

Tolbert, meanwhile, was selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round of last summer’s draft out of Ole Miss. In a similar fashion to Duffy, the 22-year-old had been committed to transfer to Troy University for his senior season but instead signed with Boston for an under-slot $50,000 in July. He made his professional debut shortly thereafter and closed the 2024 campaign by posting a 5.56 ERA (3.23 FIP) with 14 strikeouts to six walks in five appearances (three starts) spanning 11 1/3 innings for Salem. Opponents batted .268 against him.

Neither Duffy (who turns 24 in October) nor Tolbert (who turns 23 in December) are currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. The former was projected by the site to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the upcoming season while the latter was slated to return to Salem. They will now miss all of 2025 and likely part of 2026 depending on the nature of their respective procedures.

(Picture of Matt Duffy: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland to pitch for China at WBC qualifiers

Last week, Red Sox pitching prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland was named to China’s roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic qualifiers that will be held in Tucson, Ariz., from March 2-6.

Wu-Yelland was one of 14 pitchers to make the cut for China. The 25-year-old left-hander is a native of Spokane, Wash. but his mother’s side of the family is Chinese, hence the connection. He even has his Chinese name — “Light Of The Sun In The Morning” — tattooed onto his right arm.

Wu-Yelland was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Hawaii. He signed with the club for $200,000 that July and made his professional debut the following May. After forging a 3.91 ERA in 23 starts (76 innings) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2021, he underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2022 and missed the entire season as a result.

Wu-Yelland returned to the mound in June 2023 as part of a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The lefty was, however, limited to just three short appearances for the FCL Red Sox before being shut down for the remainder of the year. He subsequently opened the 2024 campaign on Greenville’s injured list due to stiffness and was then activated for his season debut in late May.

From there, Wu-Yelland posted a 5.67 ERA (but far more encouraging 3.77 FIP) with 42 strikeouts to 23 walks over 23 relief appearances (33 1/3 innings) for the Drive in which opposing hitters batted .238 against him. That includes a 3.46 ERA and 2.63 FIP across his final nine outings (13 innings) of the season.

Among the 164 minor-leaguers who threw at least 33 innings in the South Atlantic League last year, Wu-Yelland most notably ranked 26th in swinging-strike rate (15.3 percent), 35th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.34), 43rd in groundball rate (46.4 percent), 70th in FIP, and 74th in strikeout rate (26.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Wu-Yelland primarily operated with a three-pitch mix in 2024. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw flashed a 94-96 mph fastball that topped out at 97 mph, an 89-91 mph cutter, and an 80-84 mph slider. He has also featured a changeup in the past but may have scrapped that offering.

Wu-Yelland, who does not turn 26 until June, is not currently regarded by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of Boston’s top pitching prospects. If healthy, he is projected by the site to make the jump to Double-A Portland as a member of the Sea Dogs’ bullpen to open the 2025 season. How he fares will likely depend on his command and control of the strike zone.

(Picture of Jeremy Wu-Yelland: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox to sign former Angels two-way prospect to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent left-hander Erik Rivera to a minor-league contract, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster. Rivera himself appears to have confirmed the signing on his Instagram account.

Rivera is a former 2019 fourth-round draft pick of the Angels out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. The 23-year-old Caguas native was taken 121st overall and forewent his commitment to Florida International by signing with Los Angeles for $597,500.

A two-way player coming out of high school, Rivera signed with the Angels as an outfielder and batted .208/.313/.264 with four doubles, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, nine walks, and 31 strikeouts over 21 games (83 plate appearances) in the 2019 rookie-level Arizona League. His first full professional season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and he emerged as a full-time pitcher beginning in 2021.

Rivera entered the 2021 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Los Angeles’ farm system. The lefty made his professional pitching debut at Low-A Inland Empire that May but then suffered a sprained UCL in his left elbow that ultimately required surgery. As a result, he missed the remainder of the 2021 campaign and all of 2022 before making his way back to the mound in August 2023. He closed out the year by forging a 4.09 ERA (5.90 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to 15 walks in seven total outings (11 innings) between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Tri-City.

Rivera returned to Tri-City for the start of the 2024 season and posted a 3.31 ERA (4.94 FIP) with 39 strikeouts to 20 walks over 10 appearances (eight starts) spanning 35 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .213 against him. The southpaw was released by the Angels in late July and spent the remainder of the year in free agency. Most recently, he enjoyed a productive offseason back on his home island by pitching to a 1.04 ERA (0.86 WHIP) with 21 strikeouts to 10 walks in 16 relief appearances (17 1/3 innings) for the Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Rivera has been described as having a smooth and athletic delivery. In the past, he has reached 95 mph with his fastball which typically sits in the lower-90s. He has also featured an upper-70s curveball that resembled a slider and a lower-80s changeup with fade, per his July 2021 Baseball America scouting report.

Rivera, who turns 24 in April, should provide the Red Sox with additional pitching depth from the left side in the lower minors to open the 2025 season. It remains to be seen what affiliate he will break camp with later this spring, though Low-A Salem or High-A Greenville would appear to be the most likely destinations.

(Picture: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Who is Eduardo Rivera? Red Sox prospect led LBPRC in Ks, pitched in Caribbean Series this winter

As he prepares for his first spring training as a member of the Red Sox organization, it feels like an appropriate time to look back at the winter pitching prospect Eduardo Rivera had.

Rivera, a 21-year-old left-hander, spent the winter on his home island of Puerto Rico. The San Juan native opened the 2024-2025 Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC) regular season with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and was excellent.

In 11 regular-season appearances (seven starts), Rivera posted a 1.15 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with a league-leading 56 strikeouts to 12 walks over 39 innings. He made an additional start for the Cangrejeros in the playoffs — in which he struck out eight across six scoreless frames — before they were eliminated by the Senadores de San Juan on January 12.

Three days after Santurce was knocked out of the semi-finals, Rivera joined the Indios de Mayaguez for their best-of-nine LBPRC championship series matchup against San Juan. The lefty got the starting nod in Games 2 and 6 (the clincher) and picked up where he left off by tossing 10 total innings of shutout ball as Mayaguez was ultimately crowned league champion for the 20th time in franchise history.

As a result of being on the championship-clinching team in the LBPRC, Rivera made Puerto Rico’s roster for the 2025 Caribbean Series in Mexicali, Mexico. He unfortunately struggled in his lone start against the Dominican Republic in round-robin action on February 4, surrendering seven runs (three earned) on six hits, one walk, one hit batsman, and five strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. The Dominican Republic then defeated Mexico in the final on February 7 to take home its fifth Caribbean Series title.

Regardless of how it ended, it was nonetheless a productive winter for Rivera after what must have been a turbulent 2024 season stateside. The southpaw was released by the Athletics (the organization that originally selected him in the 11th round of the 2021 draft out of high school) last May. He then signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in June and made four appearances (one start) in the rookie-level Florida Complex League before joining Low-A Salem in late July.

In six outings (four starts) for Salem, Rivera forged a 1.99 ERA (2.56 FIP) with 30 strikeouts to seven walks over 22 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted just .175 against him. Among the 21 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 20 innings in the Carolina League last year, Rivera ranked first in WHIP (0.93), second in ERA and line-drive rate (16 percent), third in strikeout rate (33.3 percent) and xFIP (2.59), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.91), batting average against, FIP, and groundball rate (54 percent), fifth in walks per nine innings (2.78), sixth in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), and seventh in walk rate (7.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

Rivera, who does not turn 22 until June, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 58 prospect in Boston’s farm system after previously being unranked. The imposing 6-foot-7, 237-pound hurler throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. He primarily operates with a 92-95 mph fastball that has reached 97 mph and also mixes in a changeup and slider.

Barring a trade or other surprise move, Rivera is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2025 season. Whether he does so as a member of the Drive’s starting rotation or bullpen remains to be seen.

(Picture of Eduardo Rivera: Miguel Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox pitching prospect resumes throwing after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer

It appears as though top Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales has resumed throwing after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, based on a video posted to X by his trainer Luis Saborio on Wednesday.

Perales, the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America, was in the midst of a breakout 2024 season before injuring his pitching elbow last June. The 21-year-old right-hander started somewhat slow out of the gate in April but turned things around by posting a 3.42 ERA (1.92 FIP) with 46 strikeouts to 10 walks in seven starts (26 1/3 innings) for High-A Greenville. He was then rewarded with a promotion to Double-A Portland on May 26.

Just two starts into his first Double-A stint, however, Perales tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow on June 8. He was placed on Portland’s injured list the following day and ultimately underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery — or a full UCL reconstruction — towards the end of the month.

Altogether, Perales forged a 2.94 ERA (1.91 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to 12 walks in nine total outings (33 2/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland last year. Opposing hitters batted .250 against him, though it is worth noting that that figure is tied to an abnormally high .431 batting average on balls in play.

Not including the Dominican Summer League, Perales was one of 67 Red Sox minor-leaguers to pitch at least 33 innings in 2024. Among those 67, the righty ranked first in FIP (1.91) and strikeouts per nine innings (14.97), second in xFIP (2.09), strikeout rate (38.9 percent), and swinging-strike rate (19.6 percent), 10th in ERA and groundball rate (48.6 percent), 19th in walk rate (8.3 percent), 23rd in walks per nine innings (3.21), and 29th in WHIP (1.31), per FanGraphs.

At the time of his injury, Perales had recently entered Baseball America’s Top 100 rankings for the first time and was regarded as the No. 57 prospect in the sport. While he has since dropped from that list, Perales “just missed” being included in BA’s updated Top 100 rankings (which were released on Wednesday) heading into the 2025 campaign.

As highlighted by Baseball America’s Josh Norris, Perales saw his stock rise last season thanks — in part — to an uptick in fastball velocity and a revamped arsenal. To complement his high-octane heater that sat between 95-98 mph and reached 99 mph, the 6-foot-1 hurler mixed in a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s splitter, and a developing mid-80s sweeper.

Perales, who turns 22 in April, originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The Guacara native had to wait nearly two years to make his professional debut due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he showed enough from there to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November 2023 and receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Given the expectation that the Red Sox will exercise caution and patience here, it seems likely that Perales will miss the entire 2025 season while focusing on his rehab. If all goes well, though, he could complete his recovery by the end of the year and put himself in a position to fully ramp up for a return to the mound at some point early on in 2026.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Danny Kirwin fare in 2024?

Even though he was not signed until late April, pitching prospect Danny Kirwin still put together an impressive first season as a member of the Red Sox organization.

After going undrafted out of Rider University (Lawrence Township, N.J.) in 2023, Kirwin pitched in two summer leagues before signing with the Oakland Ballers that December. The right-hander originally planned on spending the 2024 season with the newly formed Pioneer League club. He instead became the first player in the team’s short history to have his contract purchased by a major-league organization when the Red Sox did so last April.

That came shortly after Ballers manager Micah Franklin posted a 45-second video on social media of Kirwin reaching 98 mph with his fastball during a bullpen session. The Red Sox, as it turned out, caught wind of the post and wasted little time in getting Kirwin to Fort Myers, Fla. for a physical and to sign a contract. He officially put pen to paper on April 24 and reported to Low-A Salem the following day.

Kirwin, who turned 25 in November, spent the remainder of the minor-league season with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. In 20 appearances (five starts) for the Salem Red Sox, the righty posted a 3.63 ERA (3.65 FIP) with 69 strikeouts to 24 walks over 69 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .211 against him.

Among the 57 pitchers who threw at least 65 innings in the Carolina League last year, Kirwin ranked seventh in groundball rate (46.8 percent), 13th in batting average against, 18th in WHIP (1.13), 19th in xFIP (3.48), 21st in swinging-strike rate (13.4 percent), 24th in FIP, 25th in walks per nine innings (3.12), and 26th in walk rate (8.4 percent) and line-drive rate (21.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

While Salem’s season ended in early September, Kirwin’s year continued in the Arizona Fall League. One of eight Boston minor-leaguers to make the trek out west, Kirwin was recognized as an AFL All-Star after forging a 2.84 ERA with 16 strikeouts to just one walk in five appearances (one start) spanning 12 2/3 innings for the Mesa Solar Sox.

Between his stints with Salem and in Arizona last season, Kirwin flashed some intriguing stuff on the mound. Throwing from a low three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound hurler typically sat in the upper-90s with his high-octane fastball while also featuring a low-90s cutter and sinker, a mid-80s sweeper that he changed the grip on late into the year, and an upper-80s changeup.

A native of Lansdale, Penn., Kirwin returned to and spent part of his offseason training at Tread Athletics in Pineville, N.C. to further revamp his arsenal and mechanics. He recently debuted as SoxProspects.com’s 59th-ranked Red Sox prospect (29th among pitchers) and is currently projected by the site to open the 2025 campaign in High-A Greenville’s bullpen.

(Picture of Danny Kirwin: Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire pitching prospect Matt McShane from Pirates

The Red Sox added to their breadth of pitching prospects by swinging a minor trade with the Pirates for the second time in as many months on Friday.

In exchange for right-hander Chase Shugart, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday following the acquisition of catcher Blake Sabol from the Giants, Boston acquired fellow righty Matt McShane from Pittsburgh.

McShane, 22, was selected by the Pirates in the 13th round (384th overall) of last summer’s draft out of St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania native signed for $150,000 in late July but did not pitch for one of Pittsburgh’s minor-league affiliates, meaning he has yet to make his professional debut.

As part of his three-year collegiate career, McShane compiled a 3.76 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 53 total appearances (two starts) spanning 119 2/3 innings at St. Joseph’s. That includes earning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman in 2022 and posting a 3.95 ERA (1.27 WHIP) with 57 strikeouts to 18 walks over 43 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .224 batting average for the Hawks as a junior last spring. He also spent parts of the last two summers with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, McShane has flashed a 93-95 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph while also mixing in an 82-83 mph slider and an 86-87 mph changeup, per ProspectsLive.com’s Jake Bargery. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to open the 2025 season in Low-A Salem’s bullpen.

McShane, who does not turn 23 until November, is the second member of the Pirates’ 2024 draft class to be traded to the Red Sox this winter. He joins reliever Joe Vogatsky, a 19th-rounder out of James Madison who was acquired for infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez on December 15, in that regard.

(Picture of Matt McShane: St. Joseph’s University Athletics)

How did Red Sox relief prospect Isaac Stebens fare in 2024?

Despite dealing with his fair share of command and control issues throughout the year, Red Sox pitching prospect Isaac Stebens still turned in a solid 2024 season.

Stebens, who just turned 23 last month, was selected by the Red Sox in the 16th round of the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State. The Stillwater native received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus that July but did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate after putting pen to paper. He instead had to wait until last April to make his professional debut.

Stebens opened the 2024 campaign at Low-A Salem but was not there long. The right-hander allowed just three runs (one earned) on seven hits, four walks, and 14 strikeouts in six relief appearances (11 innings) before receiving a promotion to High-A Greenville on April 25.

In 29 outings for Greenville, Stebens posted a 3.68 ERA (3.77 FIP) with 73 strikeouts to 31 walks over 51 1/3 innings of relief in which opposing hitters batted .228 against him. That includes a 0.53 ERA (2.62 FIP) in his final 12 appearances (17 innings) of the season dating back to July 14.

Altogether, Stebens forged a 3.18 ERA (3.58 FIP) with 87 strikeouts to 35 walks in 35 total relief appearances (62 1/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville last year. Among 39 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 60 innings, Stebens ranked third in strikeout rate (31.3 percent), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.56), 11th in FIP, 12th in ERA, 14th in xFIP (3.79), and 17th in batting average against (.220). On the opposite end of the spectrum, he ranked 33rd in walk rate (12.6 percent) and 34th in walks per nine innings (2.49), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot and 194 pounds, Stebens featured four pitches last season, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. Throwing from a low three-quarters arm slot, the righty sat between 92-94 mph and topped out at 95 mph with his fastball while also mixing in an 83-84 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 84-86 mph changeup.

As he recently explained to hosts Andrew Parker and Chris Henrique on Beyond The Monster’s ‘To the Show We Go’ podcast, Stebens implemented three new pitches into his arsenal last year after primarily relying on his fastball at Oklahoma State. Because of that, the 2024 season served as somewhat of an adjustment period for him.

“I wouldn’t say it was seamless. It was definitely a grind,” Stebens said. “There was no backlash on my part. I was all about it. I knew it was what needed to be done. But going from throwing one pitch that’s pretty good to adding three more, it definitely increased my walk rate just because I didn’t know how to control those yet. So we’re still learning those. Hopefully, having a long career, I’m going to nail some of those things down.

“I was able to strike out more in less innings than I did at OSU [in 2023], so a lot of good things,” he continued. “But it was definitely a grind learning those new pitches, just utilizing them more than anything. I had three of the four I have now going into the year but the usage rate went from 85 percent fastball and 10 percent slider and five percent changeup to about 40-20-20, so it was a big difference to split up that 80 percent.”

Stebens is not currently regarded by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. SoxProspects.com projects him to return to Greenville for the start of the upcoming season, though he made clear in his conversation with Parker and Henrique that he, at the very least, wants to make it to Double-A Portland before the end of 2025.

(Picture of Isaac Stebens: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Why Juan Valera took the biggest leap of any Red Sox pitching prospect in 2024

The case can be made that Juan Valera took the biggest leap of any Red Sox pitching prospect in 2024.

Originally signed for $45,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in April 2023, Valera posted a 5.93 ERA (4.67 FIP) over 27 1/3 innings as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year. As such, the young right-hander came into the 2024 season with very little fanfare.

Transitioning from the Dominican Summer League to the Florida Complex League, Valera impressed out of the gate in his stateside debut. The 18-year-old forged a 1.79 ERA (3.25 FIP) with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 11 outings (nine starts) spanning 40 1/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox. He held opposing hitters to a .128 batting average and leveraged his performance into a promotion to Low-A Salem in late July.

The trade deadline passed shortly thereafter, but not before Valera saw three teammates (fellow teenage righties Gilberto Batista, Ovis Portes, and Yeferson Vargas) get moved elsewhere. The Red Sox, however, elected to hold onto Valera, who proceeded to post a 2.35 ERA (3.54 FIP) with 28 strikeouts to 14 walks in seven starts (23 innings) for Salem to close out the year. Opposing hitters in the Carolina League batted just .120 against him in that stretch.

Altogether, Valera pitched to a 1.99 ERA (3.36 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to 28 walks in 18 appearances (16 starts) spanning 63 1/3 innings between the FCL and Salem this past season. Among the 39 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 60 innings in 2024, Valera ranked first in ERA, batting average against (.125), WHIP (0.85), line-drive rate (10.3 percent), and groundball rate (56.6 percent), fifth in swinging-strike rate (15.9 percent), eighth in FIP, 12th in strikeout rate (27.9 percent), and 13th in xFIP (3.76), per FanGraphs.

As far as post-season accolades are concerned, Valera was recognized as a 2024 Florida Complex League All-Star by Minor League Baseball. He was also named a 2024 SoxProspects.com All-Star and the 2024 SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Year.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and around 225 pounds, Valera throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a side-step delivery. This past season, the projectable hurler operated with a four-pitch mix that consisted of a 93-96 mph fastball that reached 99 mph, an 85-88 mph slider that featured 10-to-4 break, an 82-85 mph sweeper, and an 89-92 mph changeup that is still viewed as a work progress.

Lauded by club officials for his strong work ethic and teachability, Valera is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 19 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization. MLB Pipeline has the righty ranked 20th on its top 30 Red Sox prospects list while Baseball America has him unranked, though that will likely change soon.

“We’re super high on this kid,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard said of Valera when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Sarah Barber back in August. “He’s starting to get to some pretty cool shapes from a pitch-design standpoint. We’re very excited about this kid, and he’s only continued to go out there and kind of hammer the things that he needs to for his long-term development as well.”

Valera, who turns 19 in May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem for the start of the 2025 minor-league season. He should, however, have the opportunity to advance to High-A Greenville before the end of the summer depending on how aggressive the Red Sox are willing to be.

(Picture of Juan Valera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)