Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox’ Zach Fogell ends first full pro season with impressive showing in Arizona Fall League

Of the eight minor-leaguers the Red Sox sent to play in the Arizona Fall League this year, Zach Fogell was the lone pitcher from the club’s 2023 draft class to make the trip out west.

Fogell, Boston’s 18th-round selection out of Connecticut last July, enjoyed a productive fall with the Mesa Solar Sox. The 24-year-old left-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, four walks, one hit batsman, and 10 strikeouts over eight appearances spanning 9 1/3 innings of relief. Opposing hitters batted just .069 against him.

Fogell’s impressive stint in Arizona comes on the heels of a solid first full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. The lefty native spent most of the 2024 campaign at High-A Greenville after making a pair of scoreless relief outings for — and subsequently earning a promotion from — Low-A Salem on April 12.

Appearing in a team-leading 33 games for Greenville, Fogell posted a 3.32 ERA and 4.52 FIP with 67 strikeouts to 32 walks across 57 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .212 batting average. That includes a 1.86 ERA and 1.90 FIP in six July outings, which led him to be named the Red Sox’ Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month. He then pitched to a 4.15 ERA and 5.56 FIP in his final nine appearances (13 innings) of the year after the calendar flipped to August.

Unsurprisingly, Fogell fared far better against left-handed hitters (.118 batting average against) than right-handed hitters (.255 batting average against) between Salem and Greenville this year. Those lefty-righty splits can be applied to his performance in the Arizona Fall League as well, though it obviously comes from a much smaller sample size.

Anyway, Fogell was one of 85 pitchers to throw at least 55 innings in the South Atlantic League this season. Among those 85, he ranked 26th in ERA, 27th in batting average against, 32nd in strikeouts per nine innings (10.58), and 38th in strikeout rate (26.8 percent). On the flip side, he ranked 57th in WHIP (1.35), 78th in walk rate (12.8 percent), and 79th in walks per nine innings (5.05), per FanGraphs.

A native of Rhode Island, Fogell spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Brown before transferring to UConn as a graduate student. He earned First Team All-Big East honors in his lone season with the Huskies and was taken by the Red Sox with the 538th overall pick in the 2023 draft shortly thereafter. He then signed for an at-slot $150,000 bonus and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last August.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Fogell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the compact southpaw typically sits between 92-94 mph with his sinking fastball while mixing in an 88-90 mph changeup and an 80-82 mph sweeping slider.

Fogell, who does not turn 25 until next July, is not currently ranked by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is projected by the site to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 season but could rise up the organizational ladder quickly if he can cut down on the walks moving forward.

(Picture of Zach Fogell: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Cade Feeney likely to miss all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, internal brace procedure

While making a recent appearance on Beyond the Monster’s ‘To the Show We Go’ podcast, Red Sox pitching prospect Cade Feeney revealed that he underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace last month.

“They reconstructed it and then put a brace over the top of it,” Feeney said of his right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) when speaking with hosts Andrew Parker and Chris Henrique. “So it’s kind of like the new hybrid they’ve been doing for the last couple of years.”

Asked about the recovery time involved with the procedure, Feeney said he would be sidelined for the next 12-15 months. In other words, the right-hander will all but certainly miss the entire 2025 season before being cleared to return to action.

“It works out perfectly where I’ll get a full year and then get a month off before offseason workouts,” said Feeney. “It’ll help my arm kind of just catch up and rest when everything’s ready to go and then start fresh that next season.”

Feeney, 23, was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round (388th overall) of the 2023 draft out of North Dakota State. A full-time starter with the Bisons, the Bismarck native signed with Boston for an at-slot $150,000 and marked his professional debut by making one scoreless relief appearance for the club’s rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate last August.

To open the 2024 campaign, Feeney broke camp with High-A Greenville this spring. In 20 appearances for the Drive, the righty posted a 3.66 ERA and 2.56 FIP with 32 strikeouts to just two walks over 32 innings of relief in which opposing hitters batted .220 against him. He notched his third save in what would prove to be his final outing of the season on June 22, as he did not pitch again after landing on the 7-day injured list with a right elbow strain on July 12 and being transferred to the 60-day injured list three days later.

Though it was a relatively small sample size, Feeney proved effective in his first full pro season given his solid command-and-control profile. Among the 179 pitchers who accrued at least 30 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Feeney ranked first in walks per nine innings (0.56) and walk rate (1.6 percent), sixth in WHIP (0.91), ninth in xFIP (2.94), 10th in FIP, 22nd in swinging-strike rate (15.7 percent), and 67th in batting average against, per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-feet and 195 pounds, Feeney throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Feeney’s arsenal is headlined by a lower-90s fastball that topped out at 95 mph this season. He also mixes in a changeup and a slider.

Feeney, who does not turn 24 until next July, is not currently regarded by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. Since he likely won’t be back on the mound until early 2026, he was asked by Parker and Henrique about what he is looking forward to on the other side of the lengthy rehab process.

“I’m probably looking forward most to competing, getting back to that level of someone other than your teammates in the batter’s box,” Feeney responded. “That’s ultimately why I play baseball. I just love one-on-one competing. So that’s definitely what I’m going to miss most this next year but I’ll be looking forward to that.”

(Picture of Cade Feeney: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez added significant velocity to his repertoire this season

Behind only Jedixson Paez, Elmer Rodriguez was the second-youngest Red Sox minor-leaguer to reach the century mark in strikeouts this season.

Rodriguez, who turned 21 in August, struck out 102 of the 375 batters he faced in 21 outings (20 starts) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. The right-hander posted a 2.91 ERA and 3.56 FIP with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 102:43 over a career-high 89 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted just .198 against him.

A former 2021 fourth-round draft pick out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez returned to Salem (where he spent all of 2023) to open the 2024 campaign. In 14 appearances (13 starts) for the Red Sox, the young righty forged a 2.51 ERA (2.73 FIP) with 73 strikeouts to 25 walks across 61 innings. He was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month for June after allowing two unearned runs in 20 1/3 innings and was subsequently promoted to Greenville in late July.

https://twitter.com/RedSoxPlayerDev/status/1807906527921201618

From that point forward, Rodriguez pitched to a 3.77 ERA (5.34 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to 18 walks in seven starts (28 2/3 innings) for the Drive. Though he gave up hits less frequently, his strikeout rate fell (from 28.5 to 24.4 percent) and his walk rate rose (from 9.8 to 15.1 percent) after moving up a level for the first time in nearly two years. Perhaps that resulted from fatigue at the tail end of a long season, but it was nonetheless a productive year for Rodriguez.

Among the 486 minor-leaguers who pitched at least 85 innings in 2024, Rodriguez ranked 33rd in batting average against, 59th in groundball rate (50.2 percent), 60th in ERA, 76th in xFIP (3.47), 96th in strikeout rate (27.2 percent), 101st in strikeouts per nine innings (10.24), 120th in FIP, 135th in WHIP (1.20), and 156th in swinging-strike rate (12.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

In addition to earning Carolina League Player of the Month honors, Rodriguez was recognized as a Baseball America Low-A All-Star in September and a SoxProspects.com All-Star in October. The former rates the Trujillo Alto native as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system while the latter has him ranked 21st. MLB Pipeline regards him as the Red Sox’ No. 17 prospect, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization.

Though he is listed at 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, Rodriguez is presumably heavier than that after adding strength this past offseason in an effort to gain more velocity. Those efforts seemingly paid off, as the projectable hurler sat between 94-97 mph and reached 99 mph with his fastball this season. He complements the heater with a bevy of secondaries, including an 85-88 mph slider, an 80-83 mph curveball, and an 88-91 mph changeup.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox through the winter, Rodriguez is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 season. He is then in line to become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career if he is not added to the 40-man roster by the protection deadline next November.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Max Carlson has several ‘traits teams look for in a major-league reliever’

In the 12th round of last year’s draft, the Red Sox selected North Carolina right-hander Max Carlson.

Taken with the 358th overall pick, Carlson signed with Boston for $150,000 and marked his professional debut by making one scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League shortly thereafter. He then broke camp with Low-A Salem for the start of his first full pro season earlier this spring.

Carlson appeared in three of Salem’s first 11 games, allowing seven runs (five earned) over 8 1/3 innings, before being elevated to High-A Greenville on April 20. However, that assignment would prove to be short-lived, as Carlson was sent back to Salem three days later after pitching in just one game for the Drive.

For the better part of the next four months, Carlson established himself as a key member of Salem’s bullpen. From April 25 through the MLB All-Star break in July, the righty posted a 1.34 ERA with 45 strikeouts to 11 walks over 17 appearances (33 2/3 innings). Opposing hitters batted just .198 against him in that stretch.

Though he struggled some upon returning from the break, most notably surrendering a season-worst six earned runs to Carolina on July 27, Carlson pitched well enough to earn another promotion to the High-A level on August 20. He then closed out the 2024 campaign by producing a 1.80 ERA in four appearances (10 innings) for Greenville. That includes tossing a season-high five frames of one-run ball in his final outing of the year against Winston-Salem on September 6.

Altogether, Carlson forged a 2.73 ERA and 2.41 FIP with 86 strikeouts to 23 walks in 33 total relief appearances (69 1/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville in 2024. Among the 39 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 65 innings this year, Carlson ranked first in FIP, second in ERA and swinging-strike rate (17.2 percent), third in xFIP (3.13), ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.16) and walks per nine innings (2.99), 10th in walk rate (7.7 percent), 11th in strikeout rate (28.9 percent), and 17th in WHIP (1.27), per FanGraphs.

Carlson, who turned 23 in September, was recognized as a 2024 SoxProspects.com All-Star last month. The Minnesota native is currently regarded by the outlet as the No. 42 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 23rd among pitchers in the organization.

Though he is not ranked among Boston’s top farmhands by publications such as Baseball America at the moment, Carlson was identified by BA’s Geoff Pontes as a pitching prospect with “elite” traits on his four-seam fastball earlier this summer.

“Carlson only sits 91-92 mph but has over seven feet of extension, above-average vertical break, and arm-side run, allowing his fastball to play above its below-average velocity,” Pontes wrote in August. “It’s a classic three-quarters arm slot, but the release and plane on the pitch play up due to his combination of extension and spin efficiency.”

In addition to throwing a fastball that can touch 95 mph, Carlson operates with a 79-81 mph changeup that has “late fade” and a 79-82 mph sweeping slider “that lacks depth at times,” per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, which notes that the 6-foot-1, 190-pound hurler has several traits “teams look for in a major-league reliever that could make him a more interesting bullpen prospect.”

To that end, Carlson — assuming he remains in the organization through the winter — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville as a member of the Drive’s bullpen to start the 2025 minor-league season.

(Picture of Max Carlson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early fare in first full pro season?

Connelly Early was the lone member of the Red Sox’ 2023 draft class to pitch more than 100 innings this season.

Early, Boston’s fifth-round pick in last year’s draft out of the University of Virginia, made 23 starts between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland in 2024. The 22-year-old left-hander posted a 3.99 ERA and 3.24 FIP with 138 strikeouts to 39 walks over 103 2/3 innings. Opponents batted just .214 against him as he held right-handed hitters to a .221 average and left-handed hitters to a .195 average.

Selected 151st overall, Early signed with the Red Sox for $408,500 last July and marked his professional debut by making one start for Low-A Salem before the 2023 campaign ended. The Virginia native then broke camp with Greenville this spring and pitched to 3.72 ERA (3.56 FIP) with 90 strikeouts to 24 walks in 15 starts (67 2/3 innings) for the Drive.

Following the MLB All-Star break, Early received a promotion to Portland in late July. To close out his first full professional season, the lefty produced a 4.50 ERA (but a much more encouraging 2.66 FIP) with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks in eight starts (36 innings) for the Sea Dogs. It is worth noting that he yielded six unearned runs in his final outing of the year on September 12.

Among the 163 pitchers who threw at least 35 innings in the Eastern League this season, Early ranked second in groundball rate (58.9 percent), sixth in FIP, seventh in swinging-strike rate (16.4 percent), eighth in xFIP (2.95), 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (12.0), 16th in strikeout rate (30.6 percent), 71st in batting average against (.225), and 81st in walk rate (9.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. The athletic southpaw operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95-96 mph, an 80-82 mph whiff-inducing changeup, a 79-81 mph curveball, and a cutter-slider hybrid that sits between 87-88 mph.

Lauded for his pitchability, Early is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 13th among pitchers in the organization. As far as other publications are concerned, MLB Pipeline has him ranked 24th on its Top 30 Red Sox prospects list while SoxProspects.com has him at No. 25.

“It’s been really cool to watch his continued development this year,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier (via text) last month. “He has been the epitome of what we have been pushing as a player development group and has succeeded on reaching every goal we have put in front of him.”

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Early — who turns 23 in April — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 minor-league season. He explained some of the challenges of going up against hitters at the Double-A level when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this summer.

“They’re kind of like sitting on one of your pitches,” Early said. “Obviously they do a very good job of just going in-depth on scouting reports on the pitchers they are going to face. So it’s still making your pitches, executing them as well as you can. Don’t give the hitter too much credit but they are up there trying to find a spot where you’re going to make a mistake and you’ve just gotta keep them off balance.”

(Picture of Connelly Early: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez fare in 2024?

Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez was the youngest in the organization to reach the century mark in strikeouts this season.

Paez, 20, struck out 113 of the 390 batters he faced in 2024. The young right-hander posted a 3.17 ERA (3.17 FIP) with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 113:12 in 22 appearances (12 starts) spanning a career-high 96 2/3 innings between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. Opponents batted .258 against him.

In seven outings (five starts) to open the season, Paez pitched to a 2.53 ERA (2.17 FIP) with 35 strikeouts to four walks over 32 innings for Salem. He was promoted in late May and subsequently produced a 3.48 ERA (3.67 FIP) with 78 strikeouts to eight walks in 15 outings (seven starts) spanning 64 2/3 innings for Greenville.

Among the 70 pitchers who threw at least 60 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Paez led in walks per nine innings (1.11), walk rate (3.1 percent), swinging-strike rate (17.8 percent), and xFIP (2.70). He also ranked ninth in WHIP (1.05), 17th in strikeout rate (30.2 percent), 23rd in groundball rate (45.2 percent) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.86), 26th in FIP, and 29th in ERA, per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Paez originally signed with the Red Sox for $450,000 as an international free agent coming out of Tinaquillo in January 2021. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly after that and was later recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Pitcher of the Year.

Since then, there is no denying that Paez has emerged as one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system given his strong command-and-control profile. Red Sox assistant general manager acknowledged as much when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith back in July.

“He’s always had this incredible poise and just an advanced feel,” Romero said of Paez. “It’s always been like that — strike-throwing ability over high velo or pure off-the-charts stuff. But his pitchability is incredible. We’ve seen the velo tick up now into the low 90s. Really good feel for a breaking ball. He has a four- or five-pitch mix that he really controls and commands really well. And that’s been kind of what has driven his success.”

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Paez complements his lower-90s fastball that tops out at 94 mph with an 84-86 mph changeup, an 80-83 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 86-88 mph cutter. The athletic righty throws these offerings from a three-quarters arm slot and can manipulate them effectively while attacking the strike zone.

“Now that he’s physically getting stronger we are seeing that velo start to tick up a little bit,” said Romero. “So he’s really exciting. A true starter in every sense. … He does a lot of the little things like he fields the position really well and holds runners well. So he’s mature in a lot of ways.”

Paez, who turns 21 in January, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 15th among pitchers in the organization. While Baseball America does not have him ranked among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects, FanGraphs has him at No. 8 and MLB Pipeline has him at No. 23 on their respective lists.

If he remains with the Red Sox through the offseason, Paez is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 minor-league campaign. He can then become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time next winter.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Who is Dalvinson Reyes? Get to know the Red Sox’ top pitching prospect in the Dominican Summer League this season

While Yermain Ruiz was recognized as the organization’s 2024 Latin Program Pitcher of the Year last week, he was not the top Red Sox prospect to pitch in the Dominican Summer League this season.

That distinction would belong to fellow right-hander Dalvinson Reyes.

Reyes, 17, signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic back in January. The Santa Cruz de Mao received a lucrative $450,000 bonus, making him the highest-paid pitcher from Boston’s 2024 international signing class thus far.

Prior to making his professional debut in June, Reyes was tabbed by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as a name to know since he has “the traits scouts typically gravitate to when looking for a young, projectable starting pitcher” and “the look of a pitcher who should throw significantly harder.”

In his first four starts of the season for DSL Red Sox Blue, Reyes allowed eight hits and two walks with 17 strikeouts over 16 scoreless innings in which opposing hitters batted .148 against him. The righty was then shut down for seven weeks as a result of experiencing midseason fatigue. He used that time to focus on strength training, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Upon returning to the mound on August 13, Reyes tossed a scoreless first inning in his lone start for DSL Red Sox Red. He then made two additional starts in the playoffs, allowing three runs (two earned) over 5 2/3 innings as the red team went on to claim the organization’s first DSL title since 2016.

All told, Reyes posted a 0.00 ERA (2.27 FIP) with 19 strikeouts to just two walks in five regular season starts (17 innings) between DSL Red Sox Blue and DSL Red Sox Red. That translates to a 31.7 percent strikeout rate and a 3.3 percent walk rate as he held opposing hitters to a .140 batting average.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Reyes operates with a smooth and repeatable delivery that features adept arm action. The projectable hurler “already sits comfortably in the low 90s while topping out at 94 with a four-seamer and two-seamer,” per Speier. He also mixes in a mid-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup that shows some late fade.

Reyes, who turns 18 next month, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 25 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization. MLB Pipeline has him ranked 30th on its Red Sox Top 30 prospects list while SoxProspects.com lists him at No. 31 on its Top 60.

Like the aforementioned Ruiz, Reyes is projected by SoxProspects.com to make his stateside debut in the Florida Complex League at some point in 2025. As noted in his MLB Pipeline scouting report, Reyes already “has one of the highest ceilings among Boston’s pitching prospects.”

(Picture of Dalvinson Reyes via his Instagram)

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin reached triple-digits with his fastball this season

In his first year with the Red Sox, pitching prospect David Sandlin emerged as one of the hardest throwers in the organization.

Sandlin was one of 90 prospect-eligible pitchers to reach triple-digits in the minor leagues this season, according to Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes. The 23-year-old right-hander accomplished that feat by maxing out at 100.4 mph with his four-seam fastball.

Acquired from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber in February, Sandlin broke camp with High-A Greenville this spring. The former 11th-round draft selection out of Oklahoma posted a 5.17 ERA (5.73 FIP) with 21 strikeouts to eight walks in his first four starts (15 2/3 innings) for the Drive before being placed on the 7-day injured list on May 14.

Due to right forearm tightness, Sandlin was sidelined for over a month and did not return to the mound until June 15. He then pitched to a 5.06 ERA (2.93 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to just three walks in his next six starts (16 innings) for Greenville before receiving a promotion to Double-A Portland on July 23. With the Sea Dogs, he produced a 5.61 ERA (5.36 FIP) with 32 strikeouts to seven walks in eight starts (25 2/3 innings) to close out the 2024 campaign.

Altogether, Sandlin forged a 5.34 ERA and 4.78 FIP with 82 strikeouts to 18 walks in 18 total starts (57 1/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland this season. Opposing hitters batted .269 against him, though his 33.2 percent strikeout rate, 15.9 percent swinging-strike rate, 7.3 percent walk rate, and 3.10 xFIP were among the top marks for those in the system who eclipsed the 50-inning plateau, per FanGraphs.

“David did join the Fuego club,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard said of Sandlin reaching triple-digits when speaking with NESN’s Tom Caron and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier on NESN’s ‘310 To Left’ Podcast last month. “He hit 100 and was sitting 96. It’s unreal stuff. Really excited about his development this year, again really raising the floor to give him a shot to be an elite starter.”

To complement his high-octane heater, Sandlin mixes in three other pitches: an 85-88 mph sweeping slider, an 86-90 mph splitter, and a 77-81 mph curveball. The athletic 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty throws those offerings from a three-quarters arm slot while incorporating a high leg kick into his delivery.

Sandlin, who turns 24 this coming February, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization. He is projected to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season but will need to show that he can go deeper into his outings to fully tap into his starter potential.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Hunter Dobbins named Red Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year

Hunter Dobbins has been named the Red Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year, the club announced on Thursday. He will be honored alongside the organization’s seven other minor-league award winners before Friday night’s series opener against the Rays at Fenway Park.

Dobbins is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The 25-year-old right-hander spent much of the season with Double-A Portland, posting a 3.17 ERA (2.92 FIP) with 98 strikeouts to 39 walks in 21 starts (105 innings) for the Sea Dogs.

Shortly before celebrating his 25th birthday on August 30, Dobbins received a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. He then closed out the 2024 campaign by pitching to a 2.61 ERA (3.67 FIP) with 22 strikeouts to nine walks in four more starts (20 2/3 innings) for the WooSox. That includes striking out six over five scoreless frames in his final outing of the year against Lehigh Valley on September 18.

All told, Dobbins forged a 3.08 ERA and 3.04 FIP with 120 strikeouts to 48 walks across 25 total starts (125 2/3 innings) between Portland and Worcester this season. That translates to a 22.9 percent strikeout rate and 9.2 percent walk rate while opposing hitters batted .237 against him.

Among the 84 minor-leaguers who threw at least 125 innings in 2024, Dobbins ranked fifth in FIP, 19th in ERA, 29th in groundball rate (43.2 percent), 30th in batting average against and swinging-strike rate (12.6 percent), 32nd in xFIP (3.93), 35th in strikeout rate, 38th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.59), 40th in WHIP (1.26), per FanGraphs.

A native of Bryan, Texas, Dobbins was originally selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round (226th overall) of the 2021 draft out of Texas Tech. Because he was still working his way back from the Tommy John surgery that cost him his entire junior season with the Red Raiders, Dobbins — after signing for $197,500 — did not make his professional debut until June 2022.

Since then, Dobbins has undoubtedly emerged as one of the more intriguing pitching prospects within the Red Sox organization. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound hurler throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As recently highlighted SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Dobbins can show seven different pitches. Those offerings include a 93-96 mph fastball that reaches 98-99 mph, an 89-92 mph splinker (a splitter-sinker hybrid), an 87-90 mph cutter, an 81-83 mph slider, a 78-80 mph sweeper, a 76-78 mph curveball, and an 84-87 mph splitter.

While his command and control of the strike zone are still considered works in progress, Dobbins is in line to be added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster next month in order to receive protection from this winter’s Rule 5 Draft. Stranger things have happened over the course of an offseason, but Dobbins will presumably be taking part in his first big-league spring training once pitchers and catchers start reporting to Fort Myers in February.

(Picture of Hunter Dobbins: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia named 2024 Carolina League All-Star

Red Sox pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia has been named a 2024 Carolina League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Wednesday.

Ingrassia, Boston’s 14th-round selection in the 2023 draft out of Cal State Fullerton, enjoyed a productive first full season in pro ball. The 22-year-old left-hander posted a 1.85 ERA and 1.97 FIP with 93 strikeouts to 20 walks in 21 appearances (12 starts) spanning 58 1/3 innings for Low-A Salem. Opposing hitters batted just .179 against him.

After exiting his final start before the MLB All-Star break early, Ingrassia was placed on Salem’s 7-day injured list with left elbow inflammation on July 18. He returned to the mound for the Red Sox on August 25 and closed out the year with three scoreless outings in which he struck out seven and walked three over five innings.

Among the 96 Carolina League pitchers who threw at least 50 innings this season, Ingrassia led in strikeouts per nine innings (14.35), strikeout rate (39.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (20.9 percent), and xFIP (1.94). He also ranked second in FIP, third in ERA, sixth in batting average against, ninth in WHIP (0.99) and groundball rate (52.2 percent), 37th in walks per nine innings (3.09), and 41st in walk rate (8.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Ingrassia, who turned 22 in July, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 44 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 24th among pitchers in the organization. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound southpaw throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his deceptive, cross-bodied delivery. He operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 90-92 mph fastball that has reached 93 mph, a 79-81 mph sweeping slider, and an 82-85 mph changeup.

As FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen noted earlier in the year, Ingrassia likely projects as a multi-inning reliever moving forward given his diminutive stature. If he were to remain with the Red Sox through the winter, Ingrassia would presumably make the jump to High-A Greenville to open the 2025 campaign.

(Picture of Jojo Ingrassia: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)