Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox sidearm prospect Isaac Coffey named Double-A Portland’s Pitcher of the Year

Red Sox pitching prospect Isaac Coffey has been named Double-A Portland’s Pitcher of the Year, the Sea Dogs announced prior to their season finale against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Hadlock Field on Sunday.

Coffey, 24, appeared in 24 games (made 21 starts) for the Sea Dogs this season. The sidearming right-hander posted a 3.17 ERA and 3.81 FIP with 148 strikeouts to 51 walks over a team-leading 113 2/3 innings of work. That includes a 1.42 ERA (2.59 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to eight walks in six outings (31 2/3 innings) after the calendar flipped from July to August.

Among 35 qualified pitchers at the Double-A level in 2024, Coffey ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.72) and strikeout rate (30 percent), fifth in batting average against (.215), seventh in ERA, 11th in WHIP (1.23), 12th in FIP, and 14th in xFIP (3.90), per FanGraphs. While the strikeout numbers are impressive, Coffey also ranked 28th in walk rate (10.3 percent) and 29th in walks per nine innings (4.04) while hitting more batters (25) than anyone else at his level.

Coffey just put the finishing touches on his second full professional season after originally being selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Oral Roberts. The California native received a modest $7,500 signing bonus at that time and is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 58 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 30th among pitchers in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Coffey threw from a three-quarters arm slot as a two-way player in college but has since settled in as a sidearmer. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the athletic righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out at 92 mph, a 76-78 mph changeup that is considered his best secondary offering, an 82-84 mph sweeping slider, and a newly-implemented cutter.

Should he remain with the Red Sox through the winter, Coffey — who does not turn 25 until next June — is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Triple-A Worcester in 2025. A lack of velocity limits his upside, but he still has intriguing potential moving forward.

(Picture of Isaac Coffey: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Hayden Mullins fare in first full pro season?

Red Sox pitching prospect Hayden Mullins went a career-high 5 2/3 innings in his final outing of the season for High-A Greenville last Wednesday.

Taking over for starter Tyler Uberstine with one out in the top of the second, Mullins retired 15 of the 19 batters he faced over 5 2/3 scoreless frames of relief. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed three hits and one walk while striking out five. He threw 70 pitches (44 strikes), eliciting 12 swings-and-misses as the Drive ultimately fell to the Winston-Salem Dash, 1-0, at Fluor Field.

In 22 appearances (17 starts) for Greenville this season, Mullins posted a 3.94 ERA and 4.12 FIP with 118 strikeouts to 42 walks over a staff-leading 89 innings. That includes a 3.33 ERA (3.97 FIP) with 28 strikeouts to eight walks in his final five outings (24 1/3 innings) dating back to August 10. Opposing hitters batted just .221 against him during that stretch.

Among the 27 pitchers who threw at least 85 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Mullins ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.93), third in swinging-strike rate (15.1 percent), fourth in strikeout rate (30.3 percent), fifth in xFIP (3.70), eighth in batting average against (.223), 10th in groundball rate (42.7 percent), 12th in FIP and WHIP (1.29), and 13th in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Mullins, who turns 24 on Saturday, was selected by the Red Sox in the 12th round (369th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Auburn. The Tennessee native signed with the club for $97,500 but did not make his professional debut until last August as he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 13th among pitchers in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot and 194 pounds, Mullins throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, who saw Mullins pitch in-person on August 23, the undersized lefty sits between 91-94 mph and tops out at 95 mph with his fastball. He also mixes in an 81-85 mph sweeping slider and a deceptive 83-85 mph changeup.

Should he remain with the Red Sox through the winter, Mullins is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Double-A Portland in 2025. He has intriguing potential as a pure reliever but will need to shore up his command and control to remain in a starting role moving forward.

(Picture of Hayden Mullins: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Matt Duffy strikes out 10 in final start of season for Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Matt Duffy was excellent in his final start of the season for Low-A Salem last Thursday night.

Going up against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Carillion Clinic Field, Duffy scattered four hits and zero walks while striking out a career-high 10 over five scoreless innings. The 22-year-old right-hander finished with 82 pitches (58 strikes), eliciting 12 swings-and-misses.

In 22 appearances (21 starts) for Salem this season, Duffy posted a 2.83 ERA and 3.58 FIP with exactly 100 strikeouts to 27 walks over a staff-leading 98 2/3 innings. That includes a 1.05 ERA (2.25 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to eight walks in his last nine outings (43 innings) after the calendar flipped from June to July.

Among the 23 pitchers who threw at least 90 innings in the Carolina League this year, Duffy ranked second in ERA, fifth in WHIP (1.09), seventh in strikeout rate (24.9 percent) and xFIP (3.36), eighth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.12), walks per nine innings (2.46), walk rate (6.7 percent), and batting average against (.223), and 10th in FIP, per FanGraphs.

Duffy, who turns 23 next month, was selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2023 draft out of Canisius University in Buffalo, N.Y. The Ontario, Canada native had committed to transfer to South Carolina for his senior season but opted to sign with Boston for $350,000 instead. He made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League before first arriving in Salem last August.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and around 215 pounds, Duffy throws from a three-quarters arm slot and gets solid extension from his deceptive delivery. The righty primarily operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a fastball, changeup, and sweeping slider. As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Duffy’s fastball velocity increased throughout the season. He topped out at 95.3 mph with his heater against Kannapolis.

“My entire life I’ve been the guy who doesn’t throw the hardest but I throw strikes,” Duffy told Smith last month. “I’ve never really had a problem with not throwing strikes.”

Despite putting together an encouraging first full season in pro ball, Duffy is not currently ranked by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is, however, projected to make the jump to High-A Greenville in 2025.

(Picture of Matt Duffy: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Blake Wehunt to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Blake Wehunt from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Wehunt, 23, is on the move for the second time this year. The right-hander opened his first full professional season at Low-A Salem, forging a 2.16 ERA (2.76 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to 15 walks in eight starts (33 1/3 innings) for the Red Sox before receiving a promotion to Greenville in early June.

In 13 starts for the Drive, Wehunt posted a 4.42 ERA and 3.57 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 19 walks over 59 innings. That includes a 2.37 ERA (2.82 FIP) in his last four outings (19 innings) dating back to August 16. Opposing hitters batted just .143 against him in that stretch.

Among the 84 pitchers who came into play Sunday having thrown at least 55 innings in the South Atlantic League this season, Wehunt ranks 19th in WHIP (1.10), 23rd in batting average against (.213), 26th in walks per nine innings (2.90) and xFIP (3.66), 27th in FIP, 28th in walk rate (7.8 percent), 38th in strikeout rate (26.7 percent), 39th in groundball rate (41.8 percent), and 41st in strikeouts per nine innings (9.92), per FanGraphs.

Wehunt, who turns 24 in November, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State. The Georgia native signed for $100,000 and marked his pro debut by making a scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, who saw Wehunt pitch in Greenville on August 22, the burly righty sits between 93-94 mph and reaches 96 mph with his fastball. He can also mix in an 87-89 mph cutter, an 81-86 mph sweeping slider, and an 84-86 mph splitter.

Wehunt is slated to join a rotation mix in Portland that includes the likes of Wikelman Gonzalez, Juan Encarnacion, Connelly Early, David Sandlin, and Isaac Coffey. While Greenville’s season ended on Sunday, the Sea Dogs have six games remaining on their schedule and currently hold a 1 1/2-game lead in their division.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera named Florida Complex League All-Star

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera has been named a 2024 Florida Complex League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Unlike fellow FCL All-Star Franklin Arias, Valera is not currently regarded by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the top 30 prospects in Boston’s farm system. SoxProspects.com slates him in at No. 27 on its list, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization.

Valera appeared in 11 games (nine starts) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox this season. The 18-year-old right-hander posted a 1.79 ERA and 3.25 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks over 40 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .128 against him.

Among 26 FCL pitchers who threw at least 40 innings in 2024, Valera led in both batting average against and WHIP (0.77). He also ranked second in FIP and line-drive rate (8.8 percent), third in ERA and groundball rate (56 percent), sixth in walks per nine innings (3.12), walk rate (9.1 percent), and strikeout rate (26 percent), seventh in xFIP (3.94), ninth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent) and 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.93), per FanGraphs.

Like the aforementioned Arias, Valera was promoted from the FCL to Low-A Salem on July 23. He has since pitched to a 1.65 ERA (3.95 FIP) with 15 strikeouts to 12 walks through his first five starts (16 1/3 innings) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. While the walks are clearly up, he has held opponents to a .098 batting average thus far.

Valera, who turned 18 in May, originally signed with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in April 2023. The Sabana Grande de Palenque native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June but has really emerged as one to watch this year.

“We’re super high on this kid,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard told The Boston Globe’s Sarah Barber earlier this month. “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.”

Standing at a projectable 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Valera operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a fastball that has sat between 94-99 mph this season, a slider, a sweeper, and a changeup. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, “he checks a lot of boxes that you look for in a pitching prospect his age.”

“This kid, he shows up every day and just gets his work done,” Salem pitching coach Juan Rivera said of Valera in a separate conversation with Barber last week. “If I don’t see him one time during the day, I know for a fact he still got his work in without me having to hover over him. He’s just a really autonomous player, understands his routines and what he needs to accomplish, and just crushes it.”

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

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Ed Hand.

This promotion comes after Dobbins put together another strong start for Portland in Tuesday night’s series opener against the Somerset Patriots at Hadlock Field. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out seven and walked only one while scattering three hits over six scoreless innings. He threw 86 pitches (56 strikes) and induced 17 swings-and-misses.

In 21 starts for the Sea Dogs this season, Dobbins posted a 3.17 ERA and 2.98 FIP with 98 strikeouts to 39 walks over 105 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average. That includes a 1.79 ERA (2.68 FIP) in his last nine outings (45 1/3 innings) dating back to June 30.

Among 23 qualified Eastern League pitchers coming into play on Wednesday, Dobbins ranks first in FIP, third in ERA, sixth in batting average against, seventh in WHIP (1.23), ninth in groundball rate (40.9 percent) and swinging-strike rate (12.3 percent), and 11th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.4), strikeout rate (22.5 percent), and xFIP (4.02), per FanGraphs.

Dobbins, who turns 25 next week, 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 Texas Tech product was originally selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2021 draft but did not make his professional debut until the following June, as he was still recovering from the Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of his junior season.

Since making his pro debut at Low-A Salem a little more than two years ago, Dobbins has emerged as an intriguing arm while working his way up the minor-league ladder. As recently highlighted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound hurler has sat in the mid-to-upper 90s and topped out at 99 mph with his fastball this year. He has also mixed in a splinker (a splitter-sinker hybrid), a sweeper, a slider, and a curveball for his secondaries.

With this promotion, Dobbins figures to join a WooSox starting rotation that — at the moment — includes Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester, Brad Keller, Jason Alexander, and Shane Drohan. Like Fitts, Dobbins will need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter if the Red Sox intend to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. How he fares at the minors’ top level could play a role in that decision.

“The front office knows what they’re doing,” Dobbins told Smith. “We’ve got some really good people in charge of us. So whenever they see me ready, I’ll be there.”

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

Red Sox promote pitching prospects Bryce Bonnin, Reidis Sena to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox promoted pitching prospects Bryce Bonnin and Reidis Sena from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland on Tuesday. Neither pitcher appeared in the Sea Dogs’ series-opening 1-0 loss to the Somerset Patriots at Hadlock Field.

Bonnin, 25, posted a 4.04 ERA and 3.93 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 16 walks in 19 relief appearances (35 2/3 innings) for Greenville this season. That translates to a 28 percent strikeout rate and an 11.2 percent walk rate for the right-hander, who held opposing hitters to a .164 batting average.

Sena, 23, forged a 3.56 ERA and 4.29 FIP with 67 strikeouts to 24 walks in 28 relief appearances (48 innings) for the Drive this season. That translates to a 32.4 percent strikeout rate and an 11.6 percent walk rate for the righty, who limited opposing hitters to a .201 batting average.

Bonnin, who turns 26 in October, joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent back in March after being released by the Reds. The Texas Tech product was originally selected by Cincinnati in the third round of the 2020 draft but has dealt with injuries throughout his professional career. He most notably missed the final three months of the 2022 campaign and all of 2023 with a rotator cuff issue that cost him some time to begin 2024 as well.

When healthy, though, Bonnin has proven to be quite effective. In 2022, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound hurler was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Cincinnati’s farm system. He was also recognized by the outlet as having the best fastball in the Reds organization.

This season, Bonnin has reached 98 mph with his mid-90s heater while also mixing in an 84-85 mph slider and a changeup. He is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, which describes him as a “low-risk, high-reward signing” who “had two plus pitches prior to rotator cuff injury, but command and control were always a concern.”

Sena, meanwhile, originally signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in December 2018. The Neiba native began his professional career as a starter but has been used strictly out of the bullpen since last year. Like Bonnin, Sena is not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, though he did get some attention from FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen last month.

Longenhagen tabbed Sena as his 41st-ranked Red Sox prospect. He wrote that the 6-foot-1, 175-pound righty “generates huge over-the-top arm speed, resulting in mid-90s heat that plays down a bit due to downhill plane. Sena’s cutter, which tends to live around 90 mph but has peaked at 95, helps mitigate some of his fastball’s vulnerability in this way. He doesn’t locate it well enough to be a bat-misser, instead relying on his power mid-80s curveball to get whiffs.”

Bonnin and Sena can both become Rule 5-eligible this winter if they are not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. In the meantime, they join a bullpen mix in Portland that includes the likes of Alex Hoppe, Christopher Troye, Jonathan Brand, Jacob Webb, Brendan Cellucci, and Zach Bryant.

(Picture of Bryce Bonnin: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Blake Wehunt named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 12-18, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Wehunt was superb in his last start for High-A Greenville this past Friday. Going up against the Aberdeen IronBirds on the road, the 23-year-old right-hander struck out six and walked only one over five scoreless, no-hit innings in which he faced the minimum. He threw 65 pitches (38 strikes) and induced a game-high nine swings-and-misses.

In 10 starts for the Drive, Wehunt has posted a 4.80 ERA and 3.70 FIP with 49 strikeouts to 11 walks over 45 innings pitched. That comes after he forged a 2.16 ERA (2.76 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to 11 walks in eight starts (33 1/3 innings) for Low-A Salem to open his first full professional season before receiving a promotion to Greenville in early June. Between the two stops, opposing hitters have batted just .199 against him.

Among the 113 South Atlantic League pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings to this point in the year, Wehunt ranks 10th in walks per nine innings (2.20), 11th in walk rate (6 percent), 16th in WHIP (1.07), 30th in xFIP (3.58), 39th in FIP, 43rd in batting average against (.222), 50th in strikeout rate (26.6 percent), and 53rd in groundball rate (41.2 percent), per FanGraphs.

Wehunt, who turns 24 in November, was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State. The Georgia native signed for $100,000 and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 33 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, he operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph this season, an 82-86 mph slider, and an 84-85 mph splitter.

Wehunt becomes the third Greenville hurler to earn South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week honors this season, joining fellow righties Juan Daniel Encarnacion (May 6-12) and Yordanny Monegro (July 29-August 4). He was also recognized as the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 29-May 5 while still with Salem.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Adam Bates named to Australia’s WBSC U23 World Cup national team

Red Sox pitching prospect Adam Bates has been named to the Australian national team for next month’s WBSC U23 World Cup in China.

Bates, who turned 19 last week, was among 12 pitchers to make Team Australia’s roster. The Aussies will compete in Group A with China, Colombia, Great Britain, Japan, and Puerto Rico. The biennial tournament runs from September 6-15.

A Sydney-area native, Bates signed with the Red Sox for $200,000 as an international free agent last September after impressing at the 2023 U18 Baseball World Cup in Taiwan. Though he had prior experience pitching in the Australian Baseball League as a 17-year-old in 2022, the right-hander made his organizational/professional debut for Boston’s Florida Complex League affiliate in May and spent his first season stateside in Fort Myers.

In 11 appearances (nine starts) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox, Bates posted a 3.96 ERA and 4.32 FIP with 36 strikeouts to 17 walks over 36 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted .278 against him. His 17.2 percent swinging-strike rate ranked 12th among the 76 FCL pitchers who threw at least 30 innings this year, per FanGraphs.

Listed at a projectable 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Bates operates with a high-80s fastball that tops out at 91 mph, a low-70s curveball, and a low-80s changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report. He also throws a cutter that he picked up from former Padres righty and fellow Australian Chris Oxspring, as he explained to hosts Andrew Parker and Ed Hand on the To The Show We Go podcast back in February.

Bates is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, which describes him as having “room to grow.” It’s early and things can change, but it will be interesting to see if Bates can make his way to Low-A Salem at some point in 2025.

(Picture of Adam Bates: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Wuilliams Rodriguez named Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Month for July

Red Sox pitching prospect Wuilliams Rodriguez has been named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Month for July, Minor League Baseball announced on Tuesday.

In four outings (three starts) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last month, Rodriguez allowed one earned run on six hits, four walks, and 15 strikeouts over 15 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .122 against him.

On the 2024 campaign as a whole, Rodriguez posted a 3.82 ERA and 3.56 FIP with 30 strikeouts to 11 walks over 12 appearances (four starts) spanning 30 2/3 innings of work. The 18-year-old right-hander closed out his first season stateside by firing 8 1/3 consecutive scoreless frames against the FCL Orioles and FCL Rays on July 16 and July 23, respectively.

Among the 76 FCL pitchers who threw at least 30 innings this year, Rodriguez ranked ninth in WHIP (1.14), 12th in FIP, 17th in walks per nine innings (3.23) and walk rate (8.8 percent), 20th in xFIP (4.04), 21st in line-drive rate (13.8 percent), 24th in batting average against (.216), 29th in strikeout rate (24 percent), 33rd in groundball rate (46.3 percent), and 34th in swinging-strike rate (14.9 percent) and ERA, per FanGraphs.

Rodriguez, who turns 19 in November, originally signed with the Red Sox for $50,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. The 6-foot-2, 199-pound Barquisimeto native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and was recognized as a DSL mid-season All-Star. He is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com but is projected to make the jump to Low-A Salem in 2025.

(Picture of Wuilliams Rodriguez: Bryan Green/Flickr)